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The Hölderliniae

By Nathaniel Tarn
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Hölderliniae comprises thirty hymns inspired by the complexity and profound humanity of Beethoven's last string quartets. Nathaniel Tarn interweaves the life and work of Friedrich Hölderlin, the 'Poet of Poets,' starting with a biographical note and his tragic love for Diotima and concluding at the Neckar River, the poet's birthplace and resting place. Through a blend of personal and political narratives, Tarn channels Hölderlin’s voice to explore themes of revolutionary hope, ecological precarity, and the power of poetry to encompass diverse disciplines and create a universe unto itself.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$3199
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book will appeal to readers interested in poetry, classical music, especially Beethoven, and European literary history. It is suited for those drawn to philosophical reflections, revolutionary history, and ecological themes expressed through lyrical and experimental verse.

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The great German Romantic poet Friedrich Hölderlin’s spirit infuses this gorgeous cycle of poems that sing of the loves and devastations of our times

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The thirty hymns of The Hölderliniae are inspired by the intricacies and transcendent humanity of Beethoven's last quartets. Nathaniel Tarn's new book opens with a biographical note on the "Poet of Poets," Friedrich Hölderlin, setting the scene and introducing the doomed love of the poet's life, Diotima; it ends in the Neckar River, the river of Hölderlin's birth and death.

Through affairs of love and polity, Tarn speaks through Hölderlin, and Hölderlin speaks through Tarn. The French Revolution—which Hölderlin supported passionately until the Reign of Terror—illuminates our war-torn, ecologically precarious age, as the failures of our age recall those past tragedies. Line after line carries Hölderlin's hope in an ideal of a poetry that can englobe all the mind's disciplines and make a universe of its own.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Critics praise The Hölderliniae for its intricate dialogue between Tarn and Hölderlin, blending storytelling with scholarly insight to engage readers deeply. Caesura highlights the book's invitation to 'recognize the long known meeting place' between the reader and crucial life's tasks. Brenda Hillman commends Tarn's redefinition of nature and art with a keen psychological and linguistic curiosity. Ken Bullock notes Tarn's distinctive lyrical voice, capable of speaking authentically and through various personas, a rarity since Yeats and Pound. Tarn's work inspires devoted readers with its innovative and sensual language.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780811230636

Publisher: New Directions Publishing Corporation

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 April 2021

Country: United States

Imprint: New Directions Publishing Corporation

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 10.0mm

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 229.0mm

Weight: 127g

Pages: 112

Collections

Arts & Culture Nathaniel Tarn Non-Fiction Poetry

About the Author

The American poet Nathaniel Tarn was born in Paris in 1928 and emigrated to the US in 1970, where he has lived ever since, mostly in the New Mexican desert. A leading anthropologist for many years and a pioneering translator of Pablo Neruda and Victor Segalen, Tarn, “one of the most outstanding poets of his generation” (Kenneth Rexroth), has published more than thirty books of poetry, essays, and translations—including most recently, The Beautiful Contradictions and Ins and Outs of the Forest Rivers, both available from New Directions.

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