Georg Trakl is an outstanding Austrian poet, whose work was evaluated only after death. His fate was tragic, and his life ended at the age of 27. Nevertheless, a small poetic heritage had a tremendous impact on the development of Austrian literature and posthumously glorified the writer.
Origin and childhood
So, who is he - George Trakl? The biography says that the hero of our story was born on February 3, 1887 in Salzburg. The family was large, but prosperous, the father had his own business - a hardware store. The writer’s mother Maria gave birth to her husband many children, among whom Georg was the fifth. Despite such a number of offspring, the mother spent most of her time in antique and musical studies, not burdening herself with the upbringing of the younger generation. The French governess Marie was engaged in children. Little George suffered greatly from such an attitude of his mother, which was later reflected in his poems.
But not only the image of the mother was imprinted in the mind of the child. Marie, who seemed like a sublime being from another time, remained with him forever. The governess was a devout Catholic who wanted to convert the pupils to her faith. In addition, the woman taught them French and introduced her country's literature. It was her upbringing that greatly contributed to the formation of Georg as a poet. Despite the grudge that he hid until the end of his days on his mother, the writer always spoke of his childhood with love, calling him the happiest time in his life.
Study
At the age of 5, Georg Trakl enters the preparatory class of the school at the pedagogical school, and at 10 he is transferred to the gymnasium. But study was not easy for George, he even stayed in his second year, and in the 7th grade at the final exam he failed in three subjects: mathematics, Latin and Greek. He even knew poorly the grammar of his native language. George's speech was very wrong, he could not connect two words. The boy was very difficult at school, the Austrian order painfully hit his pride. His classmates remembered him as a young man who always had a “quiet, stubborn mockery” on his face.
Failure to study led to the fact that in 1905, George left the gymnasium and went to the apprentices to the pharmacist.
First works
Georg Trakl very early felt his addiction to poetry. Even during his studies at the gymnasium, he went to a literary circle called the Apollo. At this time, the young writer became interested in drama. In 1906, two of his plays were staged in the city theater of Salzburg - Fata Morgana and Memorial Day. However, both performances were a failure, the public did not appreciate them. For George, this was a real blow. In frustrated feelings, he destroyed the text of the tragedy he had just completed.
But this failure did not stop the young man. A year later, the first edition of the morning song appeared in the city edition of the Salzburg National Newspaper.
However, the literary success was somewhat overshadowed by the fact that eighteen-year-old George was addicted to morphine, veronal and wine. His addiction was caused by big problems with interaction with the outside world and people. Reality was unbearable for the poet, the world of human relations seemed complex and evil. This prompted him to go into the world of fantasies and dreams. Despite the addiction, George is called a deeply religious person. In his poetry you can find many Christian images, motifs and themes.
Forbidden love - was it?
Georg Trakl and his sister were in a very close relationship, which gave rise to a lot of gossip and speculation. But is there truth in them?
In 1908, the poet entered the University of Vienna at the pharmacological department, but at that time he completely devoted himself to poetry and could not relate to his studies with due responsibility. For him, the literary world has become another opportunity to escape from reality.
The reason for this was not only the inability to build relationships with others, but also a forbidden feeling. From childhood, George was in love with his younger sister Margaret. He considered this passion sinful and called his curse. Nevertheless, love for the girl became the main existential experience of the poet, which formed the basis of all his work.
There are various assumptions regarding their relationship, including sexual intercourse. But none of this has been confirmed and applies only to fiction. This is confirmed by the fact that a close friend of George in 1912 had a stormy romance with Margaret.
Brother and sister were only related by kinship. They were very similar in character and worldview. Margaret became the first connoisseur of the poet's early poems. Georg trusted her with all his dreams and secrets. And his sister was always ready to support him and console him when society rejected the young man. Hence all the declarations of love that are present in the verses of the writer. For him, his sister became the only person who could understand him.
Life in the world of poetry
Poems became the only opportunity to open your soul and speak out. Only in them could George Trakl be himself. Poems appeared one after another. However, publishing them was very difficult. During the life of the writer came out one small collection of his works.
Despite being absorbed in the world of poetry, he managed to graduate from the university and earn a master's degree. After that, Georg returned to his native Salzburg. For some time he worked in a pharmacy. However, this life brought him some grief, as it was completely unethical and not like the world of dreams. So in his poems he described this time: "... what a hell of a chaos of rhythms and images."
In service, he often sat with his head in his hands, not noticing anything happening around. He was completely absorbed in his thoughts. The owner of the pharmacy, a very good-natured person, often let the young man go home earlier.
