I. Literatur - J.A. Stargardt

„the modern, new stuff“
188* — E.Br.m.U. Gargnano, „Villa Igéa“ 10.II.1913. 4 S. 8 o . (1.200.—)
An „Dear Else“, die Schwester seiner späteren Frau Frieda von Richthofen, die er um Material für
einen Artikel über die moderne deutsche Lyrik bittet.
„... You don’t expect me to stop here, gaping like a fish out of water, while Frieda goes careering and
carousing off to München, do you? ...
About the article – Frieda is a nameless duffer at telling anything: the English Review ... asked me to
write an article on modern German poetry ... It is the modern, new stuff they want to hear about –
say that which is published in the last ten years – such people as Dehmel, and Liliencron, Stefan
George, Ricarda Huch, Elsa Lasker Schuler. Haven’t you got a strong opinion about modern German
poetry ... Well, do write what you think – say Dehmel is ranty and tawdry, if you like, but don’t
be too classical ... And for Heaven’s sake, put in plenty of little poems or verses as examples. – It
would be rather a cute idea to write about: ‘The Woman Poets of the Germany of Today’ ... It would
fetch the English Review readers like pigeons to salt. And surely Die Frau has got articles on the subject.
I should love doing it myself, if I knew (enough) about it.“ (Zwischen den Zeilen eingefügt:
„Frechheit, er weiß nichts. Nicht wahr – I have reviewed, in England, two anthologies of modern German
poetry.“ – Die ersten Wörter in deutscher Schrift.) „Do write about the women – their aims and
ideals – and a bit about them personally, any you know – and how they’d rather paint pictures than
nurse children, because any motherly body can do the latter, while it needs a fine and wonderful
woman to speak a message ... Do write it in German – I can read your letters quite easily, because
you don’t write in Gothic hieroglyph ...“
Im Folgenden über Friedas Scheidungsverfahren. „... Frieda says, it is too long to let the children wait
another six months without seeing her – they would become too much estranged. Perhaps that is true.
Heaven knows how we’re going to untangle these knots ... Till the divorce is absolute, Ernst must have
nothing to do with Frieda. So arrangements should be made through lawyers ...“
Im Frühjahr 1912 hatte Frieda von Richthofen ihren Ehemann Ernest Weekley – Lawrences ehemaligen
Englisch-Professor am Nottingham University College – für Lawrence verlassen; im Herbst hatten
sich die beiden in der Villa Igéa am Gardasee niedergelassen.
189* — E. Postkarte m.U. Irschenhausen, zwischen 1920 und 1929. Leicht gebräunt. (300.—)
An den Philosophen und Soziologen Erich v. Kahler in Wolfratshausen mit einer Einladung.
„Won’t you come to lunch next Tuesday or Wednesday? I think the trains are fairly convenient – & I
hope it won’t rain ... It will be awfully nice to see you ...“
190* LAWRENCE, Thomas Edward, „Lawrence of Arabia“, 1888–1935. E.Br.m.U. „TES“ (für
Thomas Edward Shaw). (Plymouth) 3.V.1930. 1 S. gr.-4o . Luftpostpapier. (600.—)
(An seinen Freund, den Schriftsteller Henry Williamson), dem er Proben seiner Odyssee-Übersetzung
sendet.
„... These Odyssey pages aren’t sent for criticism; but to show you that no one can help in them.
Translations aren’t books, for in them there is no inevitable word; the whole is approximation, a feeling
towards what the author would have said; and as Homer wasn’t like me the version goes wrong
whenever I let myself into it. Consequently the thing is a pot-boiler only, a second-best; and I do not
have page-proofs. Bruce Rogers does all the printing part. I send him a typed copy of my stuff, and
that is the end of it ...
... the Homer who wrote the Odyssey was an antiquarian, a tame-cat, a book-worm; not a great poet,
but a most charming novelist. A Thornton Wilder of his time. My version, & every version, is
inevitably small.
Will I ever get to your place again? This Greek eats and drinks all my leisure hours. However I have
bought my Dorset cottage out of its profits, as provision for my years when the RAF will not have me
any more ...“
Seit 1923 diente Lawrence unter dem angenommenen Namen Shaw als einfacher Soldat in der Royal
Air Force.
Sehr selten.
78
(D.H. Lawrence)
I. Literatur