Poetry offers some especial difficulties to beginners. It abounds in contractions, in idiomatic constructions, and in changed or peculiar meanings of words. This is so much the case that we readily recognize a radical difference between the language of prose and poetry. Since much of the charm of poetry lies in its elusiveness, in rhyme and rhythm, and in the mere choice and position of words, translation is necessarily inadequate. Consequently the beginner will get the most enjoyment and profit from German poetry, if he does not take it up until he has some acquaintance with prose and can appreciate in some degree those qualities of poetry which appeal to the German. All of the poetical selections of the Reader are given together, but this arrangement does not necessitate their being read consecutively or in the order in which they are given. EASY POEMS. 5 ΙΟ 15 25. Tragische Geschichte. So denkt er denn2: Wie fang'3 ich's an? Da hat er flink sich umgedreht, Da dreht er schnell sich anders 'rum, Er dreht sich links, er dreht sich rechts, Es thut nichts Gut's, es thut nichts Schlecht's — Der Zopf, der hängt ihm hinten. 25. 1 Adv., not to be confounded with the prep. hinter. 2 In the frequent omission of marks of quotation, the colon will show, as here, that what immediately follows is a quotation. 3 German often uses the pres. indic. where we should expect the fut. indic. or the inf. with wollen or sollen. Translate as the English sense requires. For anfangen, cf. 25, n. 30. Cf. 38, n. 7. 5 Pret., instead of stand. 6 herum. 7 darum, therefore, or for that reason. 4 69 26. Heidenröslein. Sah ein Knab'1 ein Röslein stehn, Knabe sprach: Jch breche dich, Und der wilde Knabe brach 8 Fort is often equivalent to continue to, keep on. turning. Cf. 20, n. 19. 5 Chamisso. Say, keeps on 2 Old dat. sing. 26. 1 Probably youth here, as often in poetry. 3 Subject omitted. 4 Cf. 69, n. 3. 5 Refers to Röslein. 6 Interjection as noun. ΙΟ 15 20 |