Johannes Robert Becher's Verfall und Triumph, Erster Teil: Gedichte is a collection that reads like a seismic event recorded in verse. Published in 1924, it captures the poet's turbulent inner world during and after World War I, a period of profound collapse and searching in Germany.

The Story

There isn't a plot in the traditional sense, but there is a powerful emotional arc. The book is divided into two battling halves. The first, 'Verfall' (Decay), is a nightmare gallery. Becher paints the modern city as a diseased body, filled with grotesque imagery of factories, prostitution, and spiritual emptiness. He doesn't just describe sadness; he shows a world actively rotting. Then, in 'Triumph' (Triumph), the tone violently shifts. Here, Becher grasps for an answer. He turns toward revolutionary fervor, seeing in communism and collective action the only possible cure for the decay he's diagnosed. The 'story' is this jarring journey from utter despair to a fierce, almost fanatical, commitment to a new future.

Why You Should Read It

This book is a shock to the system. Forget pretty, polished verses. Becher's language is explosive, sometimes messy, and always urgent. You feel his panic and his passion in equal measure. What hooked me was the sheer honesty of the conflict. He isn't a distant observer commenting on society's problems; he is the problem, and he is trying to claw his way out. Reading it is like holding a live wire from history—you get the raw voltage of an era defined by lost wars, failed revolutions, and the desperate need to believe in something, anything, new.

Final Verdict

This is not casual bedtime reading. It's for readers who want to feel history rather than just learn about it. Perfect for anyone interested in the Weimar Republic, expressionist art, or the psychology of radical change. If you've ever wondered how a person goes from seeing the world as a ruin to dedicating their life to rebuilding it (as Becher later did in East Germany), this collection is the essential, turbulent starting point. Approach it ready for intensity, not comfort.