In the new song, the poet expounded his creative intention: when the poet set foot in his native land and heard the girl playing the harp playing the ancient "Sleeping Sleeping Song" and "Lullaby", he felt that these cliches were out of tune with his thoughts and feelings. Then, the poet immediately sang a new song, expressing the ideal of establishing a "heaven" on earth. The whole poem is roughly divided into four aspects:
First of all, the irony is the censorship in Germany. As soon as the poet entered the country, he was strictly inspected by the tax customs. This kind of inspection implies that Germany tried its best to ban foreign progressive ideas at that time. In the poet's view, this censorship system that blocks new ideas is both vicious and pitifully stupid. He said sarcastically, "Poor bastard! You searched your luggage? Nothing can be found there! The contraband I smuggled from my trip is only hidden in my mind. " Several poems vividly depict the stupidity of rulers and their minions, and at the same time expose the fear of progressive ideas in German feudal system.
Second, hatred of German feudalism. The poet came to Aachen and saw an eagle symbolizing Prussian rule on the signboard of the post office. The eagle bared its teeth and looked down at the poet. In an instant, the poet's heart was full of hatred for it, and then he cursed and mocked this "ugly and fierce bird" angrily. After Paderboth, the poet recalled the legend of the Red Beard Emperor told by the old nanny. So the poet came to the red beard emperor in his dream. The emperor is not as majestic as the legend. He is old, frail and faltering. The poet told the French Revolution to the former monarch who had "never heard of world news" after18th century. The emperor flew into a rage, saying that these acts violated etiquette and accused the poet of treason. The poet is also extremely angry: "People in the Republic of China will laugh at us and give us embarrassing ridicule. If they see the ghost of your king and crown, they will become our leaders. " Finally, he shouted angrily, "You are just an ancient miracle. Go to sleep, without you, we will save ourselves, because we don't need an emperor at all. " This is not only a mockery of the red beard emperor, but also a criticism of the German feudal system at that time. At the same time, it expresses the poet's yearning for French style and system.
Third, the criticism of the Christian church. The poet came to Cologne on the Rhine and visited the city in the dim night. When inspecting the "gloomy and towering" Cologne Cathedral, he called this cathedral, which was regarded as their "sacred" symbol by the church forces and painstakingly managed for 300 years, the "spiritual Bastille" that ruled Germany: "It stands tall and dark as the devil. This is Cologne Cathedral. This is the Bastille mental prison. The cunning papal supremacist thinks like this:' With such a huge prison, Germany's rationality will decline!' . However, Luther came and shouted, "Stop!" From that day on, the construction of the cathedral was suspended. "Now, the church rogues are trying to continue to build the building interrupted by Martin Luther and" complete this autocratic castle ". The poet warned that this attempt is a foolish delusion, because in the near future, people will not only not finish it, but also regard the interior of the church as a stable. How bold and explicit is this ridicule?
Fourth, the prediction of social revolution. In the dark and ugly reality, the poet foresaw the signs of the Great Revolution. In Hamburg, the final destination of this trip, the poet met Han Mogna, the guardian goddess of bourgeois vulgar social reality. The poet described his long exile in Paris and his nostalgia for his motherland. Hamogna used sweet words to persuade the poet to stay in Germany. She said that in today's Germany, people enjoy freedom of thought, only those who write and print books are restricted, and there is no autocratic behavior. Even the worst instigators can only be deprived of their citizenship through the courts. No one in prison died of hunger ... but the reality is just the opposite. She opened Germany's "Book of Destiny" and let the poet see Germany's "future era" from her magic mirror. So the poet smelled the future of Germany from the round hole under her chair: the stench of cooking like rotten cabbage and rotten cowhide. He felt as if someone was sweeping feces into 36 cesspits. This is the future of the 36 feudal vassal States of the German Federation. The poet believes that only a vigorous social revolution can have a brand-new and dynamic Germany.
This long poem symbolizes the lifeless Germany in winter. Through fairy-tale fantasy, it satirizes the old German system and all unreasonable phenomena, points directly at the reactionary regime in Prussia, the so-called anti-government liberals and the vulgar bourgeoisie, and expresses the poet's hope and confidence in the future. Exaggerated satire, bizarre metaphor, folklore and personal fantasy reflect Heine's unique artistic style.