GEORGE, Stefan (STEPHAN ANTON GEORGE), German poet: b. near Bingen on the Rhine, 12 July 1868, is the accepted head of a group of young poets who attempted to estab lish a school of new lyricism which should con sciously, almost polemically, break with the old traditions, especially of artificial popular poetry, of naturalism and of the reigning sym bolism. George could not create new meters, nor new rhymes, but his independent use of these and his originality are always in evidence. He is seldom reminiscent and never an imitator.
A selection of his earliest poems, treating in fairly original, carefully polished form the com mon subjects of love and loss, fate, spring, home, faith, the transience of things, is now accessible in 'Die Fibel' ((The Primer,' 1901). Of greater power and intensity of feeling are the 'Hymns, Pilgrimages, (' Hymnen Pilgerfahrten Algabal)) with their °pilgrimage") toward artistic perfection, reveal ing hopes, fears, disappointments and dis couragement. The lyric story of the Syro Roman Imperial degenerate Elgabolus, with its mixture of Oriental splendor and Roman tyranny, crazyjumble of mad religious super stitions, of sloth, crimes, suicidal impulse, love of life, lusts, pleasures, and the Imperial realiza tion of the vanity of life, has even been taken to symbolize the history of that lyric poetry with which the new school are done. This (nightmare," which George seems to call it in the last poem of the book, has probably more admirers than any of his other works.
This zstheticpilgrimage is continued in the 'Books of the Shepherds and of the Eulogies, of Sagas and Songs of the Hanging Gardens> (Die Bucher der Hirten und Preisgedichte, Der Sagen und Singe und der hi ngenden Girten) (1895) which pass in review primitive, Hellenic, mediaeval and modern man. 'The Year of the Soul) ('Das Jahr der Seele,) 1898) treats the relations of man and woman with the seasons as a background, excepting spring, as if Heine and other poets had exhausted that field. In 'The Carpet of Life and the Songs of Dream and Death' C Der Teppich des Lcbens und Die Lieder von Traum und Tod mit einem Vor spiel) ) the poet's plays a role like that of Virgil and Beatrice to Dante.
The 'Seventh Ring) ('Der siebente Ring') contains many poemspassed over in other volumes, and good odes. Stern des Bundes> (1913) was the last impoftant work before the European War of which it was curiously prophetic. Finally, George's transla tions (Ubertragungen) of his spiritual kin Rossetti, Swinburne, Verhaeren, Verlaine, Mal lame, D'Annunzio and others are excellent. Consult Goldschmidt, K. W., in Literarische Echo (1905-06); Meyer, R. M., in Deutsche Literatur des XIX Iahrh.; Zwymann, Kuno, 'Das Georgesche Gedicht> (2d ed., Berlin 1904).