Selected Poems and Prose
Published on 28. November 2013
496 pages
978-1-84777-509-2 (ISBN)
Description
Gottfried Benn ranks among the most significant German poets of the twentieth century. His early work, with its shockingly graphic depictions of human suffering and degradation, was associated with the Expressionist movement; the overriding theme of his later work was the isolation and fragmentation of the human being adrift in a nihilistic world.
David Paisey here presents two selections, of verse and prose respectively, from Benn's large oeuvre, ordered chronologically to enable readers to perceive the developments of Benn's art and thought. In an important biographical introduction, Paisey tackles the difficult question of Benn's compliance with the Nazi regime and its impact on his life and work.
David Paisey here presents two selections, of verse and prose respectively, from Benn's large oeuvre, ordered chronologically to enable readers to perceive the developments of Benn's art and thought. In an important biographical introduction, Paisey tackles the difficult question of Benn's compliance with the Nazi regime and its impact on his life and work.
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Language
English
Place of publication
Manchester
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Carcanet Press Ltd
File size
1,50 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-84777-509-2 (9781847775092)
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Gottfried Benn
Selected Poems and Prose
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11/2013
Carcanet Press Ltd
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Persons
Gottfried Benn was born on 2 May 1886 in Mansfeld (a village in Westpriegnitz, North Germany). He went to Marburg University to study philology and theology, but after two years changed to the study of military medicine at the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Akademie in Berlin. His first small collection of poems, Morgue and Other Poems, was published as a pamphlet in Berlin in 1912 and created a sensation: Benn became known as a leading figure in the new movement called literary Expressionism. During the First World War he worked as an army doctor in a hospital in Brussels. In 1917 he was discharged and returned to Berlin, where he opened the private practice for skin and venereal diseases which was his often meagre source of income for most of the rest of his working life. In 1932 he was elected to membership of the Literary Section of the Prussian Academy of Arts, and remained in place after the Nazis' rise to power. Although he never joined the NSDAP, his prose writings from the period incorporate Nazi terminology and support elements of Nazi ideology. He rejoined the army in 1935, but was attacked by the SS as an exponent of 'degenerate' Expressionist art and forbidden to publish while still a serving soldier. After the war Benn began to publish new work and his reputation as a poet rose quickly in West Germany. He died in July 1956. David Paisey was educated in Cardiff and London and once met Gottfried Benn in Berlin. Paisey worked as a German specialist in the British Museum Library (later the British Library) where he produced its catalogue of German books of the seventeenth century. David Paisey was educated in Cardiff and London and once met Gottfried Benn in Berlin. Paisey worked as a German specialist in the British Museum Library (later the British Library) where he produced its catalogue of German books of the seventeenth century.
Content
Translator's PrefaceBiographical Introduction
POEMSFinish / Schluss Schoene Jugend / Nice childhoodKreislauf / Circulation Blinddarm / Appendix Mann und Frau gehn durch die Krebsbaracke / Man and woman walk through the cancer shedD-Zug / Express Nachtcafe / Night cafe Gesaenge / SongsDa fiel uns Ikarus vor die Fuesse / Then Icarus Untergrundbahn / Underground train Englisches Cafe / English cafe Drohungen / Threats Schnellzug / Express-train Raeuber-Schiller / Robbers-Schiller Hier ist kein Trost / No comfort here Nachtcafe IV / Night cafe IV O Nacht / O night Karyatide / Caryatid Durchs Erlenholz kam sie entlang gestrichen / Through the alder wood it was making its way Reise / Journey Der Arzt / The doctor Pappel / Poplar Kokain / CocaineSynthese / SynthesisDas Instrument / The instrumentMarie / MarieCurettage / CurettageSchutt / RubblePalau / Palau Trunkene Flut / Drunken