Friedrich Hölderlin's poetry is explored as a distinctive contribution to Western literature, particularly through his translations of Greek tragedy. The book highlights how his work retrieves the socio-political dimensions of a Dionysiac space-time and language, aiming to confront the alienation of humanity from nature and each other. This new perspective illuminates the interplay between Hölderlin's themes and the broader cultural context of his time.
The book explores the relevance of Nietzschean thought in addressing contemporary issues, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary studies that merge philosophy, literary analysis, psychology, and visual/media studies. It critiques the detrimental effects of a pervasive visual culture fueled by the limitless pursuit of wealth, highlighting how this dynamic negatively impacts our connections with nature and each other.
"This book casts new light on the work of the German poet Friedrich Hölderlin (1770-1843), and his translations of Greek tragedy. It shows Hölderlin's poetry is unique within Western literature (and art) as it retrieves the socio-politics of a Dionysiac space-time and language to challenge the estrangement of humans from nature and one other. In this book, author Lucas Murrey presents a new picture of ancient Greece, noting that money emerged and rapidly developed there in the sixth century B.C. This act of monetization brought with it a concept of tragedy: money-tyrants struggling against the forces of earth and community who succumb to individual isolation, blindness and death. As Murrey points out, Hölderlin (unconsciously) retrieves the battle between money, nature and community and creatively applies its lessons to our time. But Hölderlin's poetry not only adapts tragedy to question the unlimited machine process of a clever race of money-tyrants. It also draws attention to Greece's warnings about the mortal danger of the eyes in myth, cult and theatre. This monograph thus introduces an urgently needed vision not only of Hölderlin hymns, but also the relevance of disciplines as diverse as Literary Studies, Philosophy, Psychology (Psychoanalysis) as well as Religious and Visual (Media) Studies to our present predicament, where a dangerous visual culture, through its support of the unlimitedness of money, is harming our relation to nature and one another"--Page 4 of cover