Date of Award
Spring 1960
Document Type
Thesis - Restricted
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Foreign Languages and Literatures
First Advisor
Simmons, Robert E.
Second Advisor
Veit, Philipp F.
Third Advisor
Wilkinson, Clarence R.
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis is twofold: first of all, it intends to investigate the peculiar linguistic crisis of the poet Hugo von Hofmannsthal; secondly, it seeks a broader resonance of the same crisis in modern culture. For Hofmannsthal the exhaustion of his own creativity as a poet appears to have struck him as a sign of the extinction of modern culture, that is to say, the climate in which the artist can create and, above all, in which he can communicate with a predisposed audience. This paper, then revolves around the question: Is the significance of Hofmannsthal's experience with language of universal importance for the artistic realm of modern culture, or does Hofmannsthal's crisis remain but the personal expression of a sterile aesthete? The writer of this paper sincerely hopes his treatment of the problem will bring the reader closer to an answer.
Recommended Citation
Ritter, Erwin F., "Hugo Von Hofmannsthal and the Linguistic Crisis in Modern Culture" (1960). Master's Theses (1922-2009) Access restricted to Marquette Campus. 1379.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/theses/1379