Poesi i kapprustningens tid

Abstract

Poetry in the Age of the Arms Race: Ingrid Sjöstrand’s Poem “Otänkbart” (“Unthinkable”) on the NATO Rearmament Decisions of 1979
 Within the popular movements poetry is used as a tool in the struggle for social and political change. The poetry cherished by the movements can thus be described as utilitarian, performing rhetorical functions in relevant contexts. The article deals with the poem “Otänkbart” (“Unthinkable”) by Ingrid Sjöstrand, which addresses a pertinent social problem from the perspective of the peace movement. The poem was published in Dagens Nyheter, Sweden’s largest daily newspaper, on 28 December, 1979. It is a response to the NATO decision made at a summit conference in Brussels on 12 December of that year to deploy nuclear weapons in Europe. A theoretical basis for the analysis is provided by Ron Eyerman and Andrew Jamison’s cognitive approach to social movements. In my study, I consider “Unthinkable” as part of the peace movement’s cognitive practice, exploring the explanation of the arms race formulated in the poem. I also investigate the relationship of the poem to articles published in Dagens Nyheter in December 1979 concerning the NATO decision, as well as to other texts dealing with related themes. Further, I scrutinize the poem’s uses of rhetorical devices and strategies to convince the reader to adopt the peace movement’s position on the issue and to create commitment and readiness to act. The analysis shows that “Unthinkable” was clearly a part of the peace movement’s knowledge production concerning the causes and consequences of the arms race, and of the movement’s values and alternative strategies for action. Structurally, “Unthinkable” offers creative opportunities for committed reception.