Liselotte Gumpel: "Concrete Poetry" from East

GDR Bulletin
Volume 3
Issue 2 April
Article 7
1977
Liselotte Gumpel: "Concrete Poetry" from East and
West Germany. The Language of Exemplarism and
Experimentalism
Harriet P. O'Swald
Eastern Washington State College
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Recommended Citation
O'Swald, Harriet P. (1977) "Liselotte Gumpel: "Concrete Poetry" from East and West Germany. The Language of Exemplarism and
Experimentalism," GDR Bulletin: Vol. 3: Iss. 2. http://dx.doi.org/10.4148/gdrb.v3i2.385
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O'Swald: Liselotte Gumpel: "Concrete Poetry" from East and West Germany. T
Auf lahme i n . d i e s e s L e x i k o n f a n d e n " eingeschränkt
w i r d . H i e r dürften nun e i n i g e wertende Bemerkungen am P l a t r e s e i n .
A l s N a c h f o l g e r des Deutschen S c h r i f t s t e l l e r l e x i k o n s i s t d i e s e s Werk e i n e s der w i c h t i g s t e n
und b r a u c h b a r s t e n Dokumente z u r "Absatzbewegung"
der L i t e r a t u r p o l i t i k der DDR. Daß Namen wie
M. B i e l e r , W. Biermann, P. Hüchel, E. L o e s t ,
H. Mayer, Ch. R e i n i g , G. Zehm oder G. Zwe^-enz
f e h l e n , d.h. d i e Namen j e n e r , d i e s i c h durch
i h r e A r b e i t oder durch V e r l a s s e n der DDK
(Redaktionsschluß war der 31.12.1973!) o f f i z i e l l e s Mißfallen e i n b r a c h t e n , verwundert
den Beobachter außerhalb der DDR oder 3RD
genausowenig wie f o l g e n d e Bemerkung im westdeutschen DDRHand_buch (1975): "Ferner wurden
auch T i t e l aus der DDR n i c h t aufgenommen,
da davon auszugehen i s t , daß d i e M e h r z a h l
der Benutzer des Handbuches k e i n e n Zugang
zu DDR-Quellen b e s i t z t . " I n t e r e s s a n t i s t ,
daß d i e s e Namen auch aus dem Gedächtnis der
L i t e r a t u r p r e i s e e n t f e r n t wurden. So w i r d
zwar der L i o n - F e u c h t w a n g e r - P r e i s
beschrieben
und s e i n e Preisträger aufgeführt, L i o n R u c h t wanger s e l b s t i s t j e d o c h im a l p h a b e t i s c h e n
T e i l und u n t e r den Nationalpreisträgern n i c h t
zu f i n d e n . W e i t e r e B e i s p i e l e könnten genannt
werden. D i e s macht das L e x i k o n auf den e r s t e n
B l i c k z-ar weniger b r a u c h b a r , g i b t ihm aber
e i n e n erhöhten l i t e r a t u r w i s s e n s c h a f t l i c h e n
Wert, besonders i n bezug auf z u erwartende
weitere Auflagen.
Der Bedeutung der K i n d e r l i t e r a t u r i n s o z i a l i s t i s c h e n Ländern entsprechend wäre es wünsch**
enswert gewesen, wenn auch d i e Preisträger
des P r e i s e s des M i n i s t e r i u m s für K u l t u r z u r
Förderung der s o z i a l i s t i s c h e n K i n d e r - und
J u g e n d l i t e r a t u r , der s e i t 1951 vergeben w i r d ,
aufgeführt worden wären. H i e r und da kennte
das L e x i k o n noch a n G e n a u i g k e i t gewinnen.
So w i r d im a l p h a b e t i s c h e n T e i l dem D r a m a t i k e r
und Übersetzer Helmut B a i e r l d i e E r i c h - W e i n e r t M e d a i l l e für das J a h r 1970 v e r l i e h e n , u n t e r
der Aufzählung der Preisträger f e h l t e r j e doch.
