In 1878 the Victorian critic Matthew Arnold wrote: 'Goethe is the
greatest poet of modern times... because having a very considerable gift
for poetry, he was at the same time, in the width, depth, and richness
of his criticism of life, by far our greatest modern man.'
In this Very Short Introduction Ritchie Robertson covers the life and
work of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832): scientist,
administrator, artist, art critic and supreme literary writer in a vast
variety of genres. Looking at Goethe's poetry, novels and drama pieces,
as well as his travel writing, autobiography, and essays on art and
aesthetics, Robertson analyses some of the key themes in his works:
love, nature, religion and tragedy. Dispelling the misconception of
Goethe as a sedate Victorian sage, Robertson shows how much of his art
was rooted in turbulent personal conflicts, and draws on recent research
to present a complete portrait of the scientific work and political
activity which accompanied Goethe's writings.
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