Swedish Poetry 1
Harry Martinson (1904-1978) Aniara (Bonniers, 195
6) In the epic space poem Aniara by the selfeducated Nobel laureate Harry Martinson, the spaceship intended to save humanity ends up going off course. The passengers numb themselves with entertainments but cannot escape their terror at the loss of control. The encounters onboard are spasmodic and awkward, and yet hope is the very last thing to abandon even these people. The language is original and inventive in this fully accomplished work that discusses philosophical and existential issues from a perspective of extreme pessimism. The logic of the scientific arguments produced is also perfectly realised. The poem is of its time in that it begins with the very real threats posed by the atom bomb explosions that took place in the 1950s, but it is timeless, too, in that it portrays human vulnerability, anxiety and disorientation. The fear that strikes the space travellers has not lost its topical resonance. The work continues to captivate new readers, particularly through the operatic version that was subsequently produced, and as a result of the new music composed by pop artists such as Kleerup and Nicole Sabouné. Selected Collections of Poetry: Spökskepp (1929) Natur (1934) Passad (1945) Cikada (1953) Aniara (1956) Gräsen i Thule (1958) Vagnen (1960) Vildbuketten (1965) Tuvor (1973) SWEDISH POETRY 28