It is a wine in the world,
as if God had died, and the leaden
shadow that falls down, overloaded
grave.
Come, let us hide in more detail ...
Life lies in the hearts of all
in coffins.
You! We want to kiss her deeply -
It beats a desire to the world, to which we must die
.
Biographical Background:
"World End" is one of the most famous poems, Else Lasker-Schüler. Eighteen prints of the poem are known to have appeared during his lifetime Else Lasker-Schüler. These are as many as from almost any other of her poems.
was first "World End" in 1903 in the anthology "Modern German Poetry" was published. 1905 was Else Lasker-Schüler's poem in her second book of poems "The seventh day" on.
was famous for the poem but the first poem of the same name by Jakob von Hobbis from 1911, it received great fame and is considered one of the programmatic poems of Expressionism.
analysis and interpretation:
The poem "World End" by Else Lasker-Schüler was published first in 1903 and describes a haunting and apocalyptic mood of the lyric self.
The poem consists of ten verses, which are divided into three stanzas, a quartet and two consecutive trios. In the first verse is a cross rhyme (abab), in the second and third stanzas embracing rhyme (cdc, eae). The rhyme regularly alternates between dull and ringing cadences, except the second verse, in which only sounding cadences. The rhythm of the poem is fluid. There is no clear recognizable verse form.
In the first stanza describes a sadness that is in the world, "as if God was dead" (v. 2). It is further shown a serious "shadow" (V.3), the hard on people "too busy" (v. 4). The second verse is about the longing of the lyric "I" for security. In the third stanza the thought continues, but the lyric "I realize that it must die.
be in the first stanza, according to my source, a parallel may be drawn to those described in the Bible complaints of the Israelites, the destruction of the First Temple by the Roman conquerors of Jerusalem and the deportation to Babylon (see Luke 19, 41-47 ). In verse two of the lyric "I show doubt in God, at least, the societal structures, the existence of God for the lyric" I probably appear doubtful. With
a "leaden shadow" (v. 3) the speaker means may be the structural changes brought by industrialization in the cities themselves. This "burden" (v. 4) to humans because they find that nature is no longer as pristine as before, and thereby restricted and threatened. In the Else Lasker-Schüler, the adjective "leaden" is used, it supports the severity of the burden is on people and applies also to the combination of "leaden" and "shadow" a Qxymoron that emphasizes the adjective.
The second verse describes the longing of the lyric "I" for closeness and security, the is supported by a world mood. Else Lasker-Schüler used in this verse is again an oxymoron with life ... as in coffins "(v. 6 / V.7). Thus it emphasizes an approaching doomsday strongly.
In the third stanza deepens the longing of the lyric "I still. From the desire for closeness (V.5) a wish for love (V.8) is. Human affection and security may prevent an approaching, final and inexorable doom, and so not the lyric I finally resigned before his death (v.10) because it recognizes that this is inevitable. Through the personification of desire is the inevitable destruction of the World supported because it something strong and mighty to be that "knock at the world" can (v. 9).
This poem by Else Lasker-Schüler is not a typical expressionist work, since it was published in 1903, the beginning of Expressionism is dated to 1910th It also has only a few belonging to this period features. "End of the World" is not anti-bourgeois drive, do not dramatize the war and keep the reader not the horror of the human eye. Furthermore, can not be used for the typical Expressionist styles and techniques, such as succession or simultaneous style, synesthesia, alienation or the typical Color combinations of red, black and blue. Also holds Else Lasker-Schüler, the usual form, a sonnet not. There is no historical reference to the revolutionary and overturning expressionist basic ideas.
is only through the sadness of the lyric ego, the apocalyptic mood and the beginnings of civilization and social criticism can be classified in this poem expressionism. However, I would rather call it a "pre-expressionist" poem, since it clearly can not in expressionism or a previous era, such as lane to Naturalism and Symbolism.
"World End" I think is an interesting but very special poem. It is interesting as Else Lasker-Schüler two kontrastirende topics like world destruction and love to each other. I would describe it as special because they worked on the topic Doomsday different from other writers.
