Froding, Gustaf

(1860-1911)

   A Swedish poet, Froding suffered from mental illness for much of his life and in 1898 suffered a break-down that effectively put a stop to his work. A perpetual outsider, he should be regarded as an early modernist, who had his debut with the collection Gitarr och dragharmonika (1891; tr. Guitar and Concertina, 1926). As indicated by the title, this volume contains two types of poems, the more somber and serious ones, suitable for guitar accompaniment, and the lighter and funny ones, the sort that one could imagine accompanied by a concertina. The latter type made Froding one of the most beloved poets in Swedish literature.

   Some of the poems in Nya dikter (1894; New Poems) express Froding's views on social issues, while Stank och flikar (1896; Sprinklings and Tatters) alludes to how difficult it is to arrive at a coherent worldview; the old view of reality is in tatters, and nothing has yet replaced it. In this collection Froding introduces the image of the Holy Grail, which represents the lost ability to hold all of reality in a single vision. One of the poems, "En morgondröm" (A Morning Dream), landed Froding in court, accused of pornography; he was, however, acquitted.

   The collection Nytt och gammalt (1897; New and Old) was followed by Gralstank (1898; Sprinklings from the Grail), which further deal with the fragmentation ofmodern reality. Two prose works, Om livsmonader (1898; About Life's Monads) and Grillfangerier (1898; Flights of Fancy), are in a similar vein. The collections Efterskord (1910; Late Harvest), Reconvalescentia (1913), and Återkomsten (1964; The Return) were published posthumously.