Most of the poems are fairly short, and they include the elegies of the title as well as a variety of other forms. Gustafsson's familiar obsessions and foci can be found here again. The passing of time is often noted, and questions or observations about memory often appear in the poems. Even in these introspective poems Gustafsson also looks outward. And we want to stay.
Instants are so unlike each other.
A variety of historical, philosophical, even geographical notions are utilized in the poems. As usual, clever Gustafsson mixes interesting ideas and facts with his flights of fancy, generally very well. Elegies is a small collection, bits and pieces gathered together from thirty years worth of work. There is not quite enough sense of continuity, even when this volume is read in conjunction with the somewhat ampler collection, The Stillness of the World before Bach . But Gustafsson is almost always worth reading, and there are some very fine pieces here.