Alter Meister blickt in den Alten Orient: Peter Huchels Gedicht Pfeilspitze des Ada

Abstract

The paper explains the meaning of the title of a one of Huchel's last poems ("The ninth hour"), which has remained enigmatic to this day. The title – "Pfeilspitze des Ada" – points to one of the oldest archeological finds with alphabetical scripts known. This early alphabet, conceived by the Phoenicians, was adapted (and slightly revised) by the Ancient Greeks and therefore foreshadows our alphabet. In this intricate manner Huchels poem refers to the prints of our culture.

Furthermore the paper discusses the complex relation between the poem and its title. It is a fine example of Huchel's subtle technique of naming his poems. His titles are rarely just a brief summary of the contents of a poem.

Then the paper argues that Huchel's sense of the deeper meaning of "script" and the concept of reading history (or the relics of history) as a "script" goes back to the time he spent in Berlin in the twenties in the circle of the Jewish prophetical, cabalistically inspired mystic Oscar Goldberg.

Finally, the author shows how we can read the concluding metaphor of the poem without exterior information. Huchels metaphors are not, as is often maintained, dark and elliptic. They are products of a complex but lucid visual and rhythmic imagination.