The two journeymen

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The poem Die Zwei Gesellen was written by Joseph von Eichendorff in 1818 . It is sometimes also called “Spring Trip” and was set to music under this name by Robert Schumann in 1840 (op. 45 no. 2 in “Romances and Ballads”).

text

The two journeymen


For the first time two armed fellows went out of the house,
so cheering right out into the bright,
ringing, singing waves of
full spring.

They strived for lofty things,
they wanted, despite pleasure and pain, to
accomplish what was right in the world,
and to whom they passed, their
senses and hearts laughed. -

The first to find a sweetheart,
The wife-in-law buys farm and house;
He soon weighed a little boy,
And looked comfortably out of his secret little room
into the field. The thousand voices in the ground

sang and lied to the second, 'Tempting' sirens, and dragged him into the wooing waves of colorful sounding gullies. And as he emerged from the mouth, he was tired and old, his little boat that lay at the bottom, it was so quiet all around, and it blows cold over the water. The waves of spring are singing and ringing over me; And I see such cheeky fellows, The tears swell in my eyes - Oh God, lead us lovingly to you!















interpretation

Introductory overview

First (I to V) a story is told whose main characters are two journeymen . Below you can imagine two young men who have completed their vocational - probably manual - basic training and now want to test themselves in the world and gain experience. The word 'journeyman' could also simply mean 'fellow' or 'fellow' in earlier language levels. The two go hiking together and later go their separate ways. In the last stanza a lyric self comments on the different fates. The poem consists of six five-line stanzas with the rhyme scheme [abaab], whereby the three lines with the a-rhymes have sounding cadences (e.g. journeyman / bright / waves ) and those with the b-rhymes are blunt (e.g. house / out ). So the entire text is based on a fundamental change from pushing forward and easy adherence. Because of the superfluous verse with sounding a-rhyme, the dynamic element predominates. All verses have three elevations, the cuts are part of two syllables (eg. It zo gen two Rüst ge Ge sel len ... ) mostly monosyllabic (eg. ... Go to e rs th time from home ... ); One can therefore speak of dactylic and iambic verse feet, so that in this respect too there is a change, between an almost dance-like swing and a calmer, more firm step. The phenomena described show that there is a close connection between content-related and formal elements, so that they should not be viewed separately from one another.

Individual analysis of the six stanzas

Initial situation (I and II)

The first stanza, which describes the departure of the journeymen, is marked by verve and enthusiasm. It's spring; the cold and darkness of winter have finally been overcome, so that one can escape the monotonous crampedness of the house. For the two protagonists, it is also about the solution of fixed ties and habits. Wide perspectives open up to them, both in space and time, because the world and the future lie before them. Their jubilation over their newfound freedom is in harmony with the exuberance of nature. All of this is reflected in the formal means: the vowels are predominantly light, the enjambements accelerate the tempo, the waves symbolize dynamism, the attributes suggest abundance, especially the rhymes of the participles sounding, singing (I, 4). The somewhat old-fashioned adjective rüstig (I, 1), which characterizes the two journeymen, is to be understood here in its original meaning: They are well equipped for what will come their way, they are up to the demands that will be placed on them.

The second stanza shows that they are not only interested in freedom from something, i.e. liberation from constraints and constraints, but that they expressly focus on freedom to do something, i.e. the opportunity to achieve something constructive. This aspect is clearly emphasized by the anaphor and the parallel sentence structure in the first two lines: They strived ... / They wanted ... (II, 1/2). In this respect they seem more serious than the good-for-nothing in Eichendorff's story of the same name, who reacts rather lightly when his father puts him in front of the door: "Well ... if I'm a good-for-nothing, that's good, I want to go into the world and make my fortune. ”The two journeymen, on the other hand, strive for high things (II, 1); they obviously have ideals that go beyond the satisfaction of their own needs. The formulation What Laws Do in the World (II, 2) supports this high claim on the one hand, but at the same time puts it into perspective a little, because something right is something orderly, something realizable, not necessarily something extraordinary and ingenious. This creates a balance between idealistic and realistic striving. Whoever sees the two journeymen looks at them with pleasure (II, 4/5), and so they are not only in harmony with themselves and nature (cf. I, 3–5), but they also experience social acceptance . So one can describe their initial situation as extremely favorable in every respect. Only the formulation in spite of pleasure and pain (II, 2) contains a small restriction: the parallelization of pleasure and pain, which are normally viewed as opposites, is interesting. What they have in common is that they represent a fundamental weakness in human nature, which temporary feelings and sensitivities - be they positive or negative - are too easy to dissuade from pre-set goals. So if a very slight concern arises here with regard to the later fate of the two journeymen, it does not concern those obstacles and dangers which they might encounter in the outside world, but it relates to what is immanent in every human being, that is, to him threatens from within, from its own being.

