Gustave Mathieu

I don't know if I would call this an introduction. It's more of a introductory source anthology by which I mean a compilation of poems by major poets with very little in the way of commentary, explanation, or analysis. This book has no footnotes, a three page introduction, and- despite claims to the contrary on the back cover -no substantial critical apparatus. There is no substantial discussion of German poetic form or ways in which it differs from English poetry. Most poets get a half page biographical blurb (which the authors think to be sufficient criticism) before you are thrown into their poetry (and these are '5 x '9 pages with inch wide margins and about 12pt font size). Goethe gets a page and a half. I'm not competent enough in German to test the "literal English translations" that oppose the German verse, but I have my doubts.

Even as a source anthology this book has faults. First and most glaringly, there are 34 poets covered in this 169 page anthology. That means, at maximum, the authors could give each poet five pages. Since each poets poems are given in both German and English that means that each poet usually gets a half page biography and one poem. Heine and Goethe get three poems a few others get two. I don't know how they expect us to understand anything about the poet based on one poem. Another problem is the failure of the authors to cite sources. I was impressed when they included a poem by Nietzsche, and I wanted to check that poem out in the context of his work, but alas Mathieu and Stern don't tell us where they pulled the work. Is it in the "Gay Science"? Maybe "Will to Power" or "Dionysius Dithyrambs"? Who knows!? The mystery is half the fun, I suppose.

Overall, this book has the feeling of an appetizer that''s supposed to come before a larger and more through "introduction to German poetry": it's enough to get one interested, but you're still hungry.… (mehr)