On the Dramatic Poems of Byron: A New Reader's Edition
May 2024 · The Complete Works of Nietzsche Book 2 · Minerva Heritage Press
Ebook
75
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
reportRatings and reviews aren’t verified Learn More
About this ebook
This short essay is an undergrad paper of Nietzsche's while he studied at the University of Bonn. The original title is "Über die dramatischen Dichtungen Byrons", and was written in December of 1861, when Nietzsche was merely 17 years old. Already at this young age, Nietzsche displays here an advanced understanding of English Poetry and archetypal story telling. In this period at the University of Bonn, Nietzsche was deeply involved in philological studies before his philosophical pursuits took a more prominent role in his intellectual career, and was teaching himself Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Here Nietzsche explores the dramatic qualities of Byron's works, examining how Byron's dramatic poetry contributes to and expresses the Romantic spirit, especially in relation to Goethe and Schiller. This is partly a Pathography, as Nietzsche analyzes Bryon's work in relation to his personal Psychology. We already see Nietzsche's proclivities towards the worship of the Übermench, as he praises Byron for being "free from religiosity" and morality. A central thesis of the essay is the portrayal of Byron's dramatic characters as extensions of his own psyche- which is quite advanced for a 17 year old. Byron's characters, from Manfred to Sardanapal, though diverse in their idiosyncratic manifestations, consistently reflect his underlying existential angst, his contemptuous resignation to the world, and his deep-seated longings for freedom and emotional truth. This is a critical observation that highlights Byron's limitations in character diversification, but also underscores the depth of his personal engagement with the themes he explored in his poetry. Philosophically, the young Nietzsche examines Byron's works through the lenses of existentialism and Romantic idealism, presenting his poetic endeavors as a profound exploration of human freedom, despair, and identity. This analysis elevates the discussion from mere literary criticism to a broader consideration of the human condition as reflected in Byron's dramatic poetry. In the following years of Nietzsche's life, he would begin to understand advanced philosophical concepts in essays such as "Fatum and History" and "On Theognis of Megara". This is a new reader's edition of Nietzsche's early 1961 essay. This work was published posthumously in the volume "Gesammelte Werke" edited by Peter Gast (a pseudonym for Heinrich Köselitz, a close associate of Nietzsche) and Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche (Nietzsche's sister) in 1897. It was included in the second series of these collected works under the title "Philologica," which was published in 1897 and several editions after that. This new translation from the original German manuscript contains a new Afterword by the translator, a timeline of Nietzsche's life and works, an index with descriptions of his core concepts and summaries of his complete body of works. This translation is designed to allow the armchair philosopher to engage deeply with Nietzsche's works without having to be a full-time Academic. The language is modern and clean, with simplified sentence structures and diction to make Nietzsche's complex language and arguments as accessible as possible. This Reader's Edition also contains extra material that amplifies the manuscript with autobiographical, historical and linguistic context. This provides the reader a holistic view of this very enigmatic philosopher as both an introduction and an exploration of Nietzsche's works; from his general understanding of his philosophic project to an exploration of the depths of his metaphysics and unique contributions. This edition contains: • An Afterword by the Translator on the history, impact and intellectual legacy of Nietzsche • Translation notes on the original German manuscript • An index of Philosophical concepts used by Nietzsche with a focus on Existentialism and Phenomenology • A complete chronological list of Nietzsche's entire body of works • A detailed timeline of Nietzsche's life journey
About the author
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) was a German philosopher, cultural critic, poet, musician (briefly) and philologist whose work has had a profound impact on modern intellectual history. Known for his critiques of traditional European morality and religion, Nietzsche's ideas on the "will to power" and the "Übermensch" have influenced a wide range of philosophical, literary, and psychological thought including thinkers such as Michael Foucault and the entire Postmodern religion.
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