Different life paths (III to V)

The paths of the two companions soon separate, which need not be rated negatively, because such separations are part of the natural elements of the phase of separation in which the two protagonists find themselves.

Third verse: The path of the first journeyman seems to lead quickly to a success that does justice to the demanding striving, because love (III, 1) is a high ideal; starting a family (III, 2) and running a farm are somewhat legal . The role of the mother-in-law, however, gives rise to slight concerns (III, 3): Was there a little bribery on your part and a little materialistic opportunism on the part of the first journeyman? On the content level, there are no further indications that help with the decision; but the analysis of the formal means leads to an unpleasant result: The diminutive forms ( Liebchen, Bübchen, Stübchen; III, 1/3/4) ironize the lifestyle and make it ridiculous; the impurity of the rhymes (clouding of the high, pure “i” to the “ü”) make the authenticity of love appear questionable; the dynamics of the waves (I, 4) described at the beginning are reduced to the cradle of the child (III, 3). The short-winded line style predominates: There is only a single weak enjambement (III, 4/5), which serves to illustrate the rather limited view from the secret room ... into the field . This journeyman took too short a curve, which is also reflected in the resumption of rhyming words (III b corresponds to I b: house / out ). He moved directly from the security of his parents' home (I, 2) into the cosiness of the house (III, 2) bought by his mother-in-law, in order to establish himself there, and he is completely satisfied with his secure existence and his permanent integration into the Family. He would perhaps be granted this happiness if he had not betrayed his ideals (II, 1–3) so easily and quickly without even being aware of it.

Fourth verse: The role played by the lover and the in -laws in the first journeyman is taken over by the sirens in the second journeyman (IV, 3), whose beguiling song even the clever and experienced Odysseus was only able to withstand by being away from his companions The mast of the ship was tied tightly. The naive journeyman in the present poem is subject to their temptations. The symbolic meaning of the sirens does not only refer to the sensual area, there are also spiritual seductions; so the sirens can appear as ideals in disguise, the "high things" can be perverted into dangerous ideologies. The second journeyman does not succeed in realizing his original plans either, but he still has to go the further way and accordingly more space is devoted to the representation of his fate, namely two stanzas. In IV the dynamic elements of the first stanza are taken up and varied. His life is richer, more colorful, more dynamic, more adventurous than that of his former companion. This is reflected in the extremely strong enjambements and in the abundance of attributes, which appear even more strongly than in I in the form of participles. The acoustic element, which is completely missing in III, reappears in an intensified form and culminates in synaesthesia with a colorful sound (V, 5), so that a holistic experience of movement, color and sound is created. At the same time, however, the danger increases: the dynamic waves (I, 4) become threatening waves (IV, 4), the consistent hook style illustrates the pull, the predominance of dark vowels suggests disaster and downfall. The harsh b-rhymes Grund / Schlund illustrate the merciless narrowness to which the world is finally reduced for him . He has fallen into a trap, and when it opens again and releases him, which is reflected in the softening of the rhymes ( Grund / Schlunde V, 1/3), it is too late.

