Lecture 5: Sturm und Drang / Storm and Stress Sturm und Drang within 18th century culture Two of Goethe‘s famous Storm and Stress poems Lenz, ‚Lied zum teutschen Tanz‘ Sources and central concepts of the Sturm und Drang Centres of the Sturm und Drang Goethe‘s life and works (till 1775)
The Sturm und Drang within 18th century culture /1785 quite a short, but influential period - often called Geniezeit traditionally interpreted as a countermovement to Enlightenment and an early stage of German Romanticism in the last 30 years seen as part of the Enlightenment: its foremost criticism brought along by a new generation of authors: Herder, Goethe, Klinger, Wagner, Lenz, Schiller
Two of Goethe‘s famous Storm and Stress poems ‘Prometheus’ written in 1773 dealing with mythological theme of the demigod Prometheus - especially with his revolt against Zeus, the Göttervater and Götterherrscher the lyrical I defines itself as the creative center ultimate power for the subject claimed ‘Mayfest’ written in 1771: Erlebnislyrik - but nevertheless a construct, simulating real experiences nature as aesthetic space for creating the idea of an individually based (centred) totality the new ‘language’ of literature: simplicity, exclamations, emotions, unity of sound and meaning - ‘natural’ diction (insteaf of poetic diction) TEXT
Jacob Michael Reinhold Lenz Lied zum teutschen Tanz (written in the 1770s) O Angst! o tausendfach Leben O Muth den Busen geschwellt Zu taumeln zu wirbeln zu schweben Als giengs so fort aus der Welt Kürzer die Brust Athmet die Lust Alles verschwunden Was uns gebunden Frey wie der Wind Götter wir sind Freyer als Wind Ach wir nun sind Ach wir Götter thun was uns gefällt
Sources and central concepts of the Sturm und Drang
Centres of the Sturm und Drang
Johann Wolfgang Goethe: his life and works till 1775