Introduction

Georg Trakl was an Austrian expressionist poet of the 20th century, whose poetic style was mysterious and obscure, and there was insufficient research on the reception of Nietzsche's ideas. The Historical Collation Edition of the Complete Works of Trakl and the Trakl Research Handbook provide new clues and directions for research. Trakl was familiar with Nietzsche's works during his youth, but lost his personal library and could only explore his acceptance of Nietzsche's ideas through poetry interpretation. Trakl's two poetry collections, "Poetry Collection" and "Sebastian in a Dream," include his later mature works, among which the title poems "Sebastian in a Dream" and "The Song of Caspar House" are self portrait poems, possibly related to Nietzsche's "dream" theme. This article will start from Nietzsche's exploration of "dreams", propose a new interpretation method, and demonstrate Trakl's profound reflection on Nietzsche's philosophy.

Nietzsche's' Dream '

Deeply explored Nietzsche's philosophical thinking on the concept of "dream". Firstly, by analyzing the lyrical poet's "dream" in "The Birth of Tragedy," the redemption function and limitations of the Olympic world as a dream are revealed. Nietzsche believed that although Olympian "dreams" can temporarily alleviate individual pain, their effectiveness is not stable. He distinguished between the Apollo elements (moderate, bounded) and the Dionysian elements (excessive, intoxicating) in art, emphasizing that the Dionysian elements limited by the power of Apollo were what Nietzsche advocated. Lyrical poets achieve a balance between Apollo and Dionysus by abandoning subjectivity, thus obtaining a metaphysical comfort that transcends individual existence. However, this comfort is also incomplete.

The 'Dream' of Santrakul

The group poem "Sebastian in a Dream" consists of three poems, using a free rhythm and forming an asymmetric structure through repeated imagery such as "river water", "thrush bird", and "cemetery", exploring the themes of dreams, death, and rebirth. The first poem depicts the lyrical subject sinking in a dream, accompanied by the sound of a bell, implying the passage of time and the reverberations of sound. In the second poem, the transformation and color change of the Nativity image symbolize the transformation of life and the pain and death of martyrs. The third poem symbolizes the boundary of dreams through the "city wall", expressing the poet's questioning of "desire for pleasure" as a hope for redemption. The poet expresses self-identity through the image of Sebastian, blending personal experiences with the stories of martyrs, exploring the pursuit of stillness and facial features, as well as hostility towards dynamic things. The cyclic structure and seasonal changes in poetry reflect the poet's deep understanding of life, death, and existence. The use of Adonis' rhythm calls for the beauty of stillness in form, and creates tension with the decline of life in content. Poetry makes positive value judgments on Christian ethics in its form. The title 'Sebastian in a Dream' implies Sebastian's appearance in a dream, providing readers with a space for mourning and allowing traditional ethical judgments to continue.

Three concluding remarks

Explored Nietzsche's influence on the creative process of lyric poets and how Trakl accepted and reinterpreted this process. Nietzsche believed that lyric poets should showcase the Dionysian spirit through Apollo's dream making techniques, while Trakl viewed Sebastian's martyrdom as a way to enter the depths of dreams and create poetry. Trakl's poetry not only questions the Dionysian spirit, but also emphasizes the importance of individual perspectives. In the face of religious disintegration, Nietzsche criticized Christian ethics, while Trakl affirmed its significance, believing that lyric poets should guide people to value moral ethics. Trakl's poetry reminds people to recognize the limitations of human beings, even though Nietzsche's philosophy provides a perspective beyond traditional values.