God's Sorely Tested Child

Though the name of Annette von Droste-Hülshoff was little known during her lifetime, she is now recognised, more than 160 years after her death, as a significant German poet. Her work is linguistically challenging and her imagery taxing, but a study of it can prove richly rewarding. This book aims to open up this opportunity to English-speaking readers. Conscious that it would be both difficult and inappropriate to attempt to separate Droste-Hülshoff's work from the woman, her life and the religious climate in which she lived, Marion Tymms, a scholar of German literature for more than half a century, has written God's sorely-tested child to offer new insight into the author's life and work, focusing on her poetic cycle Das Geistliche Jahr (The Spiritual Year) and presenting a complete translation of it.