Two of Berg’s early songs, “Liebe” from 1904 and “Traumgekönt” from 1907, are set to poems from Rainer Maria Rilke’s volume Traumgekrönt, where they open the section “Lieben”. In the twenty-two poems of this part, Rilke explores different forms and qualities of love in brief, self-contained scenes or impressions. Taken for itself, the title “Lieben” could be the plural of “Liebe” (love), but considering that it is preceded by “Träumen” ([to] dream), it is likely meant as a verb ([to] love).
The poem that Berg called “Traumgekrönt” describes an encounter between the speaker and an addressee and associates love with fear and death. Despite its sombre images, the poem exudes a peaceful and redemptive atmosphere while it hovers in a state of uncertainty …show more content…
The “day of the white chrysanthemums” (v. 1) seems to refer to a specific day of the year or a particular recurring or universal event that is characterised by the presence of white chrysanthemums. The heavy splendour (“schweren Pracht”, v. 2) indicates the importance ascribed to this day and the ceremonious and slightly oppressive atmosphere associated with it. Chrysanthemums were cultivated in Europe since the middle of the 19th century and have different symbolic meanings. As they bloom in the autumn, they gained significance as funeral flowers and are associated with All Saint’s Day. The first verse of the poem might, therefore, refer either to a funeral ceremony or, most likely, to All Saints’ Day. The speaker is anxious and almost fears the day (v. 2). The opening phrase “Das war”, as opposed to the more common “Es war”, is noteworthy as it has stronger overtones of closure, and together with the ellipsis at the end of the second verse, it indicates that the day is over. The pronoun “das” contributes to the delicate sound of the poem that is dominated by the vowel …show more content…
The fifth verse conveys once again the speaker’s anxiety that seems to grow as the intensification of the adverb (almost v. 2, so v. 5) indicates. Even though the poem is told in past tense, the accumulation of monosyllables makes palpable the speaker’s fear, which might be a result of or independent from the anticipation of the encounter. It stands in sharp contrast to the addressee’s carefulness and tenderness, which is underlined by the alliteration “lieb und leise” (v. 5). The other’s arrival is of great significance to the speaker, who mentions it three times throughout the poem (“kamst Du”, v. 3 and “Du kamst”, vv. 5, 7). It seems anticipated and prepared as the speaker just dreamt about the other (v.
The poem that Berg called “Traumgekrönt” describes an encounter between the speaker and an addressee and associates love with fear and death. Despite its sombre images, the poem exudes a peaceful and redemptive atmosphere while it hovers in a state of uncertainty …show more content…
The “day of the white chrysanthemums” (v. 1) seems to refer to a specific day of the year or a particular recurring or universal event that is characterised by the presence of white chrysanthemums. The heavy splendour (“schweren Pracht”, v. 2) indicates the importance ascribed to this day and the ceremonious and slightly oppressive atmosphere associated with it. Chrysanthemums were cultivated in Europe since the middle of the 19th century and have different symbolic meanings. As they bloom in the autumn, they gained significance as funeral flowers and are associated with All Saint’s Day. The first verse of the poem might, therefore, refer either to a funeral ceremony or, most likely, to All Saints’ Day. The speaker is anxious and almost fears the day (v. 2). The opening phrase “Das war”, as opposed to the more common “Es war”, is noteworthy as it has stronger overtones of closure, and together with the ellipsis at the end of the second verse, it indicates that the day is over. The pronoun “das” contributes to the delicate sound of the poem that is dominated by the vowel …show more content…
The fifth verse conveys once again the speaker’s anxiety that seems to grow as the intensification of the adverb (almost v. 2, so v. 5) indicates. Even though the poem is told in past tense, the accumulation of monosyllables makes palpable the speaker’s fear, which might be a result of or independent from the anticipation of the encounter. It stands in sharp contrast to the addressee’s carefulness and tenderness, which is underlined by the alliteration “lieb und leise” (v. 5). The other’s arrival is of great significance to the speaker, who mentions it three times throughout the poem (“kamst Du”, v. 3 and “Du kamst”, vv. 5, 7). It seems anticipated and prepared as the speaker just dreamt about the other (v.