The interpretation hypothesis is usually encountered in the German language of the upper level, and is a part of poetic analysis and interpretation. In the interpretation hypothesis, we sketch in a few sentences what the basic statement of a text might be. This interpretation hypothesis, however, does not have to be correct and is merely our presumption. We can also contradict it, and expand and alter it following the poetic analysis.
The interpretation hypothesis is intended to provide an entry into the analysis and to bundle our first thoughts after reading. It thus serves to give the reader a direction, which we would like to examine at all, and can serve as an intellectual support during the interpretation and analysis. It thus describes what the text basically wants from the reader.
In interpretation hypothesis, therefore, we make a presumption of what the core statement of the poem might be, without proving or proving this assumption. This is, incidentally, the most important difference between (hypothesis) and hypothesis.
Tip: The word “hypothesis” derives from the Latin “hypothesis” and means “subordination”. In this context, we therefore subordinate a text, which is one way or another. The hypothesis is therefore only a presumption, which we consider to be correct. For this, the hypothesis need no proof, but is only the preliminary stage of a later theory and can, of course, be rejected.
Interpret hypothesis
Now we could ask ourselves how much a text can at all want something from the reader and how we should work out this statement in order to create a meaningful entry.
In German teaching or in science, therefore, one does not speak of what the text wants or the author wants to say to us with his work, but by the intention of a text. And it is precisely this intention that we try to dress in words. What does the work have to do? What questions does it raise? What is the meaning of the whole? Or quite sloppy: What does the text want from me?
You will notice that these questions can only be guessing before we have checked you. This is why we also speak of interpretation hypothesis.
Let us take an example of the first stanza of the poem “The Postillon” by the writer Nikolaus Lenau from the 19th century. At the beginning,
The Maiennacht was lovely,
The silver-
Whether the beautiful spring splendor
Joyfully drawn.
For clarity, we would like to offer you two interpretative hypotheses. Once outgoing that Lenau’s poem consisted of this one verse, it might be the following.
Interpretation hypothesis: “Weather report”
“The poem” The Postillion “stylizes a prediction that has the mild spring weather as its content and refers to the approaching and life-giving summer weather. This liveliness is characterized by the accumulation of personifications. ”
Interpretation hypothesis: “eroticism”
“The poem” The Postillion “points to the burgeoning desire in puberty, which is evident through numerous spring metaphors, which are directly connected with lustful adjectives (drawn, joyous, holden).” → Examples of the metaphor
Farblegende: Weather Metaphorics Adjectives of erotic attraction
It is important that both hypotheses are possible. Because that is exactly what matters: what we suspect, the text wants to convey to us. The most important thing is that we must justify it in the following poem analysis. There is therefore no correct interpretation, but usually several levels of interpretation that a text can have.
Interpretation hypothesis, analysis, interpretation
However, the extent to which the various parts of the literary text work are now interrelated is questionable. Since the transition is fluid, it makes sense to make this clear.
Interpretation hypothesis: Is before the actual investigation and represents only our presumption, before we have edited the text in detail and examined. This can be confirmed or dissolved in air at the end of the examination. We call the result at the end of the investigation.
Poetry Analysis: Takes the poem apart from each other and functionalizes the individual components. The measure, the stylistic means and the rhyme scheme are taken under the knife.
Poetry Interpretation: Try to interpret the individual components and bring them into a superordinate context. What are the results of the previous analysis?
The most important overview
Interpretation hypothesis is our presumption of the intention of the work. This means that it is written in our own words and shows what we basically “believe”
However, it does not have to be proven by evidence and can also be completely “wrong”. This is not a problem.
In principle, it should consist of a few sentences, which are clearly and precisely formulated and between the introduction and the main part of the analysis.
in the conclusion of our work, we must point out whether our interpretative hypothesis has been confirmed or not. If we have gotten away from this, we must clearly state this. Even if it has been confirmed.
