Stefan George, a poet of conflicts : from Hymnen to Algabal

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dc.contributor.authorAtkinson, Dena Lynnen_US
dc.date.accessioned2024-08-12T19:31:11Z
dc.date.available2024-08-12T19:31:11Z
dc.date.copyright1985en_US
dc.date.issued1985
dc.degree.departmentDepartment of Germanic Studiesen_US
dc.degree.levelMaster of Arts M.A.en
dc.description.abstractA poet's concept of his calling is an important key to a thorough understanding of his literary works. The German lyric poet Stefan George was especially concerned with what he felt was his unique role, His ideal vision of himself leading an artistic empire of kindred spirits was finally fulfilled, in the latter half of his life, upon the establishment of the George-Kreis. In his twenties, however, he felt very keenly the discrepancy between real­ity and his lofty concept of the poet as a creator of beautiful works and a guardian of society's highest values. This thesis identifies and discusses the conflicts associated with the young poet's search for personal truth as reflected in Hymnen ( 1890), Pilgerfahrten ( 1891) and Algabal (1892), the first collections of poems that George published and considered a trilogy, George's youthful literary quest, in its formative stages, is revealed by the persona of the poet who is a solitary dreamer in Hymnen, a troubled pilgrim in Pilgerfahrten and a world-weary emperor in Algabal. The development of George's concept of the poet, in relation to. his conflicts, is traced from his initial self-affirmation in Hymnen to his doubts about his ability to reach his goals in Pilgerfahrten and Algabal. All of the poems in Hymnen, all but four in Pilger­fahrten and six representative poems in Algabal are discussed. The emphasis is on the first two collections because the conflicts raised in Hymnen and developed in Pilgerfahrten are repeated in Algabal. The poet reaches a nadir in Algabal which marks the end of a phase in George's life and work. Certain recurrent motifs are examined which embody the clash between fantasy and reality, dedication to art and passion for life, renunciation and temptation, the poet and the public, and art and nature. These motifs include the garden of art, the palace or temple of poetry, the hermitage 81'.ld the kingly robe of the poet. The would­-be ruler of an artistic empire is seen on a difficult odyssey from his hermitage to the palace of poetry. He hopes that, in time, when his garden of art is in full bloom and his poetry becomes a temple-like haven, he will wear the poet's kingly robe in all its glory. For now, however, in this trilogy, the tension between this ideal and reality is unresolved.
dc.format.extent144 pages
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1828/16994
dc.rightsAvailable to the World Wide Weben_US
dc.titleStefan George, a poet of conflicts : from Hymnen to Algabalen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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