the passing of time in poetry Swiss
The great Swiss poet Robert Walser, born in Biel by 15 of April 1878 and died on December 25, 1956 in Herisau. His literary activity was intense during the years that remained of lucidity, before being placed in an asylum. His short stories come to a thousand, of which nearly one hundred are devoted to the theme of love. It was not until the celebrations for the centenary of his birth, in 1978, Robert Walser will finally be recognized not only as one of the most significant Swiss writers of his country, but as one of the most important German-language writers twentieth century. As proof of his lyrical work, here are two poems crossed with the theme of time, which was, after love, one of his greatest obsessions.
As always
The lamp is still there
table
also still there and I'm still in the room and my longing
, ah,
as always, still sighs.
Cowardice, are you still there?
and Lie, You too?
hear a distant self:
unhappiness
still there and the room today,
as always, I am. -----------
neglect
Since I left while living
feel something in me, warm, wonderful peace.
Since non-stop joke day,
with hours, my complaints are coupled.
And I've been relieved of the burden of my sins,
that I am injured, through no flowering of a word:
time is time that you stay up late,
always find me as obedient
human being, to me at the old site. --------------
Poems from the Book
Die Gedichte (Ed. Robert Machlas), Zürich: Suhrkamp Verlag, 1984 .
( poems. editing and foreword by Robert Machlas) --------------
Munich, 15. April. 2008.
