Stefan George’s collection
Der Stern des Bundes[
The Star of theCovenant, 1914] consists of 100 poems: three “Bücher” [“Books”] comprised of three times ten poems, preceded by an “Introit” of nine poems and followed by a concluding “Chorus”. The volume’s outer symmetry represents the coherence of its subject matter, which is not to be mistaken for uniformity. It depicts, against the background of fierce and uncompromising criticism of modern society, the appearance of a divine being and the exchange between two friends attaining a mystical union. This union, their covenant, becomes the basis for a vision of renewal in society at large. An earlier version of the volume’s title was “Lieder an die heilige Schar”, songs to the sacred few who appear in it. Their…
1219 words
Citation: Fricker, Christophe. "Der Stern des Bundes". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 28 August 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=21896, accessed 23 November 2024.]