How to...
Autor: life-says-hello
I guess you have already supposed so by the blog's title. So let's not waste time and start right away.
The given drawing by life-says-hello was drawn in the year of 2011. It has been taken from the artists personal data. Showing a rather young man underneath the title "Kleist", written in capital letters, it reads: "I am so emo..." and "...one can never be understood". The young man is displayed as a half profile but his face is clearly visible to the observer. Tears run down his cheeks and his eyes are closed. In contrast to his short, light hair his clothes are rather dark shaded. He holds a blue flower in his left hand. Meanwhile the rest of the cariciture is drawn in black. The paper itself is yellow and seems to be a post-it stuck to a pink folder. Through the folder a book is visible of which's title one can only read "Marquise von O".
The young man shown resembles to a portait of Heinrich von Kleist drawn by his fiancee Wilhelmine von Zenge. This plus the title "Kleist" clearly suggest that the illustrated man is Heinrich von Kleist author of "Die Marquise von O" which would explain the book in the back ground too. By the way Kleist almost dramaticaly closes his eyes and cries it can be stated that the illustrator wanted to show Kleists depressive side in an ironic way. This is underlined by the sarcastic undertone of the words Kleists says. The word "emo" nowadays is connoted with somebody extremly sad and sensetive, feeling pitiful for onesself and concentrating on this pain all the time. This connotations derive from common prejeduces against a subculture called "Emo" and are not necessarily true.
The other part of Kleists text has some paralles with what Kleist has written in his letters. He was by all matters sure that a human would never be able to make another understand its deepest feelings since words were no adequate medium to transmit what is inside ones heart. Despite this Kleist often referred to how much this would torture him and tried to explain his emotions.
So this combination given is probably meant to criticize Kleist's character or behavior by mixing Kleist's actual opinions with a modern, often negative connoted adjective.
Furthermore the flower Kleist is holding is likley to present a literal epoch since "the blue flower" was a widespread symbol in the romantic period. Although officially Kleist is not to be put into one specific literal direction the illustrator seems to think Kleist would fit this epoch best. In addition to this the blue flower was a symbol for everything good but unreachable. Given this aspect the flower Kleist is presenting can as well be understood as the reason for his sadness what would be all his unfulfilled desires.
In my opinion the caricature is of rather simple nature and not much depth. Even though it might be understood easily and therefore might be good for a quick laugh or - if one does not share the artist's humor or opinion - a short shake of ones head, it will not stay in one's mind for long, I presume. As a conclusion I believe this illustration to be good for private purposes, such as practicing interpretions or making german studies more entertaining, but not intelligent enough to serve as a general critic on Kleist.
Okay, this shall be enough for today.^^ Actually I drew this because I was not willing to start my english practise another day.>D"
Goodnight to all of you.^^
