Swedish Poetry Defined by Absence, Scholar Argues

A new dissertation from the University of Gothenburg argues Swedish poetry has been largely defined in opposition to what it *isn’t* since the 1970s. Literary scholar Mia Quirin’s research examines how Swedish poets have conceptualized the form of poetry from 1950 onwards. Her work suggests a consistent trend of poets defining their work through negation – establishing boundaries by stating what poetry is not, rather than affirmatively stating what it is. This defensive posture, Quirin contends, has characterized Swedish poetry for decades. The dissertation explores this ongoing process of definition and redefinition within the Swedish poetic landscape. Quirin’s research offers a new perspective on the evolution of poetic form and its relationship to cultural context.