Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

A Biography of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was born on the 28th of August, 1749 in the Free Imperial City of Frankfurt, Holy Roman Empire, which today is Frankfurt, Germany. Goethe received private tutoring in various Ancient and Modern languages, religion, history, horse riding, and fencing. Goethe discovered his love for literature and theater at a young age, reading the works of Homer and Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock. In 1765, a young Goethe attended Leipzig University to study law. He spent more time in poetry courses than law courses and began to write poetry, most dedicated to Anna Katharina Schönkopf. His first poetry collection, published anonymously, is titled Annette (1770). Goethe never completed his law degree and returned to Frankfurt in 1768, where he remained recovering from illness for nearly a year.

Fig. 1 - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German philosopher, writer, and scholar.

Goethe enrolled at the University of Strasbourg to complete his degree in 1770. There, Goethe was exposed to many works of literature, including Shakespeare. He continued writing during this time. After completing his degree, Goethe returned to Frankfurt in 1771 to open a legal practice, which did not remain open for long as Goethe was not a skilled lawyer. Goethe attempted to practice law once more in 1772. During his law practice, Goethe managed to find time to write, composing Götz von Berlichingen (1773), a tragedy.

However, it would be a novel that would bring Goethe international recognition. Goethe published a novel in 1774 titled The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774) that made him famous. In 1775, the future Grand Duke, Karl August, invited Goethe to live in Weimar, and soon the two became close friends. Goethe worked in the court of the Duke and was even assigned to the War Commission of the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar and Commissions of Mines and Highways. In 1782, Goethe was made chancellor of the duchy's Exchequer, which was a role he held on to for 2 years.

In 1786, Goethe left for Italy for two years. There he was exposed to classic literature and art through the works of Johann Joachim Winckelmann and became friends with artists, such as Angelica Kauffman. Goethe documented his journey in the form of a non-fiction diary, published as Italian Journey (1816). When Goethe returned to Weimar, he fought in the Battle of Valmy and the Siege of Mainz as a military observer in 1792. Goethe would later write about these battles.

Fig. 2 - Goethe was greatly inspired by his trip to Italy.

After 1793, writing became Goethe's main focus. Between 1793 and his death in 1832, Goethe produced a majority of his major works. In 1794, Goethe wrote his second novel, Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (1795–6), and many dramas such as Iphigenie auf Tauris (1794) and Torquato Tasso (1794). Goethe also began writing Wilhelm Meister's Journeyman Years (1821), the sequel to Wilhelm Mister's Apprenticeship, around this time as well. Goethe published his famous play, Faust in two parts, first in 1808 and then in 1832. He also wrote the novel, Elective Affinities (1809), and a poetry collection, Eastern-Western Diwan (1819). In 1821, Goethe had an affair with a 17-year-old girl named Ulrike von Levetzow, who inspired his poem "Marienbad Elegy" (1823).

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe died in 1832 due to heart failure and is now buried in the Ducal Vault in the Historical Cemetery of Weimar. Goethe's work became highly influential in the fields of philosophy and literature. Some notable writers influenced by Goethe include the philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, and the psychoanalyst Carl Jung.

Novels and Plays by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a prolific writer, producing countless novels, plays, and other literary works. Goethe is credited with greatly contributing to the literary movement known as Sturm and Drang.

Let's take a closer look at a few of Goethe's most famous novels and plays.

The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774)

The Sorrows of Young Werther is a novel written by Goethe in epistolary form.

The novel follows the young Werther who is hopelessly in love with Charlotte. Charlotte, however, is engaged to Albert. Werther does his best to become close to Albert and Charlotte, but the sorrow becomes too much for him and he leaves the fictional town of Wahlheim. The story is told through a series of letters from Werther to his friend, Wilhelm. The novel contains themes such as the power of emotion over reason, social class, and unrequited love.

Fig. 3 - The Sorrows of Young Werther is an epistolary novel.

The novel fits into the Sturm and Drang movement with its focus on the emotions and feelings of an individual battling with nature. It is said to be based on Goethe's unrequited love for the engaged Charlotte Buff, in his youth.

Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (1795-6)

Wilhelm's Meister's Apprenticeship centers on Wilhelm, a young man who wishes to separate himself from the growing middle class. To accomplish this, he leaves his job and joins a theater where he is initiated into the Tower Society. Throughout the novel, German values and attitudes are juxtaposed against those of Shakespearean characters. The novel contains themes related to an individual's journey to intellectual self-development as one moves from childhood to adulthood. The novel was inspired by Goethe's introduction to Shakespeare while at the University of Strasbourg.

