synonymGoethe(German writer) generally refers to John Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (August 28, 1749 March 22, 1832), born inFrankfurt am Main, famous in Germanythinker、writer、scientist, he isWeimar OfclassicismThe most famous representative.As the creator of poetry, drama and prose, he is the greatestGermanyOne of the writersWorld literatureAn outstanding and brilliant figure in the field.In 1773, he wrote a play, "Gerz von Berechingen", which became famous in the German literary world.Published in 1774《Young Victor's troubles》And made him even more famous.Since 1776Weimar PrincipalityServices.Completed in 1831《Faust》, in the following yearWeimar Death.
He has written a large number of literary and artistic works and expressed many aesthetic opinions.His aesthetic thoughts are mainly reflected in his autobiography "Poetry and Truth", "Proverbs and Memories" and his conversation with his secretary Ekman in his later years.Although influenced by German idealistic philosophy and I. Kant's transcendental philosophy, Goethe claimed that he lacked "philosophical organ" and more accepted British empiricist philosophy and French enlightenment thought.[9]
He believes that nature is evolutionary, does not believe in supernatural gods that dominate nature, but admits the pantheistic view that nature has gods, which is obviously the result of following B. Spinoza ideologically.Therefore, he opposed the natural mechanical view and "analytical method" represented by I. Newton, which were popular at that time, and advocated a natural organic view and "comprehensive method".He affirms the importance of perceptual experience and the necessity of rational knowledge, and believes that only the combination of the two can reveal the mysteries of nature.[9]
Goethe was born on August 28, 1749FrankfurtTown (located inHessen）A wealthy citizen family.When I was young, my father was strict and serious.The mother comforted, protected and encouraged Goethe with a gentle and considerate motherly love different from her father, guided his interest in learning, and tried to cultivate Goethe's ability to master the correct understanding of literature.
Mother often put him on her lap and told him all kinds of interesting stories.Mother's language expression ability is very strong, and her words are novel and rich. Goethe often listens with rapture.Perhaps it is because of the inheritance of his mother's talent that Goethe's mother still talks with him like a friend when he grows up.As for her son's works, the mother is always required to read them and always gives appropriate comments.Goethe has a high understanding, and his mother knows everything at once, and can quickly improve his exposed shortcomings.
Except for his sister Cornelia Friedrich Christina, who was born on December 7, 1750, other brothers and sisters of John Wolfgang von Goethe died early.In 1758, Goethe was infectedsmallpox。
Goethe was educated by his father and tutor, and also learned riding and fencing.
Goethe's birthplace
Goethe has been right for a long timeliteratureI got interested.In this regard, he first turned his attention to Kroppstock andHomer。At the age of 14, he wanted to join an pastoral poetry association.At the same time, he also liked drama, so he frequently visited French theaters during the French occupation.In 1763, he met a 7-year-oldMozart。
Goethe's signature.
On September 30, 1765, he left Frankfurt toLeipzigStudy law.
From October 1765 to August 1768, Goethe studied in Leipzig.He listened to the writerGellert(Christian F ü rchtegott Gellert) and participated in his writing style practice.At the same time, he also accepted the painting course of Arthur, the dean of Leipzig College.He fell in love with Kaumlthchen Schoumlnkopf, and praised this love with the Rococo style tradition in the joyful and lively verse.(Poetry anthology《Annette》（Annette））
LeipzigThe most famous hotel in the city with the second longest history: the Auerbax Keller Hotel and the story of Faust here left a deep impression on him, so that Auerbax Keller became his favorite actor in the drama《Faust》The only real place involved in the first part of.A massive hemoptysis forced Goethe to suspend his studies and return to Frankfurt on August 28, 1768.
Glorious period
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
In 1776, Goethe, as the Counsellor of the Privy Council, began to work for the Principality of Saxony Weimar Eisenach（Weimar Principality）Service, and obtained more political tasks.He lived in the house with garden (Goethe House) given to him by Dagong for six years, and designed and built the garden around the house according to the specifications of the park.He was thereThuringia(Th ü ringen) played an important role in the design of the natural landscape park beside the die Ilm River.He wrote in his diary: "I hope God will make me a gardener or an experimenter, so how happy I should be."
He met the aristocratic woman Charlotte von Stein.They maintained a close relationship for ten years.
In 1779 he was promoted to the rank of Privy Counselor.He accepted the proposal of Archduke Carl Auguste, 8 years younger than him, to let him take office in Weima, a tiny country, in order to carry out political reform.Goethe's authority in parliament is growing.Politics - even after he left office - has always been his focus.
This year, he began to conduct in-depth research in natural science.
On June 23, 1780, he became a student of the Weimar Masonic branch: Amalia branch. On June 23, 1781, Goethe became an official member, and on April 2, 1782, he was promoted to president.A few weeks after his promotion, Amalia branch had to stop working because the Masonic activities met with hostility.
