Kirjahaku

Goethe's Faust: Its Genesis and Purport offers an exploration of one of the most complex and multifaceted works in literary history. The author delves into Faust's intricate layers, examining its genesis, historical context, and Goethe's personal experiences that influenced the play. The work navigates the significant polarities that define Goethe's masterpiece—realism and idealism, the sensual and the spiritual, and the amoral versus ethical dimensions—highlighting the tensions and synthesis that give the drama its enduring power. The study acknowledges that Faust resists definitive interpretation, as each reader is drawn to different aspects of its dualities, and its richness lies in this very tension. This comprehensive review not only addresses Goethe's artistic intentions and thematic depth but also critiques the complexities added by decades of academic analysis. The author challenges the "Higher Critics," suggesting that their overly intricate dissection often obscures the play's accessible elements, creating unnecessary barriers for readers. Instead, the book emphasizes the need to return to the text itself, Goethe's broader oeuvre, and his poetic vision to uncover the "inner fairy tale" that underpins Faust. Drawing inspiration from influential critics like Konrad Burdach and Emil Staiger, the study ultimately seeks to balance scholarly insight with a clear understanding of Goethe's intentions, offering a pathway to appreciating the universal and timeless nature of his work. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1967.

Goethe's Faust: Its Genesis and Purport offers an exploration of one of the most complex and multifaceted works in literary history. The author delves into Faust's intricate layers, examining its genesis, historical context, and Goethe's personal experiences that influenced the play. The work navigates the significant polarities that define Goethe's masterpiece—realism and idealism, the sensual and the spiritual, and the amoral versus ethical dimensions—highlighting the tensions and synthesis that give the drama its enduring power. The study acknowledges that Faust resists definitive interpretation, as each reader is drawn to different aspects of its dualities, and its richness lies in this very tension. This comprehensive review not only addresses Goethe's artistic intentions and thematic depth but also critiques the complexities added by decades of academic analysis. The author challenges the "Higher Critics," suggesting that their overly intricate dissection often obscures the play's accessible elements, creating unnecessary barriers for readers. Instead, the book emphasizes the need to return to the text itself, Goethe's broader oeuvre, and his poetic vision to uncover the "inner fairy tale" that underpins Faust. Drawing inspiration from influential critics like Konrad Burdach and Emil Staiger, the study ultimately seeks to balance scholarly insight with a clear understanding of Goethe's intentions, offering a pathway to appreciating the universal and timeless nature of his work. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1967.

In this 1961 text, Professor Mason examines the complex of ambiguous attitudes which Rilke had towards Europe, in particular his hostility towards England and the English language. He proves that Rilke knew more English than he admitted, had English friends, and valued his English admirers. Professor Mason also shows that the heart of the matter is also at the heart of Rilke's poetry; that he identified England and above all America with forces which were robbing his Europe of its spiritual significance. The central passages of the Duino Elegies are thus seen from a fresh perspective. Professor Mason is writing of a genius who was also tiresome, and there is a pleasant astringent touch in many parts of the book. For readers of Rilke it is essential: written at a time when the European ideal had to be given life in England and substance in Europe, it provides any European with something to consider.