Neben dem Deutschen S c h r i f t s t e l l e r l e x i k o n ,
Konrad Frankes Die L i t e r a t u r der Deutschen
Demokratischen R e p u b l i k , das h o f f e n t l i c h
b a l d a l s Taschenbuch e r s c h e i n e n w i r d , und
dem DDR Handbuch s i n d d i e S c h r i f t s t e l l e r
der DDR jedem z u empfehlen, der s i c h über
d i e L i t e r a t u r und K u l t u r d e r DDR i n f o r m i e r e n
w i l l oder s i c h m i t i h r beschäftigt. I n den
USA i s t es durch den Buchhandel (Z.B. v o n
Rosenberg oder i d l e r ' s ) zum P r e i s e von $ 8 , 9 5 ,
aus der BRD ( z . B . von H a r r a s s o w i t z ) für DM
29,- erhältlich.
P e t e r W. Krawutschke
Western M i c h i g a n U n i v e r s i t y
Published by New Prairie Press, 1977
i
" C o n c r e t e " P o e t r y from E a s t and West Germany
The Language o f Exemplarism and E x p e r i m e n t a l i s m . By L i s e l o t t e Gumpel. New Haven and
London: Y a l e U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1 9 7 6 .
L i s e l o t t e Gumpel i s a u t h o r o f s e v e r a l a r t i c l e s
and s t u d i e s on language and o f a f o r t h c o m i n g
p u b l i c a t i o n on Semitism i n the GDR. I n the
p r e s e n t book she compares two p o e t i c t r e n d s o f
unequal dimensions: GDR c o n c r e t e p o e t r y i s an
e n t i r e system, w h i l e FRG c o n c r e t e p o e t r y i s
o n l y a movement. Gumpel attempts t o demons t r a t e the d i f f e r e n c e i n the concept "Concrete
p o e t r y " i n the GDR and West Germany and thus
g i v e evidence o f the change the German l a n g u age i s undergoing i n the two s t a t e s . I n the
f i r s t c h a p t e r , she p r e s e n t s the h i s t o r i c a l development o f the two Germanies s i n c e 19^5 w i t h
the emphasis on t h e i r d i v e r g i n g concepts o f
l i t e r a t u r e and, s p e c i f i c a l l y , c o n c r e t e p o e t r y .
She connects w i t h t h i s the problem o f " l i n g u i s t i c a l i e n a t i o n , " i . e . , the d i f f e r i n g approaches t o the German language which she examines by comparing the GDR " L e i p z i g e r Duden"
and the FRG "Mannheimer Duden." The i n f l u e n c e
these d i f f e r e n c e s have on the concept o f poet r y i n the two s t a t e s i s demonstrated by the
p o s i t i o n s o f F.C. Weiskopf i n the GDR and H e l mut Heißenbüttel i n the FRG.
The b a s i c t h e s i s
i s t h a t , i n the GDR, a c o n c r e t e poem must r e p r e s e n t r e a l i t y and i t can o n l y do so "when
the t a n g i b l e w o r l d comes t o l i g h t through the
content of meaning(s)."
I n West Germany, a
c o n c r e t e poem i s a n experiment w i t h a e s t h e t i c
i n n o v a t i o n as i t s aim; i t i s not based upon
an i d e o l o g i c a l commitment as the GDR poem i s .
In f u r t h e r c h a p t e r s Gumpel d i s c u s s e s the background o f c o n c r e t i s m , the c o n c r e t e poem i t s e l f ,
the wider t r a d i t i o n , and a n t h o l o g i e s o f con-*
c r e t e p o e t r y . They are d i v i d e d i n t o two p a r t s :
the f i r s t one d e a l i n g w i t h the GDR's and the
second w i t h the FRG's concepts o f c o n c r e t e
poetry.
The background c h a p t e r t r e a t s the i d e a s o f
Georg Lukacs and J.R. Becher a s c o n t i n u i n g t o
dominate the l i t e r a r y c r i t i c i s m o f the GDR,
w h i l e f o r West German c o n c r e t i s e she c o n s i d e r s
Eugen Gomringer the " p r o g e n i t o r o f Concrete
p o e t r y " and Max Bense a s the f a t h e r o f i t s theo r e t i c a l j u s t i f i c a t i o n . This m a t e r i a l i s very
i n f o r m a t i v e , w i t h perhaps t o o much emphasis on
West German c o n c r e t e p o e t r y and i t s o r i g i n .