flood Das spaete Ich / The later I Staatsbibliothek / State Library Nebel / Mists Die Daenin / The Danish girl Der Saenger / The singerBanane / BananaSchaedelstaetten / Golgothas Theogonien / Theogonies Wer bist du / Who are you Schleierkraut / Gypsophila Osterinsel / Easter Island Orphische Zellen / Orphic cells Qui sait / Qui sait Sieh die Sterne, die Faenge / Behold the stars Was singst du denn / What are you singing?Aus Fernen, aus Reichen / From distances, from kingdoms Immer schweigender / Ever more silently Primaere Tage / Primal days Zwei Auszuege aus dem Oratorium 'Das Unaufhoerliche'. Musik von Paul Hindemith. I Lied, II Knabenchor / Two extracts from the oratorio 'The unceasing'. Music by Paul Hindemith. I Song, II Choirs of men and boysDennoch die Schwerter halten / Hold the swords in defianceAm Brueckenwehr / On the bridge Valse triste / Valse triste Tag, der den Sommer endet / Day, when summer ended Auf deine Lider senk ich Schlummer / I give your lids the gift of slumber Das Ganze / The whole Turin / Turin (I)Am Saum des nordischen Meers / On the edge of the Baltic Sea Einsamer nie / The loneliest time Wer allein ist / He who's alone Die Gefaehrten / The companions Du traegst / You bear So still / So tranquil Wenn dir am Ende der Reise / If at your journey's limit Dann gliederten sich die Laute / Then the sounds created a structure Wer Wiederkehr in Traeumen weiss / He who dreams the dead recur Monolog / Monologue Gedichte / PoemsVerse / Verses Ein Wort / A word Abschied / Departure Verlorenes Ich / Lost I Nachzeichnung / A drawing after Welle der Nacht / Wave of the night V. Jahrhundert / Fifth century September / SeptemberAch, das ferne Land / Ah, the distant land Chopin / Chopin UEberblickt man die Jahre - / If you survey traditionStatische Gedichte / Static poems Orpheus' Tod / The death of Orpheus Gewisse Lebensabende / Certain evenings of life Kleines suesses Gesicht / Sweet little faceDu liegst und schweigst und traeumst der Stunde nach / You lie in silence Acheron / Acheron Berlin / BerlinRadar / Radar Notturno / Notturno Der Dunkle / The dark one Restaurant / Restaurant Was meinte Luther mit dem Apfelbaum? / What did Luther mean by the apple tree? Kuenstlermoral / Artistic ethics Reisen / Journeys Spaet / LateDu uebersiehst dich nicht mehr / What does your retrospect lack? Satzbau / Sentence-construction Verhuelle dich / Muffle yourself Wir ziehn einen grossen Bogen / We draw a great arc Die Gitter / The barriers Verzweiflung III / Despair III Maerz. Brief nach Meran / March: letter to Meran An - / To - Nimm fort die Amarylle / Away with the amaryllis Eingeengt / Hemmed in Auferlegt / Laid on usWas schlimm ist / What's bad Bar / Bar Nur zwei Dinge / Only two things Melancholie / Melancholy In einer Nacht / In a night Tristesse / Tristesse >>Abschluss<< / "Closure" Kommt / Come Worte / Words Gedicht / Poem Apreslude / Apreslude Herr Wehner / Herr Wehner Kann keine Trauer sein / Can be no mourning Wie sehn die Buchen im September aus / How do the beeches look Von Bremens Schwesterstadt / From Bremerhaven Epilog 1949 / Epilogue 1949
PROSEBrains (Gehirne) The birthday (Der Geburtstag) Diesterweg (Diesterweg) The garden of Arles (Der Garten von Arles) an extract from The modern self (Das moderne Ich) extracts from Lyric self (Lyrisches Ich) How Miss Cavell was shot (Wie Miss Cavell erschossen wurde) Primal vision (Urgesicht)an extract from On the problems of being a poet (Zur Problematik des Dichterischen) an extract from After nihilism (Nach dem Nihilismus) extracts from Speech to the Prussian Academy of Arts, 5 April 1932 (Akademierede) Eugenics I (Zuechtung I) Extracts from Expressionism (Der Expressionismus) extracts from Mind and soul of future generations (Geist und Seele kuenftiger Geschlechter) an extract from The people and the writer (Das Volk und der Dichter) Doric world (Dorische Welt) an extract from Writing needs inner latitude (Die Dichtung braucht inneren Spielraum) an extract from Pallas (Pallas) extracts from On the theme of history (Zum Thema Geschichte) three extracts from The phenotype's novel (Roman des Phaenotyp) an extract from Marginalia (Marginalien) extracts from Double life (Doppelleben) extracts from Problems of lyric poetry (Probleme der Lyrik) extract from Speech in Darmstadt, 21 October 1951 (Rede in Darmstadt) extracts from Speech in Knokke (Rede in Knokke) an extract from Should poetry improve life? (Soll die Dichtung das Leben bessern?)
