A Book of German Lyrics
_Not Known
German
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A BOOK OF GERMAN LYRICS
Selected And Edited With Notes And Vocabulary
By
FRIEDRICH BRUNS
Assistant Professor Of German, University Of Wisconsin
[Illustration: Ricordo di Tivoli, by Anselm Feuerbach]
PREFACE
In compiling this Anthology my aim has been not so much to acquaint the
student with individual great poems as with the poets themselves. With
this end in view I have made the selections as full and as varied as
possible and included in the Notes short introductory sketches of the
poets. Since the book is intended for the work of fourth and fifth
semester German in College (or third and fourth year High School),
pedagogic considerations imposed certain limitations not only as to
individual poems but also as to poets. Thus I felt that I must exclude
Novalis, Hoelderlin, Brentano, Annette von Droste, Nietzsche and Dehmel.
My standard of difficulty--aside from matters purely linguistic--was:
Could a similar poem in English be read and appreciated by the same class
of students? Moreover I tried out in a class of fourth semester German
all poems that seemed to offer special difficulties and have made use of
the experience thus acquired.
Some of my readers will undoubtedly be surprised at finding only two
poems of Schiller included in the collection. May I point to the length
of these two poems, 270 lines? Even to Goethe I have given only 362
lines. Why did I choose these two poems? The lighter lyric verse of
Schiller is not representative of the poet nor would it have enriched the
Anthology with a new note. _Das Lied von der Glocke_ is too long for this
small volume and is readily accessible in three different school
editions. Schiller is at his best in his philosophical lyrics: as Goethe
has said, in this field he is absolutely supreme. Poems like _Das Ideal
und das Leben_ or _Der Spaziergang_ are far too difficult for our younger
students. _Das verschleierte Bild zu Sais_, however, offers a
philosophical problem which the younger mind can grasp without special
training in philosophy. A few introductory remarks, such as I have given
in the notes, will prepare the way. Both poems, furthermore, exemplify
Schiller's ethical idealism. Certainly no other poems available at this
stage could do more.
I have often been asked by teachers: How do you teach lyric poetry? An
answer is found in my Notes to a number of the poems. The chief
prerequisite is a warm love for the poets: nowhere is enthusiasm more
contagious. A few introductory remarks will open the world of the poem to
the student. The teacher must, of course, develop in the students their
latent rhythmical sense both by example and precept. Aside from this
lyric poetry teaches itself.
As to the use of the book I should suggest spending two or three weeks on
one or two poets--I should begin with Goethe--and after that spend one
hour a week for a semester or even a year. Some poems could be assigned
for outside reading and then a group of poems be discussed in class.
On the whole I have limited myself to those poets that to-day stand out
as preeminent. A possible exception is the once famous Rueckert. I could
not resist the temptation of including his _Aus der Jugendzeit_, a poem
of consummate beauty, Rueckert's one perfect lyric. Time has been
relentless in its winnowing process. But if Geibel, Wilhelm Mueller and
Bodenstedt have given way to Moerike, Keller and Hebbel, we assuredly have
no reason for lament. If this little book help to win in our schools for
these three and for Storm, C. F. Meyer, and Liliencron the recognition
they deserve, I shall feel richly repaid for this labor of love.
_Spring of_ 1921,
Madison, Wisconsin.
FRIEDRICH BRUNS.
CONTENTS
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