authenticity? - What must be said about Macpherson's Gaelic MS.? Do modern scholars see forgeries in Macpherson's poems? What do they agree on? Why? What makes the Ossianic poems a literary achievement of the second half of the 18th century in spite of their Celtic style? - With what is their gloomy melancholy in full accord? Hence their world wide fame: on what German poet had they a great influence? Who were among the most fervent admirers of Ossian? Why is Macpherson's poetry nowadays universally depreciated? What faults does our modern taste find in it? What makes this poetry, despite its monotony as a whole, so impressive in part? What piece of Macpherson's poetry has Goethe inserted in "Werthers Leiden"? You had to do a summary of The Songs of Selma. — Einige Schüler lesen Now I'll read mine. The grey-haired Ossian is dreaming of the old days of song, when the king heard the music of the harp and the chiefs gathered from all their hills, and listened to the tales of other times. He sees Fingal in a vision, and the heroes around him, and the bards gathering at Selma's feast. Minona comes forth in her beauty, singing of whitebosomed Colma left alone on the hill to wait for Salgar her lover who promised to come. But their races have long been foes, and her lover and her brother have slain each other in a duel. And Colma's life flies away like a dream, she longs to rest with her friends, by the stream of the sounding rock. Then Ullin comes with his harp, giving the song of Alpin and Ryno, who mourn the fall of Morar, first of mortal men, Minona's brother, whose wrath was as the storm and whose sword in battle, as lightning in the field, but when he did return from war, how peaceful was his blow, like the sun after rain. But he fell, and he has no mother to mourn for him, no maid with her tears of love, only his hoary father is left to weep, trembling, at every step. But the song will preserve his name, future times shall hear of the fallen Morar. Then he hears another bard singing the song of sighing Armin, who remembers the deaths of his son and daughter. Armar, renowned in war, came and sought Daura's love and he was not long refused. But Erath came, disguised as an old mariner. His brother had been slain by Armar. Erath persuades Daura to follow him to a rock not distant in the sea, where Armar was to wait for her. Left alone by the traitor, she calls for her brother Arindal and for her father. Her brother comes down from the hill, he seizes the fierce Erath and binds him to an oak. Arindal gets into a boat to take Daura his sister ashore. But his heart is pierced by Armar's grey-feathered shaft, he pants on the rock and expires. Armar plunges into the sea to rescue his beloved Daura. But a storm arose and he sank. All night her father stood on the shore, and heard her cries. Before morning appeared, her voice was weak and she expired... Ossian is old, his strength has failed him. The sons of song are gone to rest. His voice remains, like a blast that roars lonely on a sea-surrounded rock, after the winds are laid. Schlußbemerkung: Zur Vorbereitung auf diese englischen Literaturstunden benutzte ich neben Delmer's bekanntem Leitfaden, der mir vor allem das sprachliche Material lieferte, Hettner, Geschichte der englischen Litteratur im 18. Jahrhundert, sowie Thackeray, The English Humourists of the 18th Century und Macaulay's Essays. DIE NEUEREN SPRACHEN ZEITSCHRIFT FÜR DEN UNTERRICHT IM ENGLISCHEN, FRANZÖSISCHEN, ITALIENISCHEN UND SPANISCHEN. HERAUSGEGEBEN VON WALTHER KÜCHLER UND THEODOR ZEIGER Beiheft Nr. 13 Probleme der Rededarstellung Untersuchungen zur direkten, indirekten und ,,erlebten" Rede im Deutschen, Französischen und Italienischen |