The Cambridge History of English and American Literature in 18 Volumes (1907–21).
VOLUME XVIII. Later National Literature, Part III.
XXXI. Non-English Writings I.
§ 14. German Lyrics.
| Throughout the nineteenth century a great mass of lyrics were written by cultivated Germans in the United States. They are scattered in journals and booklets and have only in part become accessible in anthologies. 7 They sang the praises of America, her political freedom, resources, and natural beauties; they also voiced a love of the German mother-tongue, the language of poetry. To the rich and abundant harvest of song in German literature they contributed nothing new, except it be an occasional note of homesickness, the melancholy of expatriation. The following may serve as illustrations: Franz Lieber (Der Niagara), K. H. Schnauffer (Turnermarsch), E. Dorsch (Californien, 1849), J. Dresel (Auswanderers Schicksal), J. Gugler (Vaterlandslos), H. A. Rattermann (”Reimmund,” Aphorismen und Agrionien), Konrad Krez (An mein Vaterland, the best of the songs of this type), B. Brühl (”Kara Giorg,” Poesien des Urwalds), T. Kirchoff (California, Das Stille Meer), F. C. Castelhuhn (Zweihundertjährige Jubelfeier der deutschen Einwanderung, den 6. Oktober, 1883). Recent contributors, and more modern in spirit are: Martin Drescher (Gedichte), Fernande Richter (”Edna Fern,” Gedichte und Erzählungen), Konrad Nies (Funken Auswestlichen Weiten), a master of form, though not surpassing G. S. Viereck, whose poems (Niniveh und andre Gedichte) and prose works (The House of the Vampire, A Game of Love and other Plays, etc.) were well rendered into English by himself. |
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