The i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s o f the " d i c e n t i c g e n r e s "
( e s o e c i a l l y the sonnet, the b a l l a d , and the ode)
o f the E a s t rnd the "rhematic connexes" o f the
West u t i l i z e the s e m i o t i c s o f Max Bense and C S .
P e i r c e . They are f r e s h and u n b i a s e d , but do not
go i n t o g r e a t d e t a i l w i t h the poems. Under the
a s p e c t s o f " t e l e o l o g i c a l humanism" and " c r e a t i v e
z e s t , " the w i d e r t r a d i t i o n o f the c o n c r e t e poem
1
GDR Bulletin, Vol. 3 [1977], Iss. 2, Art. 7
i s e x p l o r e d — t h e GDR c o n c r e t e poem i s concerned
w i t h " d i a l o g i c a l p o p u l a r i t y " and the FRG conc r e t e poem w i t h a " m o n o l o g i c a l game."
Informat i v e i s the d i s c u s s i o n o f the v a r i o u s a n t h o l o g i e s i n w h i c h Gumpel o f f e r s not o n l y a n a l y s e s o f
the volumes but a l s o background m a t e r i a l on
t h e i r s t r u c t u r e and r e a s o n s f o r the i n c l u s i o n
and e x c l u s i o n o f c e r t a i n a u t h o r s .
F o r someone not f a m i l i a r w i t h the v o c a b u l a r y o f
s e m i o t i c s , t h i s book i s not a l w a y s easy r e a d i n g .
However, i t i s an i n t e r e s t i n g study o f the conc e p t s o f "Concrete p o e t r y " i n the GDR and West
Germany and o f the c h a n g i n g language i n the two
German s t a t e s .
H a r r i e t F. O'Swald
E a s t e r n Washington S t a t e C o l l e g e
********
Kindheitsmuster.
3y C h r i s t a Wolf. B e r l i n
and Weimar: A u f b a u - V e r l a g , 1976.
534 pages.
D.M.
9,90.
When d i s c u s s i n g C h r i s t a W o l f ' s works, b e g i n n i n g always appears p r o b l e m a t i c , because one
does not know w i t h e x a c t l y what term t o
c l a s s i f y them. T h i s c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n i s e s p e c i a l l y t r u e o f her l a t e s t p u b l i c a t i o n K i n d h e i t s m u s t e r . Lengthy r e v i e w s d e a l i n g w i t h
the q u e s t i o n of whether i t i s an a u t o b i o g r a phy, an essay o r a n o v e l have a l r e a d y appeared and w i l l most c e r t a i n l y c o n t i n u e .
Such d i s c u s s i o n s have n o t , however, a i d e d i n
u n d e r s t a n d i n g or e v a l u a t i n g t h i s work and may
even o b s t r u c t the r e a d e r ' s i n s i g h t i n t o one
o f the main themes: the method and f u n c t i o n
of w r i t i n g .
The n a r r a t o r i n t r o d u c e s a modern GDR f a m i l y
on a week-end t r i p t o a town i n P o l a n d , the
b i r t h p l a c e o f the mother. The purpose o f
t h i s t r i n f o r her i s to come t o g r i p s w i t h
her p a s t , i n o r d e r t o l e a d a f u l l and cons t r u c t i v e l i f e i n the p r e s e n t and t o a n t i c i pate and mold the f u t u r e . She attempts t o
d e a l w i t h the q u e s t i o n o f what a c t u a l l y occ u r r e d between 1929 and 1946,
the y e a r s o f
her c h i l d h o o d and y o u t h .
The i n v e s t i g a t i o n
o f t h i s p e r i o d n e c e s s i t a t e s t r u e remembering,
genuine q u e s t i o n i n g o f c o n s c i e n c e .
Through
the p o r t r a y a l o f such an i n q u i r y , the n a r r a t i o n of which i s conducted on the contempor a r y temporal l e v e l , an e n t i r e g e n e r a t i o n i s
b e i n g addressed and encouraged t o make an a t tempt a t overcoming t h i s p a r t i c u l a r t i m e .
T h i s g e n e r a t i o n must examine i t s own, as w e l l
as i t s e l d e r s ' a c t i o n s and r e a c t i o n s t o what
was happening around them, i n o r d e r t o r e l i e v e themselves o f g u i l t f e e l i n g s w h i c h they
do not u n d e r s t a n d .