No livelihood
Two passionate writers' increases - drugs and poetry - have become poor companions for real life. Trakl could not hold out for a long time, and the money he received for publishing poetry in the newspaper was not enough for anything. The poet was unsettled, the service in the pharmacy, and then in the hospital could not change the situation. Literary work was impossible to earn.
Georg Trakl even wanted to go to Borneo to work in a pharmacy there, but he was denied resettlement to the Netherlands colony. This deprived him of his last hope to somehow settle in this world.
Search for yourself
In these years, George lives only on the money that friends lend to him, about which he wrote so much in his poems. The writer is trying to find a place for himself and rushing around throughout Europe, he visits Mulau, Innsbruck, Venice, Salzburg, Vienna. But everywhere he is waiting for round-the-clock work on works that he often copied, a miserable existence, wine, corrupt women and drugs. Georg Trakl indulges in all this with incredible enthusiasm and passion. A complete collection of poems is also a complete description of the poet's life, since all this is reflected in his poems. However, during his lifetime, the writer will never be destined to see such a publication.
Trakl leads a wild life. Acquaintances note sharp changes in his mood and character. He could be a pleasant and delicate interlocutor, and he could be aggressive and run wild. During this period, the poet was actively carried away by the work of Dostoevsky. It was from the works of the Russian classic that the name “Sonya” came to his poetry.
Recent years and death
Occupying the lower steps of the social ladder, always in need of money, Trakl was still able to make acquaintances in the art world. So, in 1912, he met with the publishers of the Brenner magazine, literary critics O. Kokoshka and K. Kraus, as well as famous sculptors and painters. However, these ties were not strong due to the mental state of the poet himself and his volatile behavior.
In 1913, the only Trakl collection published during his life was published, which was called "Poems."
In 1914, the poet received a scholarship for distressed writers. But the poet did not have time to use it - the war began. Traklya as a reservist was soon drafted into the army. He was sent to the front-line hospital as a pharmacist. In between fights, the writer continues to drink and use drugs.
But when heavy fighting began, and there were not enough doctors, Trakl had to take up treatment. Having no education and experience, he operated on wounded soldiers. The horrors of war plunged him into such a depressed state that he tried to commit suicide. But he managed to stop him in time and was sent to the Krakow hospital for examination by a psychiatrist. Here he finished what he started, committing suicide on November 3, 1914. The death certificate in the column “Cause” stated: “Suicide due to cocaine intoxication”.
Georg Trakl, “Sebastian in a dream”
This collection of poems of the poet became the second. Unfortunately, George did not wait for his publication, since it was published in 1915, a year after the death of the author.
The poet personally engaged in the preparation of the collection, selected verses, then read the proofreading corrections. A collection with a similar name can be found on the shelves of bookstores today, but its content will be slightly different. "Sebastian in a dream" often turns into a complete collection of the poet's works.
Georg Trakl. Analysis of the poem "Winter Night"
Consider one of the writer's poems.
The work describes a picture familiar to the poet, when he, drunk, leaves human fuss and noise, going home at night. Georg describes the sensations experienced at this time: "Your legs ring when you walk ... a smile full of sadness ... petrified on your face ... your forehead turns pale from frost." The mood of the lyrical hero is gloomy, everything is riddled with tragedy, even nature portends evil: "The stars converged into unkind signs." Night does not bode well, but day is salvation. His advance is described majestically and solemnly: "A pink day comes forth silver." The arrival of dawn is accompanied by the chime of "ancient bells." The sun drives away the night darkness and the bad dreams of the poet.
The tragic character is George Trakl. The poems of the writer are direct proof of this. His lyrical hero is immersed in a dark world filled with shadows, bad omens and bad dreams. Only daylight can bring it out of this state. But the next night everything will happen again.
In cinema and music
Georg Trakl took not the last place in pop culture. The film about his secret relationship with his sister was shot in 2011 by director Christoph Stark. The painting was called “Taboo. The soul has no place on Earth. " The plot has a lot of fiction and guesswork, which is easy to see, given that so far not one of the writer's biographers has confirmed that he really had a love affair with his sister. The picture was not widespread, the ratings of viewers and critics were average.
The writer's work is more popular among musicians. So, David Tukhmanov composed songs to the verses of George Trakl. The composer's cycle was called "Holy Night, or Sebastian's Dream."
In addition, the 1992 album by German gothic rock band ALSO was completely dedicated to the writer's work. And in 1978, Klaus Schulz, the composer of the Berlin school, composed a musical sketch called Georg Trakl.