An Elucidation of the Citation from Hölderlin’s Poem “The Journey” in Heidegger’s Essay “The Origin of the Work of Art”

Abstract

At the end of his essay “The Origin of the Work of Art,” Heidegger quotes a verse from Hölderlin’s poem “The Journey (in German: Die Wanderung).” The verse reads as follows: “Reluctant to leave the place / Is that which dwells near the origin. (Schwer verläßt / Was nahe dem Ursprung wohnet, den Ort.)” For the elucidation of its meaning, the poem itself as well as Heidegger’s lecture Hölderlin’s Hymn “Remembrance” are investigated, because the same verse is cited in the lecture. This investigation will reveal the reason why it is difficult to leave art as an origin. © 2023 Choong-Su Han