Friedrich Maximilian Klinger was with his 1777 published drama «Storm and stress» to the namesake of a literary epoch. In his work he deals with his own emotional world and professes his passions. This phase was called at that time as so-called genius time or genius period in the 1820s the term Sturm und Drang was established.
Definition of Sturm und Drang
The Storm and Stress (1765 to 1790) is a Epoch of German literary history. In doing so, the rules and conventions of the previous literary movement were deliberately broken. Instead, the young authors relied on their own creative genius.
The literary period ties in with the sensitivity and later goes to the classic above. Since the transitions are fluid, the works of Sturm und Drang cannot always be clearly distinguished from them.
The literary sensitivity includes the period from 1740 until 1790 and runs parallel to the Enlightenment. Their authors wrote poems that put the emotional world of the individual in the foreground. In contrast to the Sturm und Drang, sensitivity did not oppose rationality but attempted to do so feeling the reason equal. You can therefore as complement to the enlightenment be understood.
The time of 1786 to 1805 is summarized in the literature as classic together. It ends in death Friedrich Schiller’s. Occasionally, the end of the classic also occurs 1832 dated – the year of death Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s. In this phase the writers abandoned the rebellious tone of the Sturm und Drang and took over ancient Greece to the role model. A large part of the literary work took place in Weimar, which is why this period is also known as Weimar classic referred to as.
If you would like to read up on the chronologically adjoining epochs in more detail, you can do so in the corresponding explanations on «Weimar Classicism» and «Enlightenment».
The Sturm und Drang began in a section of the cultural shift. The younger generation grappled with old values and consciously questioned them. Served accordingly freedom, Nature, genius and feeling as key concepts of this period.
Historical background of the Sturm und Drang era
In the corresponding period was historical and political much in transition. The German Reich, which previously consisted of many small states, joined together to form a more unified federation. As a result, the different legal systems in the areas involved led to conflicts.
Of the social class of the bourgeoisie became a new and more important role awarded. She was instrumental in political and economic reforms.
reform derives from the Latin word reformare and roughly means «remodel». The term is mainly used in politics. This means a structural redesign of the current situation – without bringing about a radical overthrow.
The bourgeoisie drove the amalgamation of the small states, which led to the introduction of a centralized government. Consequently he had to administrative apparatus expanded will – whose tasks the bourgeois class took over independently. This group was also strongly represented in business and did its job Contribution to progressive industrialization.
the increasing responsibilitywhich took over the bourgeoisie, led to a increase in self-confidence.
Characteristics of the Sturm und Drang era
Authors of this literary epoch rebelled against rationality of enlightenment, the optimism of progress and narrow morals. They also protested against the rigid use of language by allowing emotionality to flow into their works and consciously breaking with the usual rules and conventions.
the enlightenment (1720 to 1800) advanced the use of the reason into the center. This was accompanied by human emancipation, i.e. liberation from relationships of dependency on the nobility and the church. This independence should be achieved through the ability to think and act rationally and independently.
aesthetics of genius
The central feature of the epoch of Sturm und Drang is the conception of genius. That original genius Served after Shakespeare’s model for the model of the epoch.
That original genius denotes the artist himself, i.e. the creating – or creating – people. When realizing his works, he doesn’t follow rules and doesn’t fit in anywhere. Independent of cultural tradition the original genius imitates immediate nature.
So it breaks with the rigid rules of the Enlightenment and writes according to its own wishes and principles. the free development his self is the highest goal of the original genius, but always under the aspect of consideration for other individuals. This puts the focus on the individual and their emotions.
William Shakespeare embodied for the poets of the Sturm und Drang Prototypes of the original genius. It was his role model to emulate.
Expressive language
The language of the storm and urge is emotionally charged and expressive, sensations become special stressed. Emotional outbursts and revolutionary speeches often find their place in the works. The writers wrote unfinished sentences, exclamations, or even swear words. Frequently used stylistic device in this context are the elision, the hyperbole, the ellipse, the aposiopesis, the onomatopoeia and the metaphor.
- At a elision will unstressed sounds omitted.
- At a hyperbole it is a mostly unbelievable one exaggeration.
- That omit of sentence partswhich shortens the sentence grammatically, is called ellipse.