The q u e s t i o n i n g of the
c o n s c i e n c e should n o t , however, remain i s o http://newprairiepress.org/gdr/vol3/iss2/7
DOI: 10.4148/gdrb.v3i2.385
l a t e d i n t h i s a p p a r e n t l y s e l f i s h motive but
s h o u l d a l s o r i s u l t i n improved communication
between g e n e r a t i o n s , as e x e m p l i f i e d by the
r e l a t i o n s h i p between L e n k a , the teen-aged
daughter, and her mother.
I t i s through w r i t i n g t h a t C h r i s t a Wolf h e r s e l f i s a b l e t o d e a l w i t h the aforementioned
problems and communicate w i t h o t h e r s . I n
o t h e r words, she goes through a p r o c e s s o f
rememherjng s i m i l a r to t h a t o f the mother,
the main d i f f e r e n c e b e i n g t h a t C h r i s t a P o l f
comes t o g r i p s w i t h her p a s t through w r i t i n g .
Because the a c t o f w r i t i n g i s o f such c e n t r a l
importance t o the a u t h o r , she does not o n l y
r e f l e c t on s p e c i f i c events such as the H i t l e r augend r a l l i e s o r the R e i c h s k r i s t a l l n a c h t ,
but a l s o f r e q u e n t l y d i s c u s s e s her reasons f o r
w r i t i n g , the d i f f i c u l t i e s encountered, the
methods used, and the purpose i t i s t o s e r v e .
But t h i s c o n s t a n t r e f l e c t i o n and d i s c u s s i o n
does not a t a l l d e p r i v e the r e a d e r of u s i n g
h i s i m a g i n a t i o n or d e t r a c t from the " a r t i s t i c " q u a l i t y o f the work, as has been sugg e s t e d by some c r i t i c s . I n s t e a d , t h i s w e l l i n t e g r a t e d s t y l i s t i c d e v i c e g i v e s the work
a v e r y r e a l i s t i c q u a l i t y and immensely a i d s
the r e a d e r i n a n a l y z i n g the b a s i c themes. I t
a l s o adds a new dimension, under which
C h r i s t a Wolf's e n t i r e l i t e r a r y work can be
b e t t e r understood:
the d i s c u s s i o n o f how and
why she w r i t e s . I t i s through r e f l e c t i o n
w i t h i n the book t h a t C h r i s t a Wolf makes i t
p o s s i b l e f o r the r e a d e r t o e x p e r i e n c e a s i m i l a r c o n t e m p l a t i v e p r o c e s s , which does not nec e s s a r i l y mean t h a t the c o n c l u s i o n s reached
by the r e a d e r w i l l be i d e n t i c a l to those o f
C h r i s t a Wolf. I t does, however, c r e a t e an
i n t i m a t e atmosphere between the r e a d e r and
the a u t h o r and encourages the r e a d e r t o take
a s t a n d on the p r e s e n t e d i s s u e s .
In K i n d h e i t s m u s t e r C h r i s t a Wolf attempts t o
d e s c r i b e and communicate her own c h i l d h o o d
e x p e r i e n c e s w i t h such s e n s i t i v i t y t h a t h e r
r e a d e r s w i l l a l s o r e a l i z e the nee.l to r e f l e c t
on what a t f i r s t g l a n c e may appear t o be
s i m p l y a p a s t , moral i s s u e . One cannot, how-r
e v e r , deny the contemporary, p o l i t i c a l i m p l i c a t i o n s , e s p e c i a l l y w i t h i n the c o n t e x t o f the
GDR.
As the a u t h o r h e r s e l f has p o i n t e d out
i n a d i s c u s s i o n o f the book, the younger gen e r a t i o n i n the GDR
i s s t i l l a k i n g quest i o n s about the p e r i o d d u r i n g which H i t l e r
r o s e t o power, and the o l d e r g e n e r a t i o n i s
e i t h e r unable or u n w i l l i n g t o answer. A l though ^ ^ h e j i J ^ m i A s t e r i s p r i m a r i l y d i r e c t e d
toward the GDR r e a d i n g p u b l i c , o c c u r r e n c e s
2