What are these 2 sentences trying to say...(especially the second one)?

I will try to help. This page , to me, is stating that Aschenbach claims that in his life and his writings great things can only exist with defiance to the torments of life. poverty,physical frailty, corruption, and pion are torments in life in one form or another. Aschenbach believes that art or artists have the ability through their art to triumph over these torments. hopes this helps