Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein. Goethe in the Roman Campagna. 1787/Wikimedia Commons
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) epitomizes the German dedication to excellence. He was the greatest of poets, a playwright, a scholar-encyclopedist, a statesman, and a theatrical director, among other roles. The title ‘Your Excellency’ was not enough to contain the vastness of his genius. His mastery over various subjects extended far beyond his formal title and position, from acting to mineralogy, from poetry to color theory. As Sergei Averintsev wrote,i
Sergei Averintsev (1937–2004) was a leading Soviet and Russian philologist, biblical scholar, and cultural historian Goethe represents the culmination of a cycle that began with the Greek sophists and rhetoricians and continued through Cicero, the scholars of the Middle Ages, Renaissance humanists, Baroque writers, and Classicists.
On a Desirable Daily Routine
Every day, we should hear at least one little song, read one good poem, see one exquisite picture, and, if possible, speak a few sensible words in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Study Room in Weimar/Wikimedia Commons
On Talent
Being gifted is not enough; to acquire wisdom much more is needed: for example, living in absolute prosperity, having the foresight to glance into the cards of those who are playing a major game in your era, and being prepared for both significant success and corresponding failure.
Goethe. Neapolitan coast/Wikimedia Commons
On the Opposition
Regarding all these opposition figures who focus solely on denial and aim to dismantle everything that is established, one should treat them as one would treat those who deny any form of forward movement: calmly walk back and forth before their eyes.
On Humor
Humor is one of the elements of genius—admirable as an adjunct, but as soon as it becomes dominant, only a surrogate for genius. It has a singular ability to accompany the decline of art, where it is more prone to destroy than to aid, and in the end, it will annihilate it altogether.
On Publications
He who does not expect a million readers should not write a line.
On Women
Women are like silver bowls that we fill with golden apples ... I manage to portray female characters, although they are all better than the women we meet in reality.
Sleeping Corona Schröter drawing by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. 1777/Wikimedia Commons
On Good Wine
Life is too short to drink bad wine.
On Freedom
Freedom consists not in refusing to recognize anything above us but in respecting something that is above us, for by respecting it, we raise ourselves to it and, by our very acknowledgment, prove that we bear within ourselves that which is higher and are worthy to be on a level with it.
On Monuments
For one who, like me, lives through ages, it seems strange to listen to discussions about statues and monuments. As soon as I think of a monument to some outstanding person, I envision soldiers of future wars breaking it into pieces.
Fritz Schaper. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe monument in the Tiergarten, Berlin. /Wikimedia Commons
On Kant
Kant simply did not notice me, although I, by virtue of my natural disposition, was traveling almost the same path as he. The distinction between subject and object, and moreover, the conviction that every creation exists for itself and that the cork tree does not grow just so that people can have something to cork their bottles with — that was our common ground with Kant.
On Censorship
To express one's opinion directly and without circumlocution is excusable and praiseworthy only when one is absolutely right. But a party is never absolutely right precisely because it is a party, and therefore, it should speak with circumspection. Coercion inspires the spirit, and thus, I even somewhat welcome the restriction of freedom of the press.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe/Wikimedia Commons
On Mathematics
I revere mathematics as the highest and most useful science as long as it is applied where it should be. But I cannot stand it when it is abused and used in fields of knowledge to which it has no relevance, thereby turning this noble science into nonsense. It is as if only what can be proven mathematically exists! What nonsense! What if someone doubted his lady's love because she couldn't prove it mathematically? A dowry might be subject to mathematical proof but not love. Mathematicians did not discover the metamorphosis of plants! I did this without any mathematics, and mathematicians had to accept my discovery.
On Victor Hugo’s Novel Notre Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
It is the most abominable book that ever was written!
Luc-Olivier Merson. Hunchback of notre dame/Wikimedia Commons
On Contemporary Music
It is astonishing how far the latest composers have been led by modern high techniques and mechanics. Their works are no longer music; they exceed the level of human perception and speak neither to the mind nor to the heart. For me, all of this just gets stuck in my ears.
On Accursed Poets
All poets write as if they are sick and the world is one large infirmary. They all harp on sufferings, the earthly vale of tears in anticipation of otherworldly joys; already discontented and gloomy, they drive each other into even deeper gloom. This is a true abuse of poetry, which is essentially given to us to smooth out the minor troubles of life and reconcile man with his fate and the surrounding world. But the current generation dreads any real strength, and only weakness allows them to feel comfortable and attune themselves to the poetic mood.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s writings /Wikimedia Commons
On Barbarism
In the dark ancient Germanic times, we can find nothing to learn for ourselves, just as in Serbian songs and similar creations of barbarian folk poetry. We read them, not without interest, but only to soon forget them and never return to them. Human life is already darkened enough by its passions and fate; why should it be further obscured by the shadows of barbaric antiquity? People need clarity and cheerfulness. Therefore, they should turn to those eras when outstanding representatives of art and literature achieved such harmonious development that they were happy themselves and could generously bestow others with the treasures of their highest culture.
On the Origin of Greatness
One must be something to do something. We consider Dante great, but behind him stand entire centuries of culture. The House of Rothschild is famous for its wealth, but it took a span longer than a human life to accumulate it. All this lies much deeper than is commonly thought. Our good artists, working in the manner of old German masters, approach the reproduction of nature in a humanly relaxed, artistically helpless way and believe they are achieving something. They are below what they depict. And anyone who wants to create something great must first create himself in such a way that, like the Greeks, he is able to elevate the lower, realistically existing nature to the height of his spirit and create what, in nature, due to internal weakness or external obstacles, remains merely an intention.
Franz Neubert. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe/Wikimedia Commons
On the Errors of Art and State
The trouble is that in the state, no one wants to live and enjoy life — everyone wants to govern; and in art, no one wants to enjoy what has already been created, but everyone insists on creating something new.
On Early Death
Reflect on this, and you will notice that in the middle of life, a person often encounters a turning point, and if everything favored and succeeded for him in youth, now everything changes — misfortune and troubles rain down upon him. And do you know what I think about this? A person must be ruined anew! Every extraordinary individual fulfills a certain mission assigned to him. When he has completed it, there is nothing more for him to do in this guise on earth, and providence prepares another fate for him. But since everything happens naturally in the sublunary world, demons keep tripping him until he yields. This happened with Napoleon and many others. Mozart died at thirty-six. Raphael died at almost the same age — Byron was only slightly older. They all perfectly fulfilled their mission, and thus it was time for them to depart so that in this world, meant to exist for a very long time, something might be left for others to accomplish.
Karl Bauer (1868-1942): Portrait Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. 1920./Wikimedia Commons
On New Repetitiveness
The world is so old, and for so many millennia, remarkable people have lived and thought in it, that it is difficult to find and say something new in our time. My theory of colors is not very new either. Plato, Leonardo da Vinci, and other great men discovered and partially formulated the same things long before me. Yet, my merit lies in rediscovering and reformulating them anew, in striving earnestly to unlock genuine insights into this chaotic world. Moreover, we must tirelessly advocate for truth because falsehoods are perpetuated not just by individuals but by the masses around us.
Johann Wolfgang Goethe,Wartburg. Monk and nun, 14.12.1807/Wikimedia Commons
On Philosophy
Essentially, all philosophy is merely human reasoning rendered in obscure language.
What to Read:
Иоганн Петер Эккерман – Разговоры с Гёте в последние годы его жизни, издательство «Художественная литература», 1986
И.-В. Гёте и Ф. Шиллер Переписка. В 2-х томах Издательство: М.: Искусство Год: 1988