Name: Aeolic Odes
Price: 15.26 EUR
Availability: InStock
Author: Friedrich Holderlin
ISBN: 9780359908530

Type

Physical Book

Author

Friedrich Holderlin

Publisher

Lulu.com

Year

2019

Language

English

Pages

Format

Paperback

Dimensions

22.9 x 15.2 x 0.6 cm

Weight

0.15 kg.

ISBN13

9780359908530

Synopsis "Aeolic Odes "

Friedrich Hölderlin's Odes are built upon precise syllabic and rhythmic schemes, inspired by poetic forms originating from ancient Greece. In the hope of giving an idea of the music they produce, the present English translations strive to reproduce their metrics. They are speaking to us of a longing for the childhood of humankind, for Greece where the voice of the gods could still be heard, and of the danger lying in trying to find again that too powerful voice which is that of unmitigated reality, re-enchanted and therefore striking like lightning: "For they who lend us the fire of heaven, / The gods, with a holy pain endow us too". But it is in that danger that also lies salvation, however brief: "The savior I then hear in the night, I hear / Him kill, the liberator, and give life too".

Friedrich Holderlin

(Author)

View Author's Page

Friedrich Hölderlin (1770–1843) was a German poet, novelist, and philosopher, considered one of the most important figures of Romanticism and German idealism. He was born on March 20, 1770, in Lauffen am Neckar, in southwestern Germany. His childhood was marked by the premature death of his father, after which he was raised by his mother and stepfather. He studied Theology at the seminary in Tübingen, where he befriended future thinkers such as Hegel and Schelling.

Although initially destined for the religious ministry, Hölderlin leaned towards literature and philosophy. His work combines influences from Greek classicism, German idealist thought, and a deep spiritual sentiment. His poetry, infused with references to mythology and nature, seeks a synthesis between the human and the divine.

His novel Hyperion or The Hermit in Greece (1797–1799) and his lyrical poetry—including odes and hymns—established him as an innovator of poetic language. From 1806, his mental health severely deteriorated, and he lived secluded in Tübingen, under the care of a family friend, until his death in 1843.

Hölderlin was virtually forgotten in his lifetime, but his legacy influenced modern poets such as Rilke, Celan, and Heidegger.

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