Heinrich Heine geldt als een van de belangrijkste Duitse dichters uit de 19e eeuw, aanvankelijk geroemd om zijn lyrische poëzie die componisten inspireerde. Zijn latere verzen en proza kenmerken zich door scherpe satirische humor en diepe ironie, vaak voortkomend uit zijn radicale politieke opvattingen die leidden tot censuur. Heine was ook een scherpzinnig journalist, essayist en literatuurcriticus. Zijn blijvende nalatenschap ligt in zijn meesterlijke samensmelting van lyrische schoonheid, bijtend sociaal commentaar en gedurfde expressie.
Heine was a restless and homeless poet, a Jew among Germans, a German in Paris, a rebel among the bourgeoisie and always, as his famous doppelganger poems show, a man divided against himself. This selection, with the German originals accompanied by English prose translations, provides an introduction to Heine.
Selected Verse With an Introduction and Prose Translation by Peter Branscombe
Neue Gedichte-Zeitgedichte
Renowned for his early lyric poetry, Heine's work gained popularity through musical adaptations by composers like Schumann and Schubert. His later writings showcase a sharp satirical wit and irony, reflecting his radical political views that often led to censorship in Germany, enhancing his notoriety. As a key figure in the Young Germany movement, Heine spent the latter part of his life in Paris, where he continued to influence literature and critique societal norms. His legacy endures through his poignant and evocative poetry.
This chapbook presents not only a variety of moods and colours in Heine's poems about the North Sea but also a loose narrative which takes us from the shore, to scenes aboard ship, and the return to harbour, ending with a pastoral scene in which the sea has been truly left behind.