The fifth stanza describes this failure of the second journeyman, which he - in contrast to the first journeyman - is clearly aware of. He has not succeeded in mastering his life and directing it into meaningful paths. The momentum is destroyed, the courage to face life is broken. This is reflected in the fact that now - apart from a single "tired" enjambement (V, 1/2) - the line style is used. The poet continues the image of the seafarer by speaking of little ships (V, 3). In contrast to the little room (III, 4) of the first journeyman, the diminutive form here does not have an ironic undertone, but rather appears sympathetic and sad. So while the third stanza could be seen as a parody of the high spirits at the beginning, here one is confronted with a tragedy: self-confidence, harmony with nature and social acceptance are lost; there remains resignation (V, 2), coldness (V, 5) and loneliness (V, 4). Particularly impressive is the reference to the silence, which stands in bitter contrast to the cheering, singing and clinking that is described at the beginning. With the introductory “so”, Eichendorff explicitly refers to the reference: So jubilant ... - So quiet ... (I, 3 – V, 4). The awareness of failure can be rated positively: The second journeyman is physically and psychologically destroyed, but has reached a higher level of reflection than the first.

Commentary of the Lyric I (VI)

The sixth stanza lifts the event to another level, since the lyrical ego, which until now has been limited to the description of the plot, appears and makes its comment. At the same time this last stanza goes back to the beginning of the poem; it represents the counterpart to the first, in an almost mirror-inverted reversal, so that the entire poem is framed twice: The inner frame is formed by I, 3–5 and VI, 1–3: here the spring is described, the is representative of the world. The outer frame is formed by I, 1/2 and VI, 5/6 and deals with the aspect of departure and homecoming. The clear differences in content and the barely noticeable stylistic differences that result despite all the similarity manifest the worldview of the lyrical self. In I, the journeymen are the carriers of the action (apart from the preferred grammatical subject es ), they wander out into the waves of spring, which thus represent a location. At the corresponding point in VI, on the other hand, the waves become the carrier of the action, while the person - here the lyrical I - is displaced into the location. In I, the journeymen are described as vigorous , in VI, on the other hand, as bold , so the assessment has changed a lot: The world is decidedly more powerful than it may seem at first glance, and anyone who thinks they can confidently choose and shape their life path , overestimates himself and is hybrid ( hubris ). So stylistic subtleties already indicate what is then illustrated by the tears of the lyrical self. The key question “What is the lyric self crying about?” Can be answered as follows: The tears are not only for the unhappy second fellow, but also for the first, who is unfortunate even though he considers himself happy. In addition, the melancholy of the lyrical ego applies to all journeymen (VI, 3); and the closing prayer then shows that the journeymen are representative of all people, because in the request Oh God, lead us lovingly to you! (VI, 5) the lyrical ego expressly includes itself - and if one goes beyond the fictional level of the poem, even the reader.

Overarching overall interpretation

While it initially only seems to be about two individual fates, in the end it turns out that it is actually about the fundamental threat to humans in the earthly world. The deeply religious Eichendorff sees the contemplation - basically even return - in the heavenly homeland as the actual goal and asks God for a loving guide on the way there. But the presentation is also relevant for the less or not at all religious reader, because the basic problem is general and is neither tied to a specific religion nor to a historical epoch. It is about two basic human tendencies, namely the need for security and the longing for freedom, which are so contradicting that they are difficult to unite. Those who place the aspect of security in the foreground enter into firm commitments and behave as socially as possible. The security you gain is often paid for with a tightness and monotony that can become a kind of captivity and lead to stagnation. If, on the other hand, freedom is more important to you, infinite possibilities open up and there are no limits to dynamic individual development, but you are at risk and chaos and ruin threaten. In the fate of the two journeymen, two extreme cases are presented that are doomed to failure. Oskar Seidlin formulates it as follows: “In no other Eichendorff poem are the threats to true human existence: tightly-knit philistine and total loss of self, falling in love and losing oneself, juxtaposed so sharply ...” (p. 173/174). The hope is that people will succeed in finding a viable path between the extremes. The lyrical ego leaves it at asking God; The poet Eichendorff, however, is not so naive, despite all his trust in God, that he thinks that man can put his fate entirely in God's hands and put his hands in his lap himself. Through his own life he demonstrates a very active attempt to find a compromise between life as a citizen and as an artist. But he is always aware of the existential threat to man and knows that his own attempts can only succeed if a kind and gracious Providence provides assistance. In the poem at hand there are signs that freedom and dynamism, despite all the threats, are rated a little higher than security, which threatens to stagnate. This can be seen in the fact that in the five-line stanzas the sounding, i.e. more dynamic rhymes are in the majority over the dull ones, in a ratio of three to two. In addition, two stanzas are dedicated to the second journeyman instead of just one, and his fate is not ironicized like that of the first, but is perceived as tragic. This accentuation can be described as typical of the romantics, who tend to disregard the narrow-minded and self-satisfied Philistine or philistine .

