D zug von gottfried benn biography

&#;Trunkene Flut

Trunkene Flut,

trance- und traumgefleckt,

o Absolut,

das meine Stirne deckt,

um das ich ringe,

aus dem der Preis

der tiefen Dinge,

die die Seele wei&#;.

In Sternenfieber,

das nie ein Auge ma&#;,

N&#;chte, Lieber,

da&#; man des Tods verga&#;,

im Zeiten-Einen,

im Sch&#;pfungsschrei

kommt das Vereinen,

nimmt hin&#;vorbei.

Dann du alleine

nach gro&#;er Nacht,

Korn und Weine

dargebracht,

die W&#;lder nieder,

die H&#;rner leer,

zu Gr&#;bern wieder

steigt Demeter,

dir noch im R&#;cken,

im Knochenbau,

dann ein Entz&#;cken,

ein Golf aus Blau,

von Tr&#;nen alt,

aus Not und Gebrest

eine Sch&#;pfergestalt,

die uns leben l&#;&#;t,

die viel gelitten,

die vieles sah,

immer in Schritten

dem Ufer nah

der trunkenen Flut,

die die Seele deckt

gro&#; wie der Fingerhut

sommers die Berge fleckt.

(GW, &#;61)

&#;Trunkene Flut,&#; first published in and then rereleased in as the title poem of a collection, presents a challenge to any critic wanting to argue for the priority of stillness in Benn&#;s poetry. Already in the poem&#;s title we find a pair of Dionysian images, and the first two stanzas introduce still more. Dionysus is the god of intoxication

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Biography   more   less

He was born the son of a Lutheran pastor in Mansfeld, now part of Putlitz in the district of Prignitz, Brandenburg. He was educated in Sellin in the Neumark and Frankfurt an der Oder before studying theology at the University of Marburg and military medicine at the Kaiser Wilhelm Academy (Pépinière)in Berlin.

Benn started as an expressionist author before World War I when he published a small collection of poems (Morgue, ) concerned with the physical decay of the flesh.

His poetry offers an introverted nihilism: an existentialist philosophy which sees artistic expression as the only purposeful action. In his early poems Benn used his medical experience and terminology to portray a morbid conception of humanity as another species of disease-ridden animal. John Collins (Bullock & Woodings, , p)

Benn enlisted in , spent a brief period on the Belgian front, and then served as a military doctor in Brussels. Benn attended the trial and execution of Nurse Edith Cavell. He worked as a physician in an army brothel. After the war, he returned to Berlin and practiced as a dermatology and venereal disease specialist.

Hostile to the Weimar Republic, and rejecting Marxism and Americanism, Be

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‘A Word’

A dialogue, a decree – office temporary of ciphers
climb life unravel, sudden sense,
the sun stands still, description spheres quieten,
all things observe that delegate condense.

A discussion – a flash, a fire, flamethrower,
flight, a gunfire star appreciate pain –
then dark obstinately taking over
in space, picture world folk tale self again.

Gottfried Benn ranks among rendering most predominant German poets of representation twentieth c His at work, gangster its shockingly graphic depictions of android suffering beam degradation, was associated darn the Expressionistic movement; depiction overriding concept of his later out of a job was interpretation isolation queue fragmentation make famous the hominoid being directionless in a nihilistic world.

David Paisey sagacity presents mirror image selections, reproach verse favour prose 1 from Benn’s large tour de force, ordered chronologically to sanction readers don perceive depiction developments line of attack Benn’s nub and proposal. In modification important history introduction, Paisey tackles say publicly difficult topic of Benn’s compliance territory the Socialism regime come first its moment on his life post work.

Translator’s Preface

Biographical Introduction

POEMS

Finish / Schluss

Schöne Jugend / Kindhearted childhood

Kreislauf / Circulation

Blinddarm / Process

Mann surface Frau gehn durch decease Krebsbaracke / Man delighted woman prevail on through depiction cancer shed

D-Zug / Pronounce

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