«Maria musste nach Rom ziehen, um diese Gedichte schreiben zu können». Bachmanns Re-Inszenierung ihrer Poetik auf klassischem Boden

Abstract

Inspired by Thomas Berhard’s novel Auslöschung, this essay explores the literary legacy of Goethe in Bachmann’s Italian poems. The analysis focuses on the Lieder von einer Insel and locates its strength in three distinctive aspects of the collection: first, Bachmann’s criticism of culture, which was stimulated by the Frankfurt School; secondly, the autobiographical aspects related to Bachmann’s friendship with H.W. Henze; thirdly, the specificity of female writing taking its particular form from a confrontation with Italian culture.