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Part of the book: The Significance of Locality in the Poetry of Friedrich Hölderlin

David J. Constantine

MHRA Texts and Dissertations 12

Modern Humanities Research Association

RomanticismGermanPoetryopen

Abstract.  Hölderlin obstinately believed in a revival of the Greek ideal, in another coming of the Greek genius, and because he was a great patriot he believed Germany would be its new home. Hölderlin externalized this idea by creating an imaginary world, whose constituent places were related as his theory demanded. It had to be shown that Germany would inherit from Greece. The world had to be arranged to show the genius of civilization recurring, after a long absence, in Germany. The progress of the ideal was mapped out in mythical geography. For a year or so the idea remained simple and definite, and accordingly, with complete confidence, the poetry gave form to it. The great hymns of 1801 are the clearest expression of the idea, and in them Hölderlin's mythical world is contained; but the beginnings were earlier, in two or three poems written at the turn of the century. Note cues in this chapter refer to endnotes in the end matter of the book.

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