If You Ask Me (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Gunnar Ekelöf
- First Published: 1955
- Type of Work: Dramatic monologue
- Genres: Poetry, Dramatic monologue
- Subjects: Extraterrestrial life, Masks, Scandinavia or Scandinavians, Life, philosophy of, Sweden or Swedish people, Stars, Air, Respiration
The Poem
“If You Ask Me” is a short dramatic monologue in free verse. The speaker seems to be identical with Gunnar Ekelöf himself. In the opening lines he anticipates—and answers—a question posed by his unidentified interlocutor about where he exists–finns, the Swedish verb Ekelöf uses, means something between “abide” and “reside.” As the monologue continues, the reader becomes closely identified with the silent friend to whom the poet is speaking. Using the familiar du form of address (which in 1955 still implied a certain degree of...
[The entire page is 1518 words long]
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