das  Gedicht

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ɡəˈdɪçt/

📜 What exactly is a Gedicht?

The word das Gedicht (noun, neuter) refers to a literary work in verse form, often with a specific rhythm and rhyme scheme. Poems frequently serve to express feelings, thoughts, moods, or to describe events and observations in a condensed, artistic way.

There is only one article for this word: das Gedicht. It is always neuter.

• Example: Goethe's „Erlkönig“ ist ein berühmtes deutsches Gedicht. (Goethe's 'Erlking' is a famous German poem.)

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar in Detail: Declining das Gedicht

'Gedicht' is a neuter noun and is declined accordingly. The plural form is 'die Gedichte'.

💡 Example Sentences

1. Das Gedicht ist sehr emotional. (The poem is very emotional.)
2. Sie liest das Gedicht vor. (She reads the poem aloud.)
3. Ich lausche dem Gedicht aufmerksam. (I listen attentively to the poem.)
4. Der Autor des Gedichts ist unbekannt. (The author of the poem is unknown.)
5. Er schreibt gerne lustige Gedichte. (He likes writing funny poems.)

✍️ How to use Gedicht?

The term das Gedicht is mainly used in the context of literature, art, and education.

• In school: Poems are analyzed and interpreted (Gedichtanalyse). Students often memorize poems (Gedichte auswendig lernen).
• In literature: It denotes a specific literary genre, distinct from prose (e.g., Roman - novel, Kurzgeschichte - short story).
• In everyday life: People talk about favorite poems, perhaps write some themselves for special occasions (birthdays, weddings), or quote famous verses.

Distinction:

• Liedtext (Lyrics): While lyrics can also be in verse form, they are primarily intended to be sung and are part of a musical work. A Gedicht often stands alone as a text.
• Spruch (Saying/Motto): A Spruch is usually shorter, often catchy, and conveys a piece of wisdom or a motto, without necessarily having the artistic aspiration of a Gedicht.

🧠 Mnemonics for das Gedicht

For the article: Think of 'das' as 'that'. That poem seems neu(ter)tral - it doesn't take sides, it's just art. Das Gedicht is neutral -> neuter article das. Also, many German nouns ending in 't' preceded by 'e' and starting with 'Ge-' are neuter (like das Gebet, das Gerät).

For the meaning: A Gedicht often feels quite dicht (dense) with meaning, packing a lot into few words. The syllable 'dicht' (dense/tight) is right there in the word.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for Gedicht

⚠️ Caution: Although 'Liedtext' or 'Songtext' (lyrics) can be similar, they are not direct synonyms as they imply a connection to music.

😄 A Little Joke

Der Lehrer fragt: „Wer kann mir ein kurzes Gedicht aufsagen?“
(The teacher asks: "Who can recite a short poem for me?")

Meldet sich Fritzchen: „Dunkel war’s, der Mond schien helle, als ein Auto blitzeschnelle langsam um die Ecke fuhr. Zack, war’s weg.“
(Little Fritz raises his hand: "It was dark, the moon shone brightly, when a car lightning-fastly slowly drove around the corner. Poof, it was gone.")

Lehrer: „Aber das reimt sich ja gar nicht!“
(Teacher: "But that doesn't rhyme at all!")

Fritzchen: „Ist ja auch kein Gedicht, sondern Prosa!“
(Fritzchen: "Well, it's not a poem, it's prose!")

✒️ A Poem about the Poem

Das Gedicht

Ein Wort, ein Vers, ein leiser Klang,
(A word, a verse, a quiet sound,)
Das Gedicht fängt Herzen bang.
(The poem captures anxious hearts.)
Mal kurz, mal lang, mal tief, mal schlicht,
(Sometimes short, sometimes long, deep, or simple,)
Bringt es Gedanken uns ans Licht.
(It brings thoughts to light for us.)

Mit Rhythmus, Reim und Sprachgewalt,
(With rhythm, rhyme, and linguistic power,)
Macht es die Welt uns neu bemalt.
(It repaints the world for us anew.)
Ein kleines Wunder, zart und dicht,
(A little wonder, tender and dense,)
So ist es, ja, das Kunst-Gesicht.
(So it is, yes, the face of art.)

❓ Little Riddle

Ich habe Verse, doch kein Geld,
(I have verses, but no money,)
Bin oft in Reimen aufgestellt.
(I'm often set up in rhymes.)
Ich spreche laut von Lieb und Leid,
(I speak aloud of love and sorrow,)
In kunstvoller Gebundenheit.
(In artistic constraint/verse.)
Mal kurz, mal lang, mal ernst, mal heiter,
(Sometimes short, long, serious, or cheerful,)
Bin ein literar'scher Wegbegleiter.
(I am a literary companion.)

Was bin ich? (What am I?)

Solution: das Gedicht (the poem)

🤓 More Interesting Facts

Word Origin (Etymology): The word „Gedicht“ derives from Middle High German „geticht(e)“, meaning „poetry, fiction, invention“. It's a collective formation from the verb „dichten“ (Middle High German „tihten“), which originally meant „to compose, write, arrange“ and goes back to the Latin „dictare“ (to say repeatedly, dictate, compose).

Famous German Poets: Germany has a rich tradition of lyric poetry (Lyrik) with many well-known poets (Dichter) such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, Heinrich Heine, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Bertolt Brecht.