Essential German Verb Grammar

Goethe and Faust

In addition to bearing the first figure in history of German literature, Johann Wolfgang Goethe 91749-1832) is also one of the greatest literary figures of all time. What Homer is to the Greeks and Shakespeare is to the English, Goethe is to the Germans. In the standard Weimar edition, his writings comprise 132 volumes, and cover most subjects of contemporary interest. The period of his literary activity lasted some 55 years.

The scope and originality of Goethe's works leave little doubt that he is the central figure in all of German romantic and classical literature. He was born in Frankfurt and received a fine education in the arts as well as languages. He also studied law in Leipzig from 1765-1768. Further law studies took him to Strasbourg in 1770 and 1771. It was there that Goethe met Johann Herder, the philosopher.

Herder deeply impressed young Goethe with his vast understanding of history and nature. He was also opposed to any form of rationalism or artificiality in literature. To his great credit, Herder is believed to have influenced Goethe to such an extent that the latter came to regard sincerity, naturalness, and simplicity as the prime virtues in all of art.

His first important work, Goetz Von Berlichingen, appeared in 1773 and established his literary fame. It was the story of a German robber-knight of the sixteenth century. After that came The Sorrows of Werther, a sentimental romance involving a young man who eventually takes his own life. In 1787 Goethe completed Egmont, a historical play and Tauris, one of the world's best dramatic poems. His works are legion and too numerous and varied to examine here, so let us just look more closely at a piece which encompassed essential German verb grammar, his greatest drama, Faust.

It had been five hundred years since Dante had measured the height of Heaven and the depth of Hell in his masterpiece, The Divine Comedy. Now, Goethe in his Faust, presented to the world his divine comedy in a lasting portrayal of human life, showing to what heights man may rise and to what depths he may fall. The work was begun in 1774. The first part was completed in 1808 but the second part was finished only months before Goethe's death.

The drama is based on the legend of Dr. Faustus, having acquired all knowledge, is still dissatisfied. He appeals to the Devil ( Mephistopheles ) for the ultimate power necessary to experience the very essence of all things including wordly pleasure. Satan promises to deliver, in exchange for the soul of Faust. At the appointed time, Mephistopheles collects his due.

There are many who believe Faust is Goethe himself, a modern man in search of pleasure and of the answer to the riddle of the universe. It might surprise some to learn that Goethe wrote exquisite lyrics. As a poet, he ranks second only to Shakespeare as the inspiration for so many composers. Among those who set his poems to music are Brahms, Mendelssohm, Mozart, Shuber, Wagner, Schumann, Beethoven, and Tchaikowski. Oh I almost forgot to mention Liszt.

Johann Wolfgang Goethe, a German genius of amazing caliber, in the end, came to enlighten and indeed to implant his very German views upon the whole of European thought and culture. He remains to this day, the brightest star, in a constellation of German men of letters.

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