In 1782, Dagong rented a house near the Frauen plan to Goethe, and in 1792 it was finally given to Goethe.Goethe lived here until his death.The garden beside the Women's Square was also built by the poet himself.(In 1885, after Goethe's last grandchild and heir died, the house near the women's square was declared as a national museum. After World War II, the house was severely damaged, so the gardener and writerCarl Foster (Karl Foester) came to Weimar and rebuilt the garden.)
In 1777, Goethe carried out the firstHarz Mountains Journey.On December 10, he boardedBroken Hill (der Brocken), which is considered to be the first winter climbing of this peak.In 1783, he made his second trip to Halz Mountain.Then in 1784, he made his third and last trip to Halz Mountain.
As we all know, Goethe is a great poet, novelist, dramatist and outstanding thinker.But few people know that he is also a scientific researcher, and he has engaged in many subjects: animal and plant morphology, anatomy, color scienceoptics, mineralogy, geology, etc., and has made commendable achievements in individual fields.
In 1784, Goethe found the intermaxillary bone beside the human skull.Although French scientist Weike Dasu had discovered it four years earlier, Goethe completed it independently without his knowledge.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
However, few people know that Goethe is still a painter, more accurately, a painter with considerable attainments.Goethe's nature is extremely active, and his thirst for knowledge is very strong.He extended his spiritual tentacles to all fields of human knowledge and understood all means of the external world.His wisdom, his diligence, his deep eyes, his keen senses, and his 82 years of longevity have made him great contributions in different fields, especially in literary creation.In the art of painting, he has almost always practiced enthusiastically. He has painted as many as 2700 paintings, most of which are landscape paintings, including the paintings he drew during his scientific research and his imitation of human bodies.
In June 1786, Goethe went to Italy to concentrate on natural science.Engaged in painting and literary creation, and successively completed《Ifignia in Tauris》And《Egmont》He also wrote Tasso and《Faust》Some chapters.stayWeimar Only his close attendant and secretarySeidel(Philipp Seidel) knows the destination of his trip.In Italy,GoetheHe calls himself "Filippo Miller".The first letters he wrote to his family were undated.When he arrived in Rome, Goethe reported his real decision and plan to his relatives and friends: he would stay in Italy for a long time.
Goethe described his trip to Italy in his Journey to Italy.In 1786, he met the painter Tisbane in Rome. In 1787, he traveled to Naples with Tisbane and others.In the same year, the famous oil painting "Goethe in Italy" by Tisbane was born, which depicts Goethe, a traveler in the hilly areas of Rome.Goethe also met Angelica Kaufman there.
Old age
After returning to Weimar in 1788, he only served as a theatre supervisor. He was politically conservative and artistically pursued the classical beauty of harmony and tranquility.1794 andSchiller After the exchanges, with the upsurge of European democracy and national movements and the spread of utopian socialism, his thoughts and creation also took a new leap, and he completed Faust and other representative works.[1]
Young Victor's troubles
In Goethe's later years, a series of important historical events occurred in Europe: the French revolution set off a revolutionary climax of the whole Europe, the industrial revolution in advanced countries advanced by leaps and bounds, the labor movement has risen, the utopian socialist ideology has been widely spread, and the romantic literary movement has spread throughout Europe.These circumstances prompted Goethe to break through the narrow world of Germany, pay more attention to the changes in Europe and even the world, and accept more new social thoughts.All of these helped him overcome his narrow mindedness in the previous period.From about the age of 40, Goethe's body became stiff and difficult to move.He suffered from severe disc injury and multiple thoracic vertebrae deformation.
In 1795, he began to work withSchiller Friendship.Schiller first came here as a professor of historyJenaOf.Their friendship lasted until Schiller died in 1805.
In 1798, Goethe wrote the lament "Plant Deformation".
A year after Schiller's death, Goethe married Christina Forpius.Goethe has lived with her since 1789, and they have one son, Auguste.
stayErfurt(Erfurt) On the occasion of the general meeting of the princes, Napoleon I received Goethe and awarded him the Legion of Honor.
Since October 1813, Goethe has concentrated his interest on China far away.He has borrowed more than 10 books about China from the library.Among them are Chinese travel notes and works on Chinese philosophy.He has read some Chinese novels and poems through English and French translations, such as Biography of Good Expectation, Yujiao Pear, Huajian Ji, Modern and Ancient Wonders, etc.He has always wanted to write the Biography of Good Marriage into a long poem;After reading "Zhao's Orphan", he was inspired to write a drama.From 1827 to 1829, he wrote 14 lyric poems entitled "Singing in the Morning and Evening of the Four Seasons in China and Germany", expressing hisVision。Goethe saw the common things of human beings through his contact with Chinese literary works.In a conversation with his assistant Ekman, he explained his understanding of China: "Chinese people are almost the same as us in terms of thought, behavior and emotion; only in their place, everything is clearer, purer and more moral than here..." He talked about German literature and French literature from Chinese literature, and then