Der König in Thule

The King of Thule is a poem Johann Wolfgang von Goethe from 1774.

Formation

As a preliminary stage of this poem is true that in July 1774 on a trip Lahn resulting poem " Geistesgruß ". Under the influence of Herder was the legendary Thule as a venue chosen by the ancient idea of ​​the northernmost island, which was achieved by Greek sailors.

Content

The poem includes the following verses:

Fairy tale character of the song is clear ( " Once upon a time ..." / King as a typical fairy-tale character )

Allusion to the marriage formula " Till death do you part "

Symbol for poison defensive forces; Gold: symbol of the sun, of the divine, prolong life, Gold as a connection to the world of the gods; Cup represents the beloved; Gold demonstrates the high value that has the cup or the mistress of the king.

Eyes: symbol of the sun, light, ( " all-seeing eye " ), omniscience and wisdom

→ Water of Life

Drink: in the act of drinking the magic man tries all possibilities of a damage spell endure (from: Concise Dictionary of German superstition, Hanns Bechthold - Stäubi, Berlin 2000 ) Recent life ': foreshadowing the death

Memory of an eternal love remains hidden

The six verses are divided into two groups:

The golden cup is a visible expression of the inner connectedness, symbol of loyalty and enjoyment of life.

Form

The word and design choice leads " even faithful " by expressions such as " paramour " in ancient distance. Strophic structure, meter, and tone indicate the folk song:

Gar faithful to the grave = male

Whom his dying mistress = w.

A golden goblet gave = m.

Compared to " Geistesgruß "

At first glance, the two poems seem very different, but on closer examination one notices some similarities. For example, the meter is the same structure, each vierversige verses in the abab rhyme scheme. Not only there, but also in the content to show parallels.

Thus we find in the " Geistesgruß " has the same symbolism as in " A king in Thule ." JW von Goethe used in his two poems similar characters, expressed by the " noble spirit " and the " king" that reflect their lives. Just ask " cup " ( " A King of Thule ") and " ship" ( " Geistesgruß " ) metaphors of love dar. Likewise symbolizes the " cup " the loyalty as the " Senna " is shown in the " Spirit Greeting ". The Knight ( " A King of Thule " ) are resumed in Goethe's " Spirit Greeting " by the " Mark Knight ". A last point to be compared is the water imagery, which plays a major role in both poems. The main intention of both lyrical works, the appeal dar. to the ever- continuing love

Comparison: Faust - Urfaust

The poem is set as the song Gretchen initially in the mouth - in the light of this, their desires then their fate is to be seen.

Faust:

There was a king in Thule / Gar loyal, / The dying gave his paramour / a goldnene cup to the grave. / He was doing nothing about it, / he drained it at every feast; / The eyes went over him, / As often as he drank from it. / And when he came to die / ...

Urfaust:

There was a king in Thule / a golden goblet 'd / receiving his paramour / On her death bed. / The cup was dear to him / drink it at every feast; / The eyes went over him, / As often as he drank from it. / And when he came to die, / ...

The last verses are identical and provide a more detailed insight into the already indicated atmosphere. Since only the first two stanzas are the essential ingredients for the understanding of the song.

References to other passages in "Faust"

- "It's so sultry, so stuffy here / And yet just as warm not drauss '. / It is to me so I do not know how - / I wish that mother FIGHTING ' home. / Me sends shivers o'er whole body - / bin but a foolish timid wife " ( Evening: Verse 2753-2758 ) → song as a sedative.

- "Saved is the noble element / The spirit of the world of evil, / Who always striving endeavor / we can redeem. / And has even / taken on him the love from the top part, / meet him the blissful Schaar / With warm welcome " ( gulches: 11934-11941 verse ) → compared to ." King of Thule "

- " There was once a king, / The hatt 'einen big flea, / The love ' he is not little, / When as his own son. / Then he called his tailor, / The tailor came up: / Since the mis Junker dresses, / And misunderstand him pants! " ( Auerbach's Cellar: Verse 2211-2218 ) → compared to" The King of Thule "

- "If I sat in a Gelag, / Where some might be but famous, / And the fellows praised loudly with the nap / The damsel before, / With a full glass praise verschwemmt " ff ( Night: Verse 3620-3775 ) → Compare family loyalty

- "Has he so all good ', so all the lovers ' forget / The toil night and day! / Nay, he hath sincerely thought about it. / He said: When I went now away from Malta, / da pray I for his wife and children in heat; / We the sky was because even low, / That our ship a Turkish vehicle began, / That led one of the great treasure Sutans. / Because of valor was their reward, / And I received as well as deserved to / My wohlgemess'nes part of it " ff / ( The neighbor house: Verse 2968-3024 ). → comparison loyalty

- "I greet you, you only vial! / The I now get down with reverence, / In thee Adoring ' I human wit and art.. / You are the epitome of sweet slumber juices, / The extract of all deadly forces fine " ( Night: Verse 690-694 ) → comparison vial ↔ cup

Genre: Ballad

The ballad is widely regarded as a kind of dance song that is sung by the dancers. This type of interpretation is entirely on the passage: Applicable " The King of Thule " from Goethe's "Faust", as Gretchen, who recites this ballad, see the " dance of love " to fist is. Furthermore, the text type " ballad", as "people even and especially easily singable narrative song " refers to what is also true again very close attention to this passage because Gretchen the popularity or " lower layer " represents the fist and her place as such in Faust.

In many cases, the ballad also stands for a " demonic spukhaftes and most tragic events of history, legend or myth." This idea is also very aptly as the ballad in a fist appearance Mephistopheles ' precedes the evil personified here - in diabolical form - represents.

Also was or is the ballad of a " transformation of earlier heroic songs ," which also reopened parallels to own. Goethe presents Faust is a hero who threatens to leave the righteous path, but ultimately can not be influenced by evil and comes back on the right track.

Reception

This ballad has attained folk popularity and was set to music by the following composers and musical groups:

• Karl Siegmund Freiherr von Seckendorf ( 1782 )
• Wilhelm Schneider (1805 )
• Johann Friedrich Reichardt (1809 )
• Carl Friedrich Zelter (1812 )
• Franz Schubert ( 1816)
• Friedrich Silcherstraße (1823 )
• Hector Berlioz (1829 and 1846 )
• Heinrich Marschner
• Franz Liszt ( 1843/rev. 1856)
• Robert Schumann ( 1849)
• Charles François Gounod
• Hans von Bülow
• Hans Sommer (1920 or 1921)
• Julius Röntgen (1931 )
• Grailknights
• Molotow soda
• HEIMATAERDE
• Faun
• Maybebop (2011)
• Urfaust (2011)