The eighteenth-century movement called Sturm und Drang played a critical role in the development of German literature in general and drama in particular. Lasting from the late 1760s to the early 1780s, it was part of a great national awakening that propelled German culture into European prominence. Beyond this the Sturm und Drang is a complex and misunderstood phenomenon that simulaneously draws on and rebels against the cultural and historical developments that surrounded it. This book addresses both specialists and non-German-speakers who are seeking an introduction to the Sturm und Drang. Introductory chapters treat the movement's boundaries, theoretical beginnings, precursors, and wider cultural context, and consider the methodological problems that result from the its highly politicized reception. Subsequent chapters introduce the movement's primary dramatic authors: Heinrich Wilhelm von Gerstenberg, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Maximilian Klinger, Anton Leisewitz, Heinrich Leopold Wagner, Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz, and Friedrich Schiller. The individual interpretations of their major dramas embrace several approaches, reading the works within their historical context and with an eye toward other critical analyses. In the end, the study intends to provide a cumulative portrait of the Sturm und Drang that does justice to its complexity.
Reviews
"A study from which even the most dedicated scholar will learn." -- Michael Jennings, Princeton UniversityWritten in a clear and accessible style, Bruce Duncan's study could be regarded ... as replacing such previous works as L.A. Willoughby's
The Classical Age of German Literature, 1748-1805. JOURNAL OF EUROPEAN STUDIES 'Non-specialists as well as specialists will benefit from this well-researched, clearly written, and thought-provoking study.' GERMAN STUDIES REVIEW 'An important, well-argued, and erudite study.' MONATSHEFTE 'Duncan's apt formulations and his skill at picking out a salient fact or quotation repeatedly convince the reader of the merits of the less conventional approach he has adopted.' MODERN LANGUAGE REVIEW
Details
First Published: 01 Sep 1999
13 Digit ISBN: 9781571130860
Pages: 266
Size: 22.8 x 15.2
Binding: Hardback
Imprint: Camden House
Series:
Studies in German Literature Linguistics and CultureSubject:
German LiteratureBIC Class: DSB
Details updated on 07 Feb 2012
Contents
- 1 Defining the Sturm und Drang
- 2 The Sturm and Drang as a Literary Movement
- 3 Heinrich Wilhelm von Gerstenberg
- 4 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- 5 Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz
- 6 Heinrich Leopold Wagner
- 7 Friedrich Maximilian Klinger
- 8 Johann Anton Leisewitz
- 9 Friedrich Schiller
- 10 Conclusion
- 11 Index
