Andreas Gryphius’ Sonnet “Menschliches Elende”: Original and Final Form

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Notes

ANDREAE GRYPHII Sonnete. Published in Lissa, 1637, and reprinted by Victor Manheimer in Die Lyrik des Andreas Gryphius (Berlin, 1904) and hereafter referred to as Lissa or L.

Manheimer, p. 60.

Ibid., p. 60.

Ibid., p. 94.

Ibid., pp. 251–375.

Ibid., p. 60.

I “The Original and Revised Versions of Two Early Sonnets by Andreas Gryphius: An Evaluation,” Modern Language Quarterly, XIX (December 1958).

Ibid., p. 318.

Hermann Palm's edition Andreas Gryphius; Lyrische Gedichte,” Bibliothek des Lit- terarischen Vereins Stuttgart (Tübingen, 1884) is based on the 1689 text (F), prepared by Christian Gryphius, who intruded freely with modifications of his own as revealed by Manheimer. Marian Szyrocki's “Andreas Gryphius Sonette,” Gesamtausgabe der deutschsprachigen Werke, (Tübingen, 1963), I, regrettably has the final edition of sonnets, as published in 1663 (E) and authorized by the poet himself, as variants only. To have reconstructed the text of “Menschliches Elende” with the variants as listed by the editor would have resulted in omissions and inaccuracies. This writer had access to the rare 1663 edition in Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library: Andreae Gryphii Trauer-Spiele auch Oden und Sonnette (Leipzig/Gedruckt bey Johann Erich Hahn. Im Jahr 1663.) It will be referred to hereafter as Andreae Gryphii Sonnette. Roman numerals designate the book, followed in arabics by the number and verse of the sonnet. With a few minor variations the text of “Menschliches Elende” was also inscribed in the poet's own hand into the album of a friend, Konstan- tin Lindershausen, and dated April 17, 1640. When referred to, it shall be designated as K.

With regard to punctuaüon, an overall simplification has taken place in E. All colons have been purged, specifically: a. period marks have replaced the virgule and colon at the conclusion of lines four and eight; b. the semicolons in verses eight and ten and in twelve following “Athem holt” have been replaced with virgules. In the case of a. we may assume that Gryphius has observed the demand for a clear division between stanzas, although contextually verses one through five represent a unit. Harsdörfer's synopsis of contemporary practices is, as might be expected, thoroughly confusing. He laments: “Sol unsre Teutsche Sprache zu höchster Übertrefflichkeit gelangen / so wird auch diesem und vielen ander Stücken / von den Bücherschreibern / und Drucksetzern ein mehrerer Fleisz / als bisher angewendet werden müssen.” Poetischer Trichter / Die Teutsche Dicht-und Reimkunst / ohne Behuf der Lateinischen Sprache / in VI Stunden einzugiessen (Nürnberg/Gedruckt bey Wolfgang Endter. MDCXLVII Erster Theil, Anhang), p. 117.

Unless prosodic considerations are involved, orthographic variants will not be noted. Had the spelling “Baal” been retained the question might well have arisen wether the poet had in mind the mythological Baal. In that event the configuration would have insinuated that man is not the object of fortuna but is identical with it and that within him is to be found the matrix of illusion and deception, admittedly a much more exciting possibility.

Manheimer, p. 99.

Johann Peter Titzens Zwey Bücher Von der Kunst Hochdeutsche Verse und Lieder zu machen (Mit Königl. Majt. Befreyung Verlegt und Gedruckt in Danzig Durch Andreas Hünefelden / Im 1642sten Jahre. Andres Buch), no pagination, numerals refer to chapter and paragraph.

Harsdörfer, Poetischer Trichter, Die VI Stund, p. 93.

Dietrich Jöns in his book Das ‘Sinnenbild’-Studien zur allegorischen Bildlichkeit bei Andreas Gryphius, (Stuttgart, 1966) has made an exhaustive study of contemporary books of emblems and their paralellism in the metaphoric imagery in the poetry and prose of Gryphius. For the motifs of snow and the candle, see pp. 246 and 253, respectively. A model for this particular comparison and not listed by Jöns is to be found in a book of emblems compiled by Gabriel Rollenhagen, Selectorum Emblemalum, Centuria Secunda Ao MDCXLII. Medallion-shaped emblem 31 shows a candle, nearly spent, in bold relief against the background of a distant city. To one side is the mounted sovereign, enveloped by fire and smoke and barely visible to his subjects standing at a respectful distance. Inscribed about its margin is: “Aliis Inserviendo Consumor” and to elaborate on its allegorical meaning the compiler adds: “Ut candela perit, nobis dum lumina praestat: Dux subiectos dum fovet, ipse cadit.”

August Langen characterizes this form or usage as “der poetische Genitiv.” “Deutsche Sprachgeschichte vom Barock bis zur Gegenwart,” Deutsche Philologie im Aufriß, I, 964.

The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, ed. R. H. Charles (Oxford, 1913).

Illustrations of this technique, though not necessarily with regard to “time,” from Andreae Gryphii Sonnette: “Wer Christi Bluttschweisz schaut / schaut endlich Christi Siegen,” IV, 25, 12. “Wer dir die Welt zuschleust / schleust gleich den Himmel auff, IV, 26, 11. (The 1639 text reads: “–schleust zue, schleust gleich–”). Other illustrations of this technique: I, 40, 9; II, 29, 8; 40, 6.

While only a by-product here, acoustics were useful tools in the poet's arsenal of impressionistic devices. Harsdörfer recommends: “Hierbey ist nicht zu vergessen / dasz sich der Poet bemühet / die Stimmen der Thiere / oder den Ton eines Falls / Schlages / Schusses / Sprunges / Stosses oder anders / was eine Laut / oder eine Stimme von sich giebet / auf das vernemlichste auszudrucken.” Poetischer Trichter, Die VI Stund, p. 97.

For an analysis of the uses of time and of “dramaticality” in the rhetorical situation in the baroque lyric, see Lowry Nelson's Baroque Lyric Poetry (New Haven, 1961). It is an important contribution towards a new definition of baroque style.

“Die Vergänglichkeit der irdischen Dinge und Güter steht für Gryphius durchaus noch in Zusammenhang mit der christlichen Lehre vom Weltuntergang” (Jöns, p. 244).

Manheimer, p. 97.