Versuch über die Freien Rhythmen: Hölderlins „Lebensalter“ und Trakls „Abendland“

This article examines conceptual determinations concerning Free Rhythms (germ. Freie Rhythmen). Particular attention is paid to the attachment to classical verse measures attributed to them. The relationship of German metrics to that of classical languages, especially Ancient Greek, is considered. The concept of Free Rhythms is examined on the basis of poems by Hölderlin and Trakl. In the analysis, Hölderlin’s work functions as a peculiar representative of German classicism, which is obviously oriented towards antiquity; Trakl’s work, on the other hand, functions as a representative of avant-garde movements, which are generally characterised by a break with tradition. It is concluded that in confrontation with the poetry of antiquity and its metrical features, a tradition of German verse emerges in the late 18th century that takes into account the characteristics of the German language in poetry. The exemplary analysis of poems by Hölderlin and Trakl make it clear that the concept of Free Rhythms is suitable for describing more phenomena in German-language poetry than it is usually assumed. As a result of the investigation, a metrical after-effect of German classicism can be detected in the poetry of the early 20th century.