Index of Poem Titles and First Lines (English) Index of Poem Titles and First Lines (German)
POEMSFinish / Schluss Schoene Jugend / Nice childhoodKreislauf / Circulation Blinddarm / Appendix Mann und Frau gehn durch die Krebsbaracke / Man and woman walk through the cancer shedD-Zug / Express Nachtcafe / Night cafe Gesaenge / SongsDa fiel uns Ikarus vor die Fuesse / Then Icarus Untergrundbahn / Underground train Englisches Cafe / English cafe Drohungen / Threats Schnellzug / Express-train Raeuber-Schiller / Robbers-Schiller Hier ist kein Trost / No comfort here Nachtcafe IV / Night cafe IV O Nacht / O night Karyatide / Caryatid Durchs Erlenholz kam sie entlang gestrichen / Through the alder wood it was making its way Reise / Journey Der Arzt / The doctor Pappel / Poplar Kokain / CocaineSynthese / SynthesisDas Instrument / The instrumentMarie / MarieCurettage / CurettageSchutt / RubblePalau / Palau Trunkene Flut / Drunken flood Das spaete Ich / The later I Staatsbibliothek / State Library Nebel / Mists Die Daenin / The Danish girl Der Saenger / The singerBanane / BananaSchaedelstaetten / Golgothas Theogonien / Theogonies Wer bist du / Who are you Schleierkraut / Gypsophila Osterinsel / Easter Island Orphische Zellen / Orphic cells Qui sait / Qui sait Sieh die Sterne, die Faenge / Behold the stars Was singst du denn / What are you singing?Aus Fernen, aus Reichen / From distances, from kingdoms Immer schweigender / Ever more silently Primaere Tage / Primal days Zwei Auszuege aus dem Oratorium 'Das Unaufhoerliche'. Musik von Paul Hindemith. I Lied, II Knabenchor / Two extracts from the oratorio 'The unceasing'. Music by Paul Hindemith. I Song, II Choirs of men and boysDennoch die Schwerter halten / Hold the swords in defianceAm Brueckenwehr / On the bridge Valse triste / Valse triste Tag, der den Sommer endet / Day, when summer ended Auf deine Lider senk ich Schlummer / I give your lids the gift of slumber Das Ganze / The whole Turin / Turin (I)Am Saum des nordischen Meers / On the edge of the Baltic Sea Einsamer nie / The loneliest time Wer allein ist / He who's alone Die Gefaehrten / The companions Du traegst / You bear So still / So tranquil Wenn dir am Ende der Reise / If at your journey's limit Dann gliederten sich die Laute / Then the sounds created a structure Wer Wiederkehr in Traeumen weiss / He who dreams the dead recur Monolog / Monologue Gedichte / PoemsVerse / Verses Ein Wort / A word Abschied / Departure Verlorenes Ich / Lost I Nachzeichnung / A drawing after Welle der Nacht / Wave of the night V. Jahrhundert / Fifth century September / SeptemberAch, das ferne Land / Ah, the distant land Chopin / Chopin UEberblickt man die Jahre - / If you survey traditionStatische Gedichte / Static poems Orpheus' Tod / The death of Orpheus Gewisse Lebensabende / Certain evenings of life Kleines suesses Gesicht / Sweet little faceDu liegst und schweigst und traeumst der Stunde nach / You lie in silence Acheron / Acheron Berlin / BerlinRadar / Radar Notturno / Notturno Der Dunkle / The dark one Restaurant / Restaurant Was meinte Luther mit dem Apfelbaum? / What did Luther mean by the apple tree? Kuenstlermoral / Artistic ethics Reisen / Journeys Spaet / LateDu uebersiehst dich nicht mehr / What does your retrospect lack? Satzbau / Sentence-construction Verhuelle dich / Muffle yourself Wir ziehn einen grossen Bogen / We draw a great arc Die Gitter / The barriers Verzweiflung III / Despair III Maerz. Brief nach Meran / March: letter to Meran An - / To - Nimm fort die Amarylle / Away with the amaryllis Eingeengt / Hemmed in Auferlegt / Laid on usWas schlimm ist / What's bad Bar / Bar Nur zwei Dinge / Only two things Melancholie / Melancholy In einer Nacht / In a night Tristesse / Tristesse >>Abschluss<< / "Closure" Kommt / Come Worte / Words Gedicht / Poem Apreslude / Apreslude Herr Wehner / Herr Wehner Kann keine Trauer sein / Can be no mourning Wie sehn die Buchen im September aus / How do the beeches look Von Bremens Schwesterstadt / From Bremerhaven Epilog 1949 / Epilogue 1949
PROSEBrains (Gehirne) The birthday (Der Geburtstag) Diesterweg (Diesterweg) The garden of Arles (Der Garten von Arles) an extract from The modern self (Das moderne Ich) extracts from Lyric self (Lyrisches Ich) How Miss Cavell was shot (Wie Miss Cavell erschossen wurde) Primal vision (Urgesicht)an extract from On the problems of being a poet (Zur Problematik des Dichterischen) an extract from After nihilism (Nach dem Nihilismus) extracts from Speech to the Prussian Academy of Arts, 5 April 1932 (Akademierede) Eugenics I (Zuechtung I) Extracts from Expressionism (Der Expressionismus) extracts from Mind and soul of future generations (Geist und Seele kuenftiger Geschlechter) an extract from The people and the writer (Das Volk und der Dichter) Doric world (Dorische Welt) an extract from Writing needs inner latitude (Die Dichtung braucht inneren Spielraum) an extract from Pallas (Pallas) extracts from On the theme of history (Zum Thema Geschichte) three extracts from The phenotype's novel (Roman des Phaenotyp) an extract from Marginalia (Marginalien) extracts from Double life (Doppelleben) extracts from Problems of lyric poetry (Probleme der Lyrik) extract from Speech in Darmstadt, 21 October 1951 (Rede in Darmstadt) extracts from Speech in Knokke (Rede in Knokke) an extract from Should poetry improve life? (Soll die Dichtung das Leben bessern?)
Index of Poem Titles and First Lines (English) Index of Poem Titles and First Lines (German)
