ost #247

April 15, 2019

April is National Poetry Month

Day 15:

“Favorite Poets Week”

Walking by Inner Vision – A Personal Journal

2019 –  I am Reflecting on my Favorite Poets  this Week.

Georg Trakl

Born, February 3, 1886 in Salzburg, Austria

He had residence in Salzburg, Vienna, and Innsbruck

Georg  enlisted in the Army and while in Innsbruck, he befriended the Avant Garde artists involved with the journal, “Der Brenner” with a focus on the philosophy of Kierkegaard.  Trakl’s work became recognized because of his involvement with this group of artists and he flourished during these years as a poet.  I find it interesting to read the comments  and writings of various philosophers who have examined his work, or those who knew him personally during his life.

Trakl poems, written in German,   are lyrical and even very much like music. The poems have been translated several times into English.

They do have a variety of dark themes such as: death, transcendence, spiritual yearnings, love, and even a longing  for hope and redemption. He was a troubled young man who became increasingly depress as he saw the war atrocities when he lived in Innsbruck during World War I and was in the Austro-Hungarian army. Trakl’s experiences with war remind me so much of Walt Whitman’s experiences in the Civil War as he cared for and nursed wounded and dying men – Whitman wrote about his feelings and his helplessness – and I can see that Trakl faced many similar situations.

Georg eventually ended his life because of the depression he had and it was at a time when his genius was recognized and he had a bright future.

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Listen to “Winter Walk in A-Minor{ by Georg Trakl:  Click here to listen.

View the text of the poem, “A Winter Evening.”   Read it here.

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I discovered the poetry of Georg Trakl in the summer of 1991.

I had just completed my MFA degree at West Virginia University and signed up for a drawing class taught by one of my former professors – the class would be held in Salzburg, Austria.  This was my opportunity to visit Europe with her, and a way of celebrating my recent accomplishment – my graduation from WVU.

One day, while walking in the formal gardens of Mirabell Palace, I saw a plaque on a stone wall.  It was a poem by Georg Trakl.  I wanted to know more!  During my month-long studies in Salzburg, I located the Trakl haus which is his birth house. The building also  has an art museum.  this is where I learned more about Georg Trakl, and I came back home with information I found there.

Mirabell Gardens

A plaque with the poem ‘Musik im Mirabell’ is fixed on the eastern garden wall (directly next to the Barock Museum). Because his sister Hermina lived in the Mirabell Palace for several years, the garden was well known to Trakl.

Poem Boards are on view in a variety of locations. They are permanent displays with Trakl’s poems, or lines  from poems on them. Isn’t this a great idea – wouldn’t it be educational  if we did this kind of promotion of our poets in America?

If you want to know more about Trakl Haus, here is a link for it:

Link to information and tourof Traklhaus

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Georg Trakl died, 3 November 1914, Cracow, Poland

What poet would you like to spend the day with?

Where would you be and what would you discuss together?

Who are your literary mentors?

What poets inspired you and helped you grow in your own writing?

Where would you go with your favorite poet and what would you do together?

Lynda McKinney Lambert. Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved.

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