This essay is about the lyric authorship of the Swedish poet Hjalmar Gullberg (1898-1961), who was nicknamed “The Lyric Hegelian” due to his love of paradox. It focuses on certain traits in his authorship in its entirety, with a specific focus on a select number of poems. The primary concerns of this essay are questions of an existential nature raised by Gullberg’s poetry, as well as his poetry’s relation to his time and age. As a member of the Swedish Academy Gullberg was an important literary presence in his day, most likely influencing the outcome of several Nobel Prizes. Gullberg’s poetry is part classicist and part modernist, combining traditional forms with newer ones, and in doing so it bears witness to contemporary society entering a state of modernity. Gullberg held feelings of both appreciation and aversion towards his time and age. His poetry touches upon a multitude of topics and includes motifs that are both ancient and contemporary, and these are combined as the poet searches for meaning in ephemeral existence. The present essay traces the development of an existential worldview and a type of philosophy in the authorship, which are characterised by complexity and uncertainty; these change with time, and this development can be seen in the different collections of poems. A shift can be observed from a spirit of optimism and religiosity towards a contrary mindset of pessimism and disbelief. This essay argues that Gullberg’s authorship is representative of its time and age in the sense that the views expressed in the poetry seem to correlate to the development of society and the general mentality in Sweden and much of Europe during the twentieth century, with regard to the process of secularisation that took place. The poetry of Gullberg leaves us with many questions and few definite answers. However, its value lies in the eloquent treatment that it gives to the subject-matter which is presented, and in that it encourages reflection. Gullberg was a late representative of an older literary tradition and an early representative of a new one; accordingly he embodied an important change in Swedish literary history.

This essay is about the lyric authorship of the Swedish poet Hjalmar Gullberg (1898-1961), who was nicknamed “The Lyric Hegelian” due to his love of paradox. It focuses on certain traits in his authorship in its entirety, with a specific focus on a select number of poems. The primary concerns of this essay are questions of an existential nature raised by Gullberg’s poetry, as well as his poetry’s relation to his time and age. As a member of the Swedish Academy Gullberg was an important literary presence in his day, most likely influencing the outcome of several Nobel Prizes. Gullberg’s poetry is part classicist and part modernist, combining traditional forms with newer ones, and in doing so it bears witness to contemporary society entering a state of modernity. Gullberg held feelings of both appreciation and aversion towards his time and age. His poetry touches upon a multitude of topics and includes motifs that are both ancient and contemporary, and these are combined as the poet searches for meaning in ephemeral existence. The present essay traces the development of an existential worldview and a type of philosophy in the authorship, which are characterised by complexity and uncertainty; these change with time, and this development can be seen in the different collections of poems. A shift can be observed from a spirit of optimism and religiosity towards a contrary mindset of pessimism and disbelief. This essay argues that Gullberg’s authorship is representative of its time and age in the sense that the views expressed in the poetry seem to correlate to the development of society and the general mentality in Sweden and much of Europe during the twentieth century, with regard to the process of secularisation that took place. The poetry of Gullberg leaves us with many questions and few definite answers. However, its value lies in the eloquent treatment that it gives to the subject-matter which is presented, and in that it encourages reflection. Gullberg was a late representative of an older literary tradition and an early representative of a new one; accordingly he embodied an important change in Swedish literary history.