Customer Reviews

Great German Poems of the Romantic Era: A Dual-Language Book (Dover Dual Language German)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am so delighted by this book. The poetry is by authors such as Ludwig Tieck, Franz Clemens Brentano, Josef Von Eichendorf, Novalis, and more. These are some of the finest authors of that lush period known as "Romantic Literature" to have to have there works assembled here. Moreover, the translations are excellent, and the English and German is set side by side in a very practical-sized type, making it extremely comfortable to read and enjoy. I should mention that the book is a sturdy paper back, much better than average, so it's more durable when schlepping it around to and from campus. I would recommend this collection not only to students of German Romantic Literature, but also to those studying English Literature, as writers from both periods were very influenced by each other. This might make for some wonderfully interesting topics for papers your papers. I highly recommend this book for English students or students of German that are studying the Romantic Period.

This is a nice collection of poetry, which I bought solely for the German, not the translated, poetry. The translations are usually pretty good, faithful to the language and the feeling of the original poem--as much as possible with a translation, of course. There were a few poems where I felt that the English word-choice was not what I would have chosen, and that another would have conveyed the flavor of the English word better, or, less often, that the change in the word-order, while making the poem read more "English," was not the word order I would have used. Nonetheless, for the selection of poetry alone, I give this collection 4 stars. It would probably be a nice gift for a high school student studying German (who enjoys poetry), particularly since adolescence is the perfect time of life to be reading the Romantics, which resonate well with the highs and lows of the teenage years! It would also be nice for someone who studied German years ago, but hasn't read it in a while, since the English side of the text can provide a bit of help when the meaning of a word or two escapes. It's also not a bad choice if you just want to read some German poetry and are having a hard time finding anything in the original, although it is a very slim volume.

The previous reviewer hit most of the points, i shall say though, that the book features an excellent collection of poems representative of each author,some nice footnotes, brief bios of the authors ... and a great selection from Hoelderlin and Goethe. The German side by side is a wonderful aspect for any with some German. A book not to be left without. The perfect way of sampling some great German poets so as to find those to pursue further. Note: read Hoelderlin

The contents of this book is just wonderful, it is poetry at its very best, laden with beautiful images and intelligent thoughts and insights. It is a great source of inspiration. The translations from German are not always "ideal" but they convey the meaning where one's German language knowledge does not extend far enough..

This book is great. The german is on one side and the english on the other and the poems it displays are well known. This book is a great way to learn some german or to just enjoy classic poems from international authors.

There is beauty in the German words and phrases that is not translatable, but it is nice to have a literal translation next to the original when the reader doesn't have a dictionary handy. This is a nice collection of a good variety of poems.

The selection of poems is amazing! I have taken German Romanticism class in college and was very happy to see that all of my favorite poems were in this book. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants a great overview.

The Romantic Era was the culmination of a decisive break from the past. Eschewing the formal artificialities of the Classical Period, it gave emphasis to a new, more honest & personal style of expression. Emphasis on night, death, nature, & romance were highly pronounced through the artist's intense subjection to feeling.

In this fine bilingual anthology, Stanley Appelbaum compiles & translates the foremost poets of Germany's answer to the scene. Famous names share pages with lesser known ones. Goethe, Schiller, Holderlin, Novalis, & Heine are well represented here. There are a few duds ( Uhland, Lenau, Nietzsche ), but the rest are marvelous. The exquisite lyrics draw the reader into the poets' world, the verses vividly capturing & revealing these bards inner states in timeless sublimity.

The Romantic Movement extended throughout the Western Hemisphere, inspiring like-minded geniuses to create undying works of art whose influence has become a way of life. Reading this anthology reminds us of the beauty in being human.