Dithyrambs

Goll, Yvan, 1891-1950Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.0

Word count: 36K words
Chapters: 4

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Dithyramben by Yvan GollAuthor: Goll, Yvan, 1891-1950,Language: German, Class: PT: Language and Literatures: Germanic, Scandinavian, and Icelandic literatures, Release Date: Sep 19, 2014

Editor's review

Dithyramben is a poetic work written in German by Ivan Goll, in which the ancient dithyramb genre is reactivated within the context of twentieth-century modernism, displaying strong rhythm and emotional tension. Goll's writing lies between Expressionism and Surrealism, dense in imagery and intense in tone, often handling individual experience and the turbulence of the age through a juxtaposition of ecstasy and fragmentation. The work is modest in length yet rewards repeated reading; approaching it through sound and rhythm is often easier than seeking meaning word by word. For readers interested in modern German poetry, Expressionist literature, or cross-lingual writing, it offers a sample of formal experimentation in poetry. While reading, one may note the musicality created by repetition, apostrophe, and fractured syntax, or place it in comparison with poetic currents of its time. It should be noted that this is a collection in the original German, and the barrier to understanding lies mainly in language rather than length.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literary readers studying modern German poetry and Expressionism
Those interested in the dithyramb genre and formal experimentation in poetry
Readers with German reading ability who wish to expand their feel for poetry
Those concerned with cross-lingual writing and twentieth-century avant-garde poetry

Not a good fit for

General readers without German who hope to read Chinese translations of the poems
Readers who prefer plot-driven narrative or prose essays
Beginners expecting systematic literary history and detailed annotations

Reading tips

Begin by reading aloud to feel the rhythm and apostrophic tone of the poems, then return to close reading of words and phrases.
Read in batches by poem cycle or section, pausing briefly after each part to record intuitive impressions.
Keep a German dictionary at hand, focusing on recurring core image words, and build a personal vocabulary list.
Read alongside anthologies of Expressionist poetry from the same period to compare differences in genre and language.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is there a Chinese translation of this book, or is it only available in German?

According to available information, the version held by Project Gutenberg is the original German text and provides no information on Chinese translations. Readers who need to read in Chinese will have to look for translation materials separately. This edition is suitable for readers with German reading ability or those willing to consult the original with reference tools.

What kind of genre is the dithyramb, and do I need to understand it before reading?

The dithyramb originates in ancient Greece, originally a choral hymn to Dionysus, later evolving into a tradition of ode with unrestrained emotion and free form. Understanding this background helps in grasping the book's intense tone and rhythmic features, but it is not a prerequisite for reading. One may first read the original to feel its tone, then supplement with knowledge of the genre for a fuller understanding.

The collection is not long; how should I pace my reading?

Reading it all at once is not recommended. Dithyrambic poetry is dense in imagery and intense in tone, and continuous reading easily leads to fatigue. Read in several sessions, several sections at a time, reading aloud once and then silently once, allowing intervals for digestion. After finishing, review the marked lines and organize recurring images and shifts in tone for a more noticeable gain.

Will not knowing the author Ivan Goll affect my reading?

It will have some effect, but it is not an obstacle. Goll is a twentieth-century poet who wrote across languages, and his experience and background of language switching help in understanding the work's tone and formal choices. Readers may first read the work itself, then look up reliable biographical and creative background materials, avoiding substituting biography for a direct feel for the poetry's language.

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About the author

Goll, Yvan, 1891-1950 Author · French · 1891–1950

Yvan Goll (1891–1950) was a French poet born in the border region between French- and German-speaking Europe, and he wrote in both languages throughout his life. He was one of the pioneers of Surrealism, and his poems, composed in German and French alike, occupy a distinctive place in early twentieth-century European avant-garde literature. His representative work Dithyramben (Dithyrambs) is known for its ecstatic, musical language and intense imagery, reflecting both his inheritance of and break with the lyric tradition. Because public information is limited, the details of his life are difficult to set out fully, yet his surviving works show a poet who draws on myth, nature, and emotion, writing in free forms rich in rhythm. His bilingual writing reflects the cultural intermingling of the border region and left its mark on literary circles in both France and Germany, making him an important figure for the study of early Surrealism and cross-linguistic poetry.