Symbolism och impressionism i Ivar Conradsons Skyarne

Abstract

This essay examines the poetry of the Swedish writer Ivar Conradson (1885-1968). It analyzes his work in the context of the European literary scene of the late 19th century, in particular symbolism and impressionism. Conradson has been considered a symbolist and a mysticist by critics and scholars, who claim that his poetry expresses a strong religious ethos, influenced by biblical rhetoric as regards style. While this study does not refute the common view of Conradson, it argues that his early works differ from his later works, where indeed religious and mystical themes can be found. This difference can thus be seen both on stylistic and thematic levels. Using the structuralist method of Roman Jakobson and Jurij Lotman, and a phenomenological analysis based on the philosophy of Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Hannah Arendt, this study examines both symbolist and impressionist stylistic devices and themes in Conradson’s literary debut Skyarne (1906). The main conclusion is that in Skyarne, one finds a contradictory pattern: on the one hand mood and transcendence, i.e symbolism, and on the other hand perception, scepticism and alienation, i.e impressionism. Conradson has also been regarded as a modernist pioneer in Swedish poetry and literature. However this claim has never been closely examined. This study makes a comparison between Conradson’s poetry and some common concepts of modernism and Swedish modernist poets, such as Pär Lagerkvist, Gunnar Ekelöf and Karl Vennberg. The conclusion here is that Conradson is not using a typical modernist metaphorical style, but instead utilizes a certain form of free verse. His style is simple but fragmentary, avoiding striking and complex metaphors, using a subtle and ‘unpoetic’ poetic language.