A pioneer of Literary Aesthetics?

Humboldtian Writing in the Mirror of Modern Ecopoetics

Authors

  • Markus Alexander Lenz Universität des Saarlandes

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18443/391

Keywords:

Humboldtian Writing, Ecopoetics, Nature Aesthetics, Cartesian Divide, Ecological Consciousness

Abstract

The article examines the extent to which Alexander von Humboldt can be regarded as a pioneer of modern ecopoetry. Humboldt combined scientific-empirical penetration with aesthetically sophisticated verbalization of ecosystems and human-nature relationships, creating unique and literarily refined depictions of nature. Humboldt’s writings show a deep connection with nature that goes beyond mere description, establishing an existential relationship with the world. His approach of aestheticizing nature without instrumentalizing it suggests an alternative both to the Cartesian separation of man and nature and to identitarian concepts of nature localization. Based on this assumption, the article discusses the significance of Humboldt’s work for modern ecopoetry.

Author Biography

Markus Alexander Lenz, Universität des Saarlandes

Markus Alexander Lenz studied in Passau and Milan. After the completion of his dissertation on anthropological discourses in 19th century Italian philology, he worked as a research assistant at the Chair of Romance Literature at the University of Potsdam. Since April 2024, he represents the Chair of Romance and General Literature and Civilization at Saarland University. His publications and research focus on the history of Italian and French philology (particularly in the 19th century), French-speaking Vietnamese literature and contemporary French literature from the point of view of the sociology of literature. Other research focuses on Alexander von Humboldt's work, his American travel diaries and Humboldt's relationship with French literature. His most recent monograph, devoted to narratives of violence in contemporary French literature from 2010 to 2020, was published in 2022. It is entitled Die verletzte Republik. Erzählte Gewalt in der französischen Gegenwartsliteratur (2010-2020). Berlin-Boston: De Gruyter 2022.

Thumbnail Lenz

Downloads

Published

2025-07-23

How to Cite

Lenz, M. A. (2025). A pioneer of Literary Aesthetics? : Humboldtian Writing in the Mirror of Modern Ecopoetics. HiN - Alexander Von Humboldt in the Net. International Review for Humboldt Studies, 26(50), 135–146. https://doi.org/10.18443/391

Issue

Vol. 26 No. 50 (2025)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Markus Alexander Lenz

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

HiN operates under a Creative Commons-Licence (CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits the reproduction of articles, free of charge, for non-commercial use only and with the appropriate citation information. All authors publishing with HiN accept these terms of publication.

Authors retain the copyright for their articles and reviews. Copyright of the layout and design of HiN articles remains with the journal and cannot be used in other publications.