Sturm und Drang

Sturm und Drang ( storm and dash in French) is an at the same time political and literary movement primarily German of second half of the 18th century. It succeeds the period of the Lights ( Aufklärung ) and is posed in dispute of this preceding movement. It is the precursor of the Romantisme. The name comes from that of a play of Klinger: Sturm und Drang (“French Storm and Passion”).

Ideas

The movement is born in answer to the Rationalisme dominating, it preaches the superiority of the Sentiment S, the emotions are exaltées there. Passion is preferred with the Raison. It is a protest movement carried out by youth. He revolts against the German higher authorities and the princes who dominate and direct the country. The French revolution will be for them an ideal to be reached. Freedom, the human rights are essential values. Another aspect is the will of émanciper the individual, the movement refuses the middle-class professional life, considered as dull and narrow as well as the designs and values morals of this middle-class world. The movement will develop however especially in the cultivated mediums… Lastly, Sturm und Drang is not with the literary and artistic tradition existing then. Thus, although this movement wanted to be also political (its ideas show it), it proved in practice to be first of all a new literary current. If its authors had wanted well that leads to a revolution of the people, they had to be satisfied with the literary revolution which they caused. the Sufferings of the young person Werther , first novel of Goethe (it is then 24 years old) will return it immediately celebrates. Most of the action is told in the form of letters that Werther written with his/her friend Wilhelm. Werther is an young man who can only make of his existence and which leaves in the town of W to flee the middle-class world. There, he walks in nature to draw it because he believes artist. One day it is invited to a ball during which it meets a fore-mentioned young woman Charlotte (Burbot), girl of notable, who since the death of her mother deals of her brothers and her sisters. Werther knows since the beginning that Charlotte is committed in Albert. However Werther refuses to think of it and fall immediately in love with it…

Inspirations

The movement is inspired many Jean-Jacques Rousseau and William Shakespeare. The first works carry the mark of this influence. With regard to the political ideas, the movement is born in a Germany where reign the Absolutisme. This mode is rejected but the writers cannot really act against him and this need to act, to change the things shows through in their characters and their works.

This will of Liberté is accompanied by a new interest for nature. It makes it possible the individual to find, feel more, to wake up its directions. Emotions and feelings find their place in a closer connection with nature. The characters can let express their feelings more freely when they are only in nature. The Nature is also a model of creation, the authors would be liked as creative as nature, one seeks spontaneousness, the intensity and the originality. The authors must be Génie S (their talent being “innate”) rather than erudite poets having learned their art from the study.

Works and principal authors

Friedrich Maximilian Klinger is obviously one of the key authors of the movement with his part Sturm und Drang although the term actually existed before even the realization of the part. In fact, they are especially Friedrich von Schiller ( the Brigands ) and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe which will be the principal representatives of this current. the Sufferings of the young person Werther ( Die Leiden of the jungen Werther ) is regarded as one of the most important novels. It had such a success that the end of the young person Werther (who commits suicide) inspired by many people and caused a wave of suicides in Germany.

One can also note Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz (with Der Hofmeister ) or Johann Georg Hamann, Johann Gottfried Herder, Göttinger Hain, Friedrich Leopold Heinrich Leopold Wagner, and of course Friedrich Maximilian Klinger. Herder had a particular role, it proposed popular poetry and collected popular songs of various countries in the Voices of the people in their songs . Another emblematic figure of this movement was Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock for its significant religious poem Der Messias .

The novels, parts of Théâtre put in scene social conflicts between an individual and the company. The individual is only, whole, it refuses with very compromised, it is impassioned, there does not yield and remains faithful to itself until the end. The feelings, the subjectivity of people are expressed there without turning.

The refusal of the traditions and literary conventions leads the authors to the exploration of the theatrical forms, more adapted to enable them to express their ideas. The movement thus knew particularly prolix as regards plays.

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