The newspaper., 1907-03-29

the Germans, Goethe; and his great
work, Faust is nearly as familiar
to us as his own countrymen, there
fore | need say but very little about
it. One should see it played by
good actors to appreciate its lowell
ness. This poem was finished only
shortly before his death, and repre-
sents his whole life.
The name of Schiller will ever be
linked with that of the brilliant
Goethe, but always as lesser lumi-
nary, still he never lost his luster in
the blaze of the superior ray. He
was and is the permanent favorite
dramatist of great historic nation.
He died premature death at the
age OF 45, but years so strenuously
full that he was consumed with the
ardors of his own inextinguishable
spirit.
The most striking literary figure
since Goeth and Schiller's time is
Heinrich Heine, he wrote both in
prose and verse, and was less Ger
man than French. 1t is said Heine
wrote as If afraid to be candid, for
fear OF being dull. Perhaps his best
work is his prose piece, Pictures of
Travel. His was a bitter unsatis-
fed life, and he died saying God
would forgive him as that was his
business.
In the whole range of literary sub
jects, the most popular of modern
times is the novel, and Germany
added her share to the worlds har-
vest. The most successful historical
novelists OF modern times are Ebers.
Freytag, Dahn, Alexis, Scheffel,
Meyer and Riel. Personally, 1 know
little of their works, except Ebers,
His books are charming and highly
instructive as his plots are laid
mostly in Egypt, and the reader
gains fair knowledge of the history
OF that wonderful country.
OF contemporary literature the
drama, poetry and novel, have all
felt the influence of political and
social questions, but new energy is
being directed toward, culture, re-
finement and the inner life; and thus
prominent in the struggle for social
progress. Intellectual Germany OF
today resembles the intellectual Ger
many OF "a hundred years ago, and
as in the first Storm and Stress
period, the leaders were foreigners,
chief among whom was Rosseau,
now they are Tolstoi, Zola and
Ibsen. This last Storm and Stress
period has developed what is known
as the naturalistic writer's, and
chief among the dramatists OF the
time are Sud- and Hauptmann.
Both OF these writer's strive to make
the stage a teacher Of morality by
80 presenting certain phases OF life
in such a repulsive manner that their
hearers must evermore be sworn
enemies of the evils they denounce.
In closiug. | quote from the Ger
man American writer Won Shier-
DTduu, WIZ Says, bcTIuiu literature
which is, always deep and
always tinging the brain life OF the
nation more decisively than in most
other countries, will soon attain
heights never reached before. Every
thing points to the fact her writer's
will rid themselves OF the strong
and unhealthy influences OF Tolstoi
and Ibsen, and Of the whole school
OF French erratic novelists; and the
drama Will become the powerful ex-
ponent OF progressive Teutonism.
German literature will in the near
future much more potently influence
England and the United States, than
has been done for several decades. 1t
will materially help to cast out and
prevent the growing feminization OF
both American and English litera-
ture. In that respect as in some
others, it's influence will be eminently
wholesome"