Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is widely considered the most important German writer, but that would truly belittle the span of his work. In fact, Goethe dabbled in poetry, drama, literature, theology and philosophy on a global stage, taking a great interest in world literature and culture. For that reason, he is a worldy figure, not simply a German one. Today Goethe is best remembered for his magnum opus Faust, but The Sorrows of Young Werther practically put Weimar on the map. The semi-autobiographical tale made Goethe an ...
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Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is widely considered the most important German writer, but that would truly belittle the span of his work. In fact, Goethe dabbled in poetry, drama, literature, theology and philosophy on a global stage, taking a great interest in world literature and culture. For that reason, he is a worldy figure, not simply a German one. Today Goethe is best remembered for his magnum opus Faust, but The Sorrows of Young Werther practically put Weimar on the map. The semi-autobiographical tale made Goethe an international literary celebrity and is credited with help ushering in the Romantic movement in literature. The novel is written as a series of letters from Werther to a friend, telling of unrequited love that mirrored Goethe's own love for a young lady named Charlotte Buff. This fact embarrassed Goethe in later years.
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