covers

Biographical references

On the one hand, Eichendorff studied law, became a civil servant and started a family; on the other hand, he started writing at a young age. So he knew both forms of life with their positive and negative sides and, above all, the effort it can take to unite both. The years between graduation from school and his marriage (1805–1815) could be referred to in a figurative sense as his journeyman or traveling years (cf. Eichendorff, Leben).

Literary references

In his works, Eichendorff repeatedly takes up both the motif of hiking and the contrast between the opposing forms of life. The latter applies in particular to his contemporary ETA Hoffmann , who was also a lawyer and worked in the civil service. Wolfgang Nehring says in his book about the two “late romanticists”: “Both are professionally tied to an office and long from their bourgeois existence into the realm of poetry. The contrast between the Philistine and the romantic-artistic man is a central problem with both of them. ”(P. 11) Eichendorff describes the contrast between the type of the first journeyman and that of the second in the first chapter of the novel“ Dichter und their journeymen ”(1834) with many vivid details: On the way to Italy the poet Fortunat visits his former student friend Walter, who has become a civil servant. He lives in a “little house on the market”, sits in his “quiet room ... in a dressing gown at the desk next to large piles of files, a tobacco box, coffee pot and a half-empty cup.” When Fortunat suggests that he should have a glass of wine outdoors drink, Walter has "concerns: that is not common here, one is noticed too much in small towns." Finally, the poet even asks the official to travel with him: "What prevents you for example, all the ballast of front and side - and to throw away considerations fresh, and freely stab with me in the open sea? - This is called loyalty to one's duty; as if man did not also have the higher duty to remove himself from the earth and to clean his shabby wings for the last, great flight to the kingdom of heaven, which is not just like an inn on the broad country road, but faithfully and seriously and with all undivided soul wants to be stormed. "

In the works of Eichendorff and Hoffmann, the protagonists are predominantly of the second journeyman type. While Hoffmann can have a magically happy ending for him (e.g. for Anselmus in The Golden Pot ), he has to deal far more often with the elements of the confusing, demonic, dangerous - be it inside or outside - to the extreme Extremely experienced and not infrequently perishes (such as Nathanael in Der Sandmann (Hoffmann) ). There are also examples of failure in Eichendorff (e.g. Otto in “Poets and their journeymen”). Despite all the dangers and detours, the protagonists often manage to find a way of life in which they neither become Philistines nor perish. So has z. B. Florio (in The Marble Picture ) had very similar experiences of seduction as Otto at ETA Hoffmann, but he succeeded in saving.

Basically, one can say that the protagonists of all development novels are “journeymen” in the broadest sense and - with varying degrees of success - try to find a path between the extremes that is feasible for them.

Musical references

The most important setting of Eichendorff's text comes from Robert Schumann under the title "Spring Trip" (Op. 45 No. 2). The motif of the journeyman can also be found in well-known song cycles ( Die Schöne Müllerin and Winterreise by Franz Schubert , songs of a traveling journeyman by Gustav Mahler ). Due to the combination of word and music, this form is particularly suitable for depicting the intensive representation of punctual, as it were exemplary states in the context of an overarching overall development. In the examples given, unhappy love is either the main topic or at least the cause or reason from which the further problems arise. This applies in particular to the problem that is typical for journeyman: He must try to find a place in society that can also be reconciled with his individual inclinations, skills and goals, so that a harmony between the individual and the world is possible. This does not work in the examples mentioned; the path of these journeymen leads to loneliness, resignation, and death.

literature

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