Clashing Myths in German Literature : From Heine to Rilke

Clashing Myths in German Literature pursues the theme of the author’s Aesthetic Paganism in German Literature. The search for mythic meaning in German literature is continued through the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when the Greek myth remained important though no longer in clear hegemony, Germanic lore enjoyed new interest, and the figure of Jesus exerted a singular fascination. The author approaches the question through detailed appraisals of representative major figures whose thought and works exemplify important aspects of the mythic tradition: Heinrich Heine, Jacob Burckhardt, Richard Wagner, Friedrich Nietzsche, Stefan George, and Rainer Maria Rilke. His discussion of these widely divergent personalities is remarkable in its balanced sympathy and critical insight. Together with Aesthetic Paganism this work represents a truly major achievement in German literary studies. Acknowledgments Contents I. Introduction II. Heine and the Gods III. The Burgher and the Greeks: Burckhardt IV. Aestheticism and Myth in Wagner V. Nietzsche and the Myth VI. Greek and Germanic Myth in George VII. Rilke, Mythology, and Myth Epilogue Bibliography, Notes, and Index Bibliography Notes Index Heine And The Gods -- The Burgher And The Greeks: Burckhardt -- Aestheticism And Myth In Wagner -- Nietzsche And The Myth -- Greek And Germanic Myth In George -- Rilke, Mythology,and Myth. By Henry Hatfield. Bibliography: P. 193-200. Detailed appraisals of the mythic Heine, Burckhardt, Wagner, Nietzsche, George, Rilke. Red cloth binding, 222 pages. Harvard University Press, 1974. First Edition. Hardcover.