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The Seasons of the Soul
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Vowing at an early age “to be a poet or nothing at all,” Hermann Hesse rebelled against formal education, focusing on a rigorous program of independent study that included literature, philosophy, art, and history. One result of these efforts was a series of novels that became counterculture bibles that remain widely influential today. Another was a body of evocative
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“To cut through the charades of this world, to despise it, may be the aim of great thinkers. My only goal in life is to be able to love this world, to see it and myself and all beings with the eyes of love and admiration and reverence …”
Hesse is one of the writers I fell in love with at school, at a time when many other people despised reading because it was a task, because they had to. I was lucky. Our curriculum was rather interesting and allowed for some flexibility in the choice of authors ...more
Hesse is one of the writers I fell in love with at school, at a time when many other people despised reading because it was a task, because they had to. I was lucky. Our curriculum was rather interesting and allowed for some flexibility in the choice of authors ...more
“I was an orphan whose parents happened to be alive.” -- Hermann Hesse about his early life.
Reading such a confession is not easy! Seeing two parents, you may imagine the easy-going life , the well-raised children but life was never that straight forward..it's full of absurdity! I learnt from great authors like Hesse & Kafka that the road to greatness begins with sufferings & parents cruelty!
In this amazing journey in Hesse's world, you are intertwined with life, with nature. You are ...more
Reading such a confession is not easy! Seeing two parents, you may imagine the easy-going life , the well-raised children but life was never that straight forward..it's full of absurdity! I learnt from great authors like Hesse & Kafka that the road to greatness begins with sufferings & parents cruelty!
In this amazing journey in Hesse's world, you are intertwined with life, with nature. You are ...more
Oct 15, 2012
Judy Croome
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
spiritual seekers, mystics, poets
This short book is well structured, with an informative and detailed introduction to each section of poems. Each of these excellent introductions give an intimate sense of Hesse the poet, his passions and his torments.
The poems that follow were, like most poetry volumes, made up of verses that resonated deeply with me and others that were interesting to read. Each reader would, I'm sure, find their own favourite poem.
Some of the poems were, unexpectedly, less lyrical than I expected from a ...more
The poems that follow were, like most poetry volumes, made up of verses that resonated deeply with me and others that were interesting to read. Each reader would, I'm sure, find their own favourite poem.
Some of the poems were, unexpectedly, less lyrical than I expected from a ...more
Anything Meister Hermann Hesse wrote is pure literary delight. This man is incredible, when I read his words I no longer feel quite so insane or the crushing solitude of having ideas shared by so few. I have to learn German just so I can read Hesse in his native tongue.
This book is a masterpiece! Beautifully written! In love with Hesse's style.
And these two are my favorites:
“Now and Then
Now and then everything feels wrong and desolate,
and sprawling in pain, weak and exhausted,
every effort reverts to grief,
every joy collapses with broken wings.
And our longing listens for distant summons,
aching to receive news filled with joy.
But we still miss bliss,
fortunate fates elude from afar.
Now is the time to listen within,
tend our inner garden mindfully
until new ...more
And these two are my favorites:
“Now and Then
Now and then everything feels wrong and desolate,
and sprawling in pain, weak and exhausted,
every effort reverts to grief,
every joy collapses with broken wings.
And our longing listens for distant summons,
aching to receive news filled with joy.
But we still miss bliss,
fortunate fates elude from afar.
Now is the time to listen within,
tend our inner garden mindfully
until new ...more
Hesse muses about the earth, the sky, and loneliness. Love, life, birth and death are derivatives. Most poems can be seen as words of "spiritual wisdom", there is not much elating poetry in them. Some of his poems are good though, for instance Valse Brillante (1901), and Autumn Takes Hold of My Life (1919).
An unbelievably amazing collection of sage poems by Herman Hesse. Well worth the read and contemplation.
Quickly illustrates an idea or profound emotion with an easy arrangement of words. Feels like your grandpa just sharing his most important life lessons and memory with you. Recommended.
I loved this. I've always been drawn to Hesse's writing, but the purity and clarity reflected in this translation of some of Hesse's poems is beautiful.
El libro incluye un calendario con acuarelas de Hesse, reproducciones de manuscritos y poemas en alemán y español. Dividido por meses, esta lectura lo transporta a uno a una Alemania pintoresca y transmite las sensaciones de cada estación para deleite de todos los sentidos.
*UPDATE*
La frialdad de la civilización es contrastada con la calidez y pureza de la naturaleza. Hesse critica el consumismo, la pérdida de la inocencia, la infelicidad y la desviación de lo que para él es la sabiduría ...more
*UPDATE*
La frialdad de la civilización es contrastada con la calidez y pureza de la naturaleza. Hesse critica el consumismo, la pérdida de la inocencia, la infelicidad y la desviación de lo que para él es la sabiduría ...more
Hesse's power lies undeniably in his philosophical insight, his ability to give complex inner states an objective corollary, he is no Eliot or Auden. That said, the charm here is hearing him approach subjects with a private openness.