Faust (1808)

Faust is an epic play written in the form of an epic poem.

Faust has been adapted into many musicals and films such as La Beaute du Diable (1950), Mephisto (1981), and the musical Doktor Faust (1925).

Poems by Johann Wolfgang von Goeth

Johan Wolfgang von Goethe wrote many poems over his lifetime. His first collection of poems was titled Annette and was written in the Rococo style, and his second collection of poems was the Leipzig Songbook (1768).

After traveling to Italy in 1786, Goethe was inspired to write a poetry collection titled, Roman Elegies (1795). Furthermore, during the French attacks on Prussia, Goethe was inspired to write the epic poem, Hermann and Dorothea (1782). Goethe was often inspired to write poetry based on the happenings in the world around him and his exposure to new ideas and philosophies. Let's take a closer look at one of his poems.

"I" from Roman Elegies (1795)

Roman Elegies, also known as Erotica Romana, is a series of 24 poems that were dedicated to Goethe's mistress, and later wife, Christiane Vulpius.

Fig. 4 - Roman Elegies was inspired by Classical art and literature.

In the first poem of Roman Elegies, the tending of a garden is used as a metaphor for the speaker's love for his mistress. The inspiration Goethe found in Classical literature and art can be seen in his discussion of muses in the second line. The muses were mythological beings that represented different fields of art. These poems represent a shift in Goethe's writing style as they reveal his passion for both Classical art and literature but also his deep passion for Christiane Vulpius.

The Writing Style of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Johan Wolfgang von Goethe's writing style displays his awareness of his surroundings but also his deep philosophical understanding of his surroundings. Goethe's writing belongs to the Pre-Romantic literary movement known as Sturm and Drang, which rebelled against the conventional writing movements of the day and placed emphasis on the emotions and feelings of an individual. Goethe's philosophical beliefs that saw a balance between passion and moderation finds itself in his writing, which was partly inspired by the philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

His works often focus on the emotional aspect of his characters' lives and show that sometimes emotions are stronger than reason.

Goethe's writing style is also influenced by the Herdian philosophical belief that language is naturalistic and creatively impulsive therefore when writing, the words of Goethe feel natural and free-flowing, even if they are methodically planned. Goethe's language feels sensual and passionate, and in the original German, never contains words with too many syllables. This creates an intuitive, engaging style of writing.

Here is a short example of Goethe's writing style. The sentence holds a somber tone as Werther laments over the fact that human beings have no meaning unless they can love. This shows Goethe's tendency to express the intense emotions of his characters. The language he uses contains words with short syllables and contain a toned-down sense of passion that makes the character feel like he only holds value if he is sharing his love.

Quotes by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Johan Wolfgang von Goethe can be a difficult writer to understand, therefore these few quotes with explanations might clarify Goethe's literary works.

In this poem, Goethe justifies his passionate love and desire for his mistress by drawing comparisons to the Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Rome. If the Gods and Goddesses could follow their passions and indulge in them, then why couldn't Goethe? Goethe writes in a style that imitates Italian Verse, which sees unrhymed lines and commonly uses hendecasyllabic meter.

This poem also contains a literary allusion to the story of Aphrodite and Anchises, in which Aphrodite was made to fall madly in love with Anchises by Zeus. Aphrodite first sees Anchises on Mount Ida. This allusion is to show the uncontrollable desire the speaker feels for the mistress and emphasizes the passionate tone of the poem.

In this quote from The Sorrows of Young Werther, Werther had just committed suicide. Here his friend is showing the devastation he feels at Werther's death which was caused by an overwhelming love for a woman he could never have. Here, Goethe shows his philosophical belief that if an emotion becomes extreme, then it becomes a danger to the person. That being the case, too much reason can also be dangerous. Therefore, Goethe advocates for a balance between emotion and reason to avoid endings such as Werther's.

This speech by Dr. Faust from Goethe's Faust is a pivotal point in the play. Dr. Faust is about to drink poison and commit suicide. Dr. Faust is so far into his despair that the religious notions of heaven and hell become utterly meaningless to him. Dr. Faust does not realize that Mephistopheles and the Lord placed a bet on him, and right as Dr. Faust is about to drink the poison, a chorus of angels stops him. Dr. Faust is in an incredibly vulnerable position emotionally, which Mephistopheles takes to his advantage. The play is written in the form of an epic poem, and here Dr. Faust, the epic's hero, has reached the "pit of despair" on his heroic journey.