Fragilization of meaning in three poems by Eduard Mörike

Abstract

This article aims to discuss three poems written by Eduard Mörike (1804-1875), German poet and writer: “Ein Stündlein wohl vor Tag”, “In der Frühe”, “Verborgenheit”. The three poems reflect about the fragility of meaning and the way the lyrical I copes with this experience of fragilization. Thus, the management of relationships, the perception of the body, the organization of feelings and the option to compromise turn out to be forms of dialogues and positioning, which partly deconstruct the prevailing meaning and, at the same time, are employed as a means of maintaining a configuration, which the lyrical I can still process. The three poems problematize the process of reality appropriation and the organization of subjective identity in face of the imperative of constant negotiation.