The famous German poem Ode to Joy (Ode), which was composed by Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller at the age of 26 (Kirby), is a significant work during Sturm und Drang.
The reason I chose to write my reflection on this poem is that the topic of this poem is different from most of Schiller’s dramas. Ode praises joy, brotherhood and human virtue instead of tragic aesthetics. This raises my interest in finding a deeper understanding about this poem.
It was in 1785, when Schiller published his drama The Robbers (1781) and Intrigue and Love (1784), that the audience began to know this great composer. The success of his tragedy brought Schiller plenty of honor and recognition (Kirby). However, the dramas also set the Duke Karl-Eugen into
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Firstly, according to Gabrielle’s text in History of German Literature, Ode is under a carol structure, which was very popular among poets at that time. And the theme of joy and brotherhood was derived from ancient Greek poets. This also corresponds with the fact that Schiller was fascinated by ancient literature after a visit to an antique collection in Mannheim. He said to his friends in a letter, “…I have decided that during the next two years I won’t read any more modem authors…” …show more content…
When watching the video in class, I felt overwhelmed by an unspeakable emotion. After I shared my experience with one of my friends studying sociology, I learned this concept from him. “Group effervescence” was a concept raised by Émile Durkheim, which is used to describe the circumstance that “a community or society may at times come together and simultaneously communicate the same thought and participate in the same action.”(Durkheim) This kind of sense of identity really unite people together. With the world-famous Symphony No. 9 composed by Beethoven, I believe it will connect people with different backgrounds and different age by the same intimate