Goethe's literary essays : A selection in English by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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"Goethe's literary essays: A selection in English" by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is a collection of critical essays written in the late 18th to early 19th century. It gathers Goethe’s reflections on art, literature, and theatre, articulating a comprehensive aesthetics that ranges from architecture and classical sculpture to dramaturgy and criticism itself. The focus is on how beauty, character, form, and style interrelate, with a strong classical sensibility tempered by wide curiosity
and practical judgment. The opening of the collection frames Goethe as a preeminent critic through a chorus of admirers and a foreword by Viscount Haldane, who highlights Goethe’s breadth—from lyric poetry and natural observation to the philosophical reach of Faust—and urges readers to learn from his critical outlook. A detailed contents list maps the scope: theories of art and literature, essays on Shakespeare and other writers, and selected conversations. The first essays then set the program: a passionate defense of “German” architecture via Strasbourg Cathedral against formulaic classicism; an introduction to the Propylæa stressing the need to keep each art true to its own laws; and a searching analysis of the Laocoon that defines the highest aims of sculpture—living form, character, ideality, agreeableness, and beauty—while explaining how the chosen moment and composition temper pathos with harmony. Further pieces unfold as dialogues: a debate pitching “character” against “beauty” in ancient art, a discussion of truth versus plausibility on the stage (especially in opera), and precise definitions of simple imitation, manner, and style, with style crowned as the deepest, most knowing form of art. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749-1832 |
|---|---|
| Author of introduction, etc. | Haldane, R. B. Haldane (Richard Burdon Haldane), Viscount, 1856-1928 |
| Editor | Spingarn, Joel Elias, 1875-1939 |
| LoC No. | 22001472 |
| Title | Goethe's literary essays : A selection in English |
| Original Publication | New York: Harcourt, Brace & Co., 1921. |
| Credits | Carla Foust, Tim Lindell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 55.7 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PT: Language and Literatures: Germanic, Scandinavian, and Icelandic literatures |
| Subject | Literature -- History and criticism |
| Subject | Art |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 76103 |
| Release Date | May 16, 2025 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 1100 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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