Gryphius, Andreas | Hugo Bekker (essay date 1973)
Hugo Bekker (essay date 1973)
SOURCE: Bekker, Hugo. “On Imagery, Part I,” and “On Imagery, Part II.” In Andreas Gryphius: Poet between Epochs, pp. 48-64. Berne and Frankfurt: Herbert Lang and Co., 1973.
[In the following essays, Bekker discusses the use of religious symbols in Gryphius's poetry in terms of the dogma and religious tradition of his time.]
ON IMAGERY, PART I
Literary criticism at times proceeds from the view that poetry exists in its own, self-sufficient, verbal universe. But an exception to this view seems to be necessary for religious poetry. Such poetry partakes of a measure of concise dogmatic beliefs and is informed by them. Part of the substance of religious poetry is extra-poetic and comes to the poet with claims of an extra-aesthetic nature. Religious symbolism is imbued with dogmatic relevance. When such symbolism finds its way into religious poetry, as it is bound to, such poetry disclaims the view...
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