Andrew Prichard
Erlkönig by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Biography:
Goethe was born into a rich family as one of seven children, though only he and his sister had survived to adulthood. His younger brother died at the age of six, which caused him to hate literary representations of death. In 1768 an illness had nearly killed him, causing him to change his religion from atheism to Evangelicalism. In 1770 he had conversations with Johann Gottfried von Herder, which inspired him to collect folk songs and rewrite them himself. One of these folk songs was Herder's Erlkönigs Tochter, translated from the Danish Elveskud, which Goethe then translated into Erlkönig.
Erlkönig is a poem in which a father and son travel home through the forest at night but the son is pursued by the Erlkönig, a ghost that is trying to kill him. The son begs for his father to save him, but the father cannot see the Erlkönig and cannot stop his son's impending doom. Goethe's identity connects deeply with this poem, as his younger brother died at the age of six and is represented by the son in the poem. He also hated literary representations of death, yet Erlkönig provides one of the greatest examples of it. Figurative language helps the reader visualize what the father sees versus what the son sees with quotes such as, "my son, it is a streak of mist," and "the wind is rustling in the withered leaves." Knowing that the father can not see the Erlkönig builds suspense in the poem and makes it more terrifying for the child. Other examples of figurative language such as, "many a pretty flower grows on the shore," and "my mother has many a golden robe" express the beauty and riches of the land that the Erlkönig promises the boy. Many of the examples of figurative language in the poem are misconceptions that the characters have made clear to the reader through imagery. There is no rhyme scheme for this poem, representing the disconnect in what the son and father can see and the separation between reality and the supernatural. Stanzas are divided by the supernatural events happening to the son, followed by the father's rational explanation of those events, which also builds tension for the reader. The tone of Erlkönig is frightful and apprehensive, as the reader is concerned with whether or not the child is going to die and the events described are terrifying. The playful tone of the Erlkönig only makes him more creepy due to the contrast between his sinister intentions and cheerful word choice. Tone words such as sweet, wonderful, and pretty support the Erlkönig's playful tone, while words like fear, darkness, and hide support the overall apprehensive tone. The theme of Erlkönig is the persistent approach of death and curiosity of the supernatural.
Image credit:
https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=271767&picture=ghost
Biography information:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Johann-Wolfgang-von-Goethe
To get to poem translation:
https://www.oxfordlieder.co.uk/song/1420
Who rides so late through the night and wind?
It is the father with his child.
He has the boy in his arms;
he holds him safely, he keeps him warm.
‘My son, why do you hide your face in fear?
’‘Father, can you not see the Erlking?
The Erlking with his crown and tail?’
‘My son, it is a streak of mist.’
‘Sweet child, come with me.
I’ll play wonderful games with you.
Many a pretty flower grows on the shore;
my mother has many a golden robe.’
‘Father, father, do you not hear
what the Erlking softly promises me?’
‘Calm, be calm, my child:
the wind is rustling in the withered leaves.’
‘My son, why do you hide your face in fear?
’‘Father, can you not see the Erlking?
The Erlking with his crown and tail?’
‘My son, it is a streak of mist.’
‘Sweet child, come with me.
I’ll play wonderful games with you.
Many a pretty flower grows on the shore;
my mother has many a golden robe.’
‘Father, father, do you not hear
what the Erlking softly promises me?’
‘Calm, be calm, my child:
the wind is rustling in the withered leaves.’
‘Won’t you come with me, my fine lad?
My daughters shall wait upon you;
my daughters lead the nightly dance,
and will rock you, and dance, and sing you to sleep.’
‘Father, father, can you not see
Erlking’s daughters there in the darkness?’
‘My son, my son, I can see clearly:
it is the old grey willows gleaming.’
‘I love you, your fair form allures me,
and if you don’t come willingly, I’ll use force.’
‘Father, father, now he’s seizing me!
The Erlking has hurt me!’
The father shudders, he rides swiftly,
he holds the moaning child in his arms;
with one last effort he reaches home;
the child lay dead in his arms.
The image relates to the poem in that a child has died, symbolizing Goethe's brother, and there is a supernatural presence which symbolizes the theme of superstition.
The image relates to the poem in that a child has died, symbolizing Goethe's brother, and there is a supernatural presence which symbolizes the theme of superstition.
Goethe was born into a rich family as one of seven children, though only he and his sister had survived to adulthood. His younger brother died at the age of six, which caused him to hate literary representations of death. In 1768 an illness had nearly killed him, causing him to change his religion from atheism to Evangelicalism. In 1770 he had conversations with Johann Gottfried von Herder, which inspired him to collect folk songs and rewrite them himself. One of these folk songs was Herder's Erlkönigs Tochter, translated from the Danish Elveskud, which Goethe then translated into Erlkönig.
Erlkönig is a poem in which a father and son travel home through the forest at night but the son is pursued by the Erlkönig, a ghost that is trying to kill him. The son begs for his father to save him, but the father cannot see the Erlkönig and cannot stop his son's impending doom. Goethe's identity connects deeply with this poem, as his younger brother died at the age of six and is represented by the son in the poem. He also hated literary representations of death, yet Erlkönig provides one of the greatest examples of it. Figurative language helps the reader visualize what the father sees versus what the son sees with quotes such as, "my son, it is a streak of mist," and "the wind is rustling in the withered leaves." Knowing that the father can not see the Erlkönig builds suspense in the poem and makes it more terrifying for the child. Other examples of figurative language such as, "many a pretty flower grows on the shore," and "my mother has many a golden robe" express the beauty and riches of the land that the Erlkönig promises the boy. Many of the examples of figurative language in the poem are misconceptions that the characters have made clear to the reader through imagery. There is no rhyme scheme for this poem, representing the disconnect in what the son and father can see and the separation between reality and the supernatural. Stanzas are divided by the supernatural events happening to the son, followed by the father's rational explanation of those events, which also builds tension for the reader. The tone of Erlkönig is frightful and apprehensive, as the reader is concerned with whether or not the child is going to die and the events described are terrifying. The playful tone of the Erlkönig only makes him more creepy due to the contrast between his sinister intentions and cheerful word choice. Tone words such as sweet, wonderful, and pretty support the Erlkönig's playful tone, while words like fear, darkness, and hide support the overall apprehensive tone. The theme of Erlkönig is the persistent approach of death and curiosity of the supernatural.
Image credit:
https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=271767&picture=ghost
Biography information:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Johann-Wolfgang-von-Goethe
To get to poem translation:
https://www.oxfordlieder.co.uk/song/1420
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