The Poet and the Warrior: The Symbolist Context of Myth in Stefan George's Early Verse

Abstract

The article is the first study of its kind to analyze the mythical strata in the early verse of Stefan George (1868–1933) in the context of French and international Symbolism. Parallels are drawn primarily with the work of Moréas and Heredia, whose inspiration was vital for George in his pioneering adaptation of the French Symbolist credo to German poetry. A close comparison of George's verse with that of the two French poets is further illuminated by references to the painting of Moreau and Böcklin. The article innovatively employs such conceptual tools as syncretism and mytheme to shed light on the inner workings of George's poetic procedure, uncovering a dialectical struggle between chaos and harmony that underlies his verse and shapes his Symbolist method. In a broader context, the article helps to understand the ways in which George's work re‐defined German poetry at the dawn of the twentieth century.