Heinrich Heine was known for his satire wit and irony. He was frequently censored for his liberal views and his attacks on religion. Sounds familiar? ‘Welcher recht hat, weiss ich nicht— Doch es will mich schier bedünken, Dass der Rabbi und der Mönch, Dass alle beide stinken.’ Who is right I do not know— Yet I well nigh think, That the rabbi and the monk, That both of them stink. He also wrote a satirical verse-epic/narrative, Germany: A Winters Tale. Deutschland. Ein Wintermärchen shows Heine’s world of images and his folk-song-like poetic diction in a compact gathering, with cutting, ironic criticisms of the circumstances in his homeland. Above all Heine criticized German militarism and reactionary chauvinism . He did not see himself as an enemy of Germany, but rather as a critic out of love for the Fatherland. Heines later verse and prose are distinguished by their satirical wit and irony. His radical political views led to many of his works being banned by German authorities. Heine spent the last 25 years of his life as an expatriate in Paris. Heine moved in 1831 as a foreign correspondent for German newspapers to Paris. The voluntary exile became a forced one in 1835, when the Prussian government banned his work because of its outrageous blasphemy and spiteful invective. The fascinations the French capital held for Heine, which was then the second largest city in the world, include the contrast between the cheerful lifestyle of the French and the citys historical importance. But what he lost was his homeland. He observed events in Germany from afar and held on to the German language. But the loss remained painful. Should I think of Germany at night/it puts all thought of sleep to flight, he wrote in Nachtgedanken (Thoughts at Night). Those verses and A Winters Tale reflect Heines inner conflict between political analysis and deep sorrow. An incurable fondness for Germany rages in my heart, he once said. He chose the following epitaph for his headstone in Paris Montmartre Cemetery: Here lies a German poet. --
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 18:43:25 +0000