- One aposiopesis is a Special form of the ellipseat which the set aborted and the last part of what is said is replaced by a pause.
- the onomatopoeia mimics Sounds linguistically.
- The stylistic device metaphor is used to to describe something in a figurative sense.
If you would like to learn more about the various rhetorical stylistic devices, take a look at the corresponding explanations for «Elision», «Ellipse» and «Metaphor».
The following quote illustrates this stylistic device of aposiopesis. The excerpt is part of a emotional outbursths of a noble officer who raped and impregnated a young middle-class woman and now regrets his actions.
Yes / Yes! Devil! I have; – followed your cursed teachings, followed them to the letter! – I – if you really want to know – profaned an angel, made myself a monster.
The quote comes from Heinrich Leopold Wagner’s «The Child Murderer» (Project Gutenberg).
The language usage also shows: The Sturm und Drang was one youth movement. Their representatives rejected the pompous, artificially stylized figure of speech of the aristocratic authorities and replaced it with one popular expression of youth.
Tragic Heroes
The poets of this era admired the tragic heroes of antiquity and Shakespeare’s dramas. Many works are therefore filled with those models.
In his hymn «Prometheus», published in 1785, Goethe, for example, took on the ancient mythical figure of the same name:
Cover your sky, Zeus,
And practice like a boy
By oak trees and mountain heights!
criticism of feudalism
Both the followers of the Enlightenment and those of the Sturm und Drang rejected the feudal system and stood up for it abolition a.
At the feudalism it is one social order of the Middle Ages. The nobility and the church formed the ruling class that owned the lands. For loyal service they gave land to their subjects (vassals). They were allowed to use the land, but in return they had to serve the king and pay taxes.
conception of nature
The Sturm und Drang deepened the understanding Baruch de Spinozaafter yourself God manifest in all objects of nature. It was contrasted with culture as something purer and more sublime. The young authors praised the so-called «simple life».
The philosopher Baruch de Spinoza lived from 1632 to 1677 in the Netherlands. The idea of nature in the storm and stress was through his pantheism compacted. According to this basic conception, the divine exists in all things in the environment and is therefore to be equated with nature.
Well-known representatives and authors of the epoch
The majority of the writers of that time were young and free poets at an age between 20 and 30 years. The epoch was therefore, as has already crystallized in linguistic usage, as youth movement. Their representatives mostly came from poorer, bourgeois circumstances (with the exception of Goethe) and deliberately leaned in against enlightenment on.
Subjects such as friendship, courage and passionate love as well as rebellion against authorities were discussed – motifs that young generations are still concerned with today.
Among the best-known representatives of the literary epoch of the Sturm und Drang are:
- Heinrich Leopold Wagner (1747–1779)
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
- Jacob Michael Reinhold Lenz (1751–1792)
- Friedrich Maximilian Klinger (1752–1831)
- Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805)
Well-known works of the Sturm und Drang
Either drama, lyric as well as epic played an important role in this era. The central genus, however, embodied that drama.
- Dramatic lyrics include action and events. They are intended for performance on the theater stage or for filming. The pieces are written in dialogues and monologues and contain stage directions.
- Under lyric one understands poetry in verse form. It includes all poems and songs.
- In the epic is narrative literature, e.g. B. Novels or short stories. In contrast to the other two genres, in the epic a narrator, i.e. a fictional person, describes the course of events.
drama
Central to the drama of Sturm und Drang was a tragic hero who could only escape his fate by mutilation or suicide. Current problems in society, rebellion against the prevailing order and the pursuit of freedom and self-determination were discussed.
Since the authors rejected rigid rules and insisted on their creative freedom, the three Aristotelian units hardly any attention.
Both three Aristotelian units is it the Unity of time, action and place. The Greek philosopher Aristotle laid down these principles for the construction of the work.
- unit of time: The drama should not extend over too long a period of time, but only a run of the sun (24 hours) include.
- unity of action: It may only a main event without elaborate side events be tracked.
- Unit of place: It may no sideshows give, the story should be limited to one location.
As a result, many pieces could hardly be performed. For example, Goethe’s «Götz von Berlichingen» is considered an important piece of reading due to the more than 50 different locations and the enormous ensemble of figures that illuminate all social classes.
As the greatest role model…