Michael Strunge stands as one of the most significant Danish poets of the 1980s. In his tragically short 27 years, he unleashed 11 collections of poetry from his feverish, imaginative mind. His work possesses an energy that can jolt any passive reader, alternating between a rawness that feels immediate and tangible, and a dreamlike quality that is utterly captivating. The punk scene of the 80s, with its distinctive music and aesthetic, was a profound influence, evident from his debut and even in his later declarations of parting with punk. Strunge's themes often grapple with mortality, powerlessness, urban alienation, and self-annihilation, but also explore the vibrant counterpoints of life, intoxication, the city's authenticity, and self-aggrandizement, not to mention love. He consciously moved away from the politically charged poetry of the 1970s, choosing instead to poetize the very conditions of life itself.
Strunge was one of the early voices of a poetic movement in Denmark known as the ‘Poetry of the 80s’. Recognised as a rebellious, angry poet who identified strongly with the poor and the socially sidelined, he was convinced of the power of language to effect change, seeing the poet as both creator and messenger. Despite his suicide in the mid-80s, he is still highly regarded as a poet of the modernist era.