An Den Tod - Set by Franz Schubert (1797-1828), Text by Christian Schubart (1739-1791)

Following the idea that romantic music was generally either about nature, death, or love, An Den Tod fulfills two of the three categories. While primarily a song about death and the release that it brings, it uses the metaphor of the flower to illustrate untimely demise, which is ultimately a good illustration for Schubert’s life, owing to the fact that he died at the relatively young age of 31.

An Den Tod talks of Death as the swinging scythe that flashes, and the narrator begging Death to be merciful on this flower that has just found life. However, as perhaps an illustration of life, the second half of the strophic piece is simply a question of when Death will come release the narrator from the world they are trapped in. This could be a direct metaphor for Schubert’s own life, as his last years were plagued with syphilis, and the release of death is often preferential to the trials that the most unfortunate go through.

Hanning, B. R. (2010). Concise history of western music: Based on J. Peter Burkholder, Donald J. Grout, and Claude V. Palisca, a history of Western music, Eighth Edition. Norton. Page 414