Georg Trakl

Georg Trakl was born February 1887 to Tobias Trakl and Maria Catharina Halik in Salzburg, Austria. He was the youngest of 13 siblings, but he was especially close with his sister named Grete Trakl, who was a musical prodigy and often inspired him in his own arts. His mother, being a drug-addict, hired a private tutor for her children in their younger years to avoid teaching them herself as a housewife would typically be expected to during this time. Because of this tutor, Georg was taught much about French language and literature, like contributing to his writing of poetry which began at age 13. Georg’s younger life was rooted in religion, as he attended a Catholic elementary school and both his parents considered themselves Protestant. 

Shortly after beginning high school, Trakl dropped out to assist a pharmacist- this began his addiction to morphine and cocaine, as it was easily obtained through his practices. In 1908, George attended pharmacy schooling at the University of Vienna, where he made connections with some local artists and ended up publishing some of his poetry. Right before he had obtained his official pharmacist certificate, he was sent a letter informing him of his father’s death and quickly joined the army. Although his commitment was only a year, he re-enlisted to be a pharmacist in Innsbruck, Austria, where he ultimately met Ludwig von Ficker in 1912. Ficker was an editor of a journal entitled Der Brenner and often published and printed Georg’s collections of poetry. 

Trakl was then placed into the Austro-Hungarian Army as a combat medic where he wrote Ficker about strong depressive feelings and suicidal thoughts in relation to the stress of the war. In the Battle of Gródek, he was given authority over 90 casualties by himself and attempted suicide, but was stopped by his fellow recruits and hospitalized. Georg continued communication with Ficker up until his cocaine overdose in a hospital in Kraków, Poland in 1914. He is now buried in Innsbruck, next to Ficker. 

 

His Poetry 

Georg Trekl’s poetry is associated with various artistic movements and set a strong tone of darkness and introspection that became a strong influence on German expressionism. His poetry is often described as “dreamlike” with a “powerful visualization” that included perverse and violent themes. He often wrote in allusion to his sister, who he romanticized and sexualized, even hinting at an insectual relationship with her. Critics tend to agree that his poetry within the last two years of his life were the most profound, as it “universalized his existential vision” and included more themes of mythicism. Some analyses of his poetry have suggested that his poetry became more “fragmented” and “disjointed”, even “schizophrenic”, but are held together by the raw emotion which “form the poet’s protest against the corrupt, fallen condition of humankind” (Poetry Foundation, 2020). 

 

“At evening the autumn woodlands ring

With deadly weapons. Over the golden plains

And lakes of blue, the sun

More darkly rolls. The night surrounds

Warriors dying and the wild lament

Of their fragmented mouths.

Yet silently there gather in the willow combe

Red clouds inhabited by an angry god,

Shed blood, and the chill of the moon.

All roads lead to black decay.

Under golden branching of the night and stars

A sister’s shadow sways through the still grove

To greet the heroes’ spirits, the bloodied heads.

And softly in the reeds Autumn’s dark flutes resound.

O prouder mourning! – You brazen altars,

The spirit’s hot flame is fed now by a tremendous pain:

The grandsons, unborn.”

 

Georg Trakl

 

“Georg Trakl.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/Georg-Trakl. Assessed 25 Jan 2022.

“Georg Trakl.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/georg-trakl. Assessed 25 Jan 2022.

“Poetry of Georg Trakl.” My Poetic Side, https://mypoeticside.com/poets/georg-trakl-poems. Assessed 25 Jan 2022.

Schmitt, Werner. “Trakl Tobias.” Literaturnische, https://www.literaturnische.de/Trakl/english/material/vater-e.htm. Assessed 31 Jan 2022.