Franz Grillparzer was not a man of extravagance either in phrase or conduct. His life as an individual and artist is marked by a reticence, an aversion to the unveiling of the inner SOul,1 that is perhaps best matched by the concise style and expression of his works. This art of effective restraint is particularly visible in the dramas where often a single word or indeed an utter silence carries the greatest emotional impact. There is an absolute lack of sound and fury signifying nothing; even in the frenzy of inspiration 2 Grillparzer carefully chooses words that best convey his thoughts and for purely emotional release he turns to another medium which he sharply distinguished from poetry: to music. If this poet then who knows no empty phrases applies terms like 'betrothed of the gods',3 'mother of all greatness',4 'mighty 5 lever of the universe', 'messenger of divine happiness'6 to one and the same concept at different times, we may assume that he here expresses something deeply anchored in his being. And indeed, the motif of concentration ('Sammlung') and inspiration ('Begeisterung') is one that we meet again and again in the poetry, the diaries and the dramas. This emotional state is at all times highly revered and greatly sought by the poet - it is, in fact, made a condition of creative productivity and, as the years pass, finally develops into a condition of life itself in the prophecy of 'Libussa'.

Excerpt from Grillparzer as a Poet of Nature Grillparzer's Description Of Nature. I. His definition of the relation between nature and man 2. The seasons. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

In this first comprehensive survey of criticism on Grillparzer, Dr. Roe highlights the main areas of critical debate and provides a chronological account of the major trends and developments: through periods of misunderstanding and neglect or of political appropriation in the cause of Nazism or Austrian nationalism, and through recent decades dominated by various schools of thought, whether sociological or psychoanalytical. The book will be of interest to scholars and students of Austrian and European literature, Austrian culture, and literary theory and criticism.