A Nobel Prize winner in the field of tension between poetry and politics

Abstract

First, this essay outlines the significant development and turning points in Handke’s work. It highlights the theoretical and biographical orientations that allow us to understand the special role of Handke’s work in the context of modernity and postmodernity. Special attention is paid to Handke’s conception of the role of poetry vis-à-vis politics. In the context of the discourse on the wars in the former Yugoslavia, the author adopts a resolute position that confronts him with the opinion of the media. This confrontation culminates on the occasion of the awarding of the Nobel Prize in 2019, which challenges a reaction from Handke that takes up and at the same time condenses many of his previous opinions.