David und die Dichter
David and the Poet

Summary/Abstract: The Bible portrays David as a poet. Many poets after David took reference with him. Some of them unfolded his dirges on Saul and Jonathan and Abener (Petrus Abaelardus, Rainer Maria Rilke) or invented cantos which he should have sung in order to cure the insane Saul (Händel, Rilke). Others wrote in poetic licence and without biblical support songs over him: in antique times the authors of his „Last words“ (2Sam 23,2–7), of the 151. Psalm, and of the concerning part in the „Hymn on the fathers“ (Sir 47,2–13), in modern times renowned poets from Matthias Claudius and Gottfried Keller to Else Lasker-Schüler and Kurt Oskar Buchner; cited in this contribution are less observed poems of Jewish writers : Frank Wedekind, Yehuda Amichai, and Leonard Cohen. „It is astonishing which influence and power the figure of David unfolded in the world’s poetry over the ages.“

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