How does Goethe define literature?
Goethe famously stated in letters to Johann Eckermann in 1827, “National literature is now a rather unmeaning term; the epoch of world literature is at hand, and everyone must strive to hasten its approach.” World Literature, in the modern sense, refers to literary works that are translated into multiple languages and …
What were Johann Wolfgang von Goethe beliefs?
Goethe was a freethinker who believed that one could be inwardly Christian without following any of the Christian churches, many of whose central teachings he firmly opposed, sharply distinguishing between Christ and the tenets of Christian theology, and criticizing its history as a “hodgepodge of fallacy and violence” …
What was the relationship between Goethe and Charlotte von Stein?
In 1776, Goethe formed a close relationship to Charlotte von Stein, an older, married woman. The intimate bond with von Stein lasted for ten years, after which Goethe abruptly left for Italy without giving his companion any notice. She was emotionally distraught at the time, but they were eventually reconciled.
What was the name of Goethe’s second novel?
During this period Goethe published his second novel, Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship; the verse epic Hermann and Dorothea, and, in 1808, the first part of his most celebrated drama, Faust.
When did Goethe publish his first collection of poems?
In 1769 Goethe’s first collection of poems was published. At the end of his studies in 1770 Goethe traveled to Strasbourg, where he met Herder. This encounter brought about an inner change for the young writer and determined the subsequent years.
What kind of passions does Goethe have in Faust?
Many of Goethe’s works, especially Faust, the Roman Elegies, and the Venetian Epigrams, depict erotic passions and acts. For instance, in Faust, the first use of Faust’s power after signing a contract with the devil is to seduce a teenage girl.