Schrift-Oralität: Zur Geschichte von Vers, Zeile und Gedicht

On the one hand, poetry in German today is defined by its typographical shape, an arrangement of lines rather than verses. On the other, poems are marked by special oral character, in silent reading as well as in recitation. In order to highlight the significance of this feature, the essay first draws on the history of reading. Then it focuses on a pivotal development in the eighteenth century - the appearance of Klopstock's early hymns - and its consequences. All poetry, including the line clusters of today, distills a preliterate, oral spirit in writing. That identifies it in a prosaic world. (Verlag, adapt.). (IFS).