Holderlin'S Philosophy of Nature

Shows the relation between Holderlin's poetic theory and his concept of nature as developed in his poetry, prose and dramatic works The work of the decidedly philosophical poet Friedrich Hölderlin has gained renewed urgency in its emphasis on the forces of nature that produce life and at the same time threaten to devour it. This volume brings Hölderlin into dialogue with pre-Socratic and German Idealist thought as well as contemporary environmental theory to show the continued relevance of the poet's understanding of natural catastrophes. With twelve original contributions on Hölderlin's poetry by noted scholars including Jennifer Anna Gosetti-Ferencei, Achim Geisenhanslüke, Anja Lemke, Jan Mieszkowski, Katrin Pahl and Thomas Schestag, the book explores Hölderlin's legacy and what it reveals about the impulses toward form and formlessness in nature and the role that poetry plays in fashioning a musical accord, or what Hölderlin called 'harmonious opposition'. Rochelle Tobias is a Professor of German at the Johns Hopkins University.