"A work of art is only valuable if it arises from necessity" - Rainer Maria Rilke

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This collection brings together works by outstanding female poets who have captured the essence of love in all its facets with their words. It takes us through different times, regions and life experiences, carried by the common intention of sharing the "heaviness" of this feeling with others.  

 

Karoline von Günderrode, expressed an impetuous intensity in her poems that moved between despair, ecstasy and melancholy. Bettina von Arnim portrays love as a transformative force that liberates the individual. Irene Forbes-Mosse left behind a wealth of poems that subtly and powerfully describe this impulse as an endeavour between longing and self-determination. The Victorian era produced two poets, Elizabeth Barrett-Browning and Felicia Hemans, who challenged the social conventions of their time. Their poems are both manifestos of love and committed acts of emancipation, combining their desire for affection with a deep defence against social norms. Hilda Bergmann's verses, on the other hand, are moving thanks to their fine eloquence and poetic subtlety, which simultaneously evoke emotions but also provoke reflection. In their works, Ricarda Huch and Louïze Labé offer readers a contemplative reflection on intimacy and passion based on introspection. In a meticulous self-study, Margarita Gil Roësset explores all levels of inner compassion, from romantic, devoted fervour to painful separation. Finally, Margarete Beutler, with her modern view of the web of relationships, reflects these impressions in a changing world. Her poems are mirror images of today's society.