Another hugely inspiring writer. This is a beautiful book of poetry.
Feb 23, 2019
John Campbell
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorite-books,
2019
So my life drifts slowly through time
and will wane before long and still reach the placeless space
where the tides of desire rejoin the timeless ocean.
-from "Like A Wave"
Translated poetry (from German to English in this case) always gives cause to raise a brow, but Ludwig Fischer, PhD and professor of German and comparative mythology, seems to have dispelled the claim that "poetry is what gets lost in translation." This is a great collection of work and I feel that Hermann Hesse's voice rings ...more
and will wane before long and still reach the placeless space
where the tides of desire rejoin the timeless ocean.
-from "Like A Wave"
Translated poetry (from German to English in this case) always gives cause to raise a brow, but Ludwig Fischer, PhD and professor of German and comparative mythology, seems to have dispelled the claim that "poetry is what gets lost in translation." This is a great collection of work and I feel that Hermann Hesse's voice rings ...more
I am not an avid reader of poetry, and when I initially started reading this I thought this was a good 101 book since the metaphors and allusions are fairly easy to grasp. But, this book ended up being much more, the words feel like you're outside on a day where the sun is beaming lightly on you and a gentle breeze flows by you. It's cathartic, filled with common sense wisdom we tend to forget. Spiritually a reminder of why we're here, and a contemplative look on how to approach everything. He
...more
'You tell me the seeking of the self is less important than the finding of appropriate social relations, but these are not two different matters, whoever searches for his true Self is at the same time looking for the laws of all life, because the innermost being is the same for all human beings. It's the divine essence, it's the spirit. That's why the Brahmin greets each stranger with 'Tat twam asi' - this is you! '
This book will disturb you a bit in how powerful it is. I've been in some pretty bad moods and it sunk me lower at times (which I find helps distracts me from how I feel). It's also alleviated some of my fears about life while reading it. I wish this wasn't a library book because I think I should re-read this many times.
Nov 14, 2019
Simonetta Scotto
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
simonetta-scotto
Splendido come tutti i libri di Hesse
Every time I read Hesse I wonder why I still haven’t learned German.
Questa è stata una lettura "divertente": il destino ci ha fatti incontrare nello scaffale di booksharing al parco dei cani. E' una lettura lenta, non molto eccitante, ma ci sono alcuni preziosi momenti, descrizioni, parole. E' un libricino e, come suggerisce il titolo, inizia dalla gioventù e finisce con la vecchiaia...Il modo di scrivere di Hesse cambia a seconda della stagione della vita che descrive ed ognuna ha qualcosa da insegnare.
The Seasons of the Soul is a very reflective collection--which is representative of the majority of Hesse's entire corpus. The presentation of this book coordinated by Ludwig Max Fischer framed the reflections and spiritual wisdom fragments of Hesse in an accessible way, particularly with an introduction to each part. The collection is divided in five parts (or seasons): love, inspiration, nature, divine, Life/Time. Part one on love read too much like a Victorian poem which is what kept this
...more
Several of the poems available in this collection are otherwise unavailable in English. The commentary is definitely intended for an audience unfamiliar with Hesse's work as a whole. Which seemed a little odd because Hesse is mainly known as a novelist to English readers, so an English reader buying his poetry is probably a dedicated fan. And I wish that they would include the original text, Hesse was a great master of form, and the literal translations give no indication of it's original
...more
A beautiful collection of poems. The foreword by Andrew Harvey and the translation and commentary by Ludwig Max Fischer are excellent. It is time to revisit some of Herman Hesse's novels. A long time has passed and a lot has happened since secondary school; it will not be the same person doing the reading or the same books being read.
I have always deeply enjoyed Hesse's novels, but this is the first time I've come across his poems. They are stunningly sensitive, beautiful and evocative. I am greatly moved by these songs of the soul.
Since my days as a German literature major, Hesse has been one of my favorite writers He poignantly delves into the psychology of human nature and examines who we are in insightful and meaningful ways.
Excellent
best stuff!
some parts about family touched base
Devoured. Seasons of the soul.... I think Hesse spoke to my soul. Just beautiful.
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Hermann Hesse was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. In 1946, he received the Nobel Prize for Literature. His best known works include Steppenwolf, Siddhartha, and The Glass Bead Game (also known as Magister Ludi) which explore an individual's search for spirituality outside society.
In his time, Hesse was a popular and influential author in the German-speaking world; worldwide fame only ...more
In his time, Hesse was a popular and influential author in the German-speaking world; worldwide fame only ...more
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“From the sacred center of the world streams forth an irrepressible desire to overcome the silence between things. Art, the ever flowing fountain, reveals the secret of life through word and gesture, color and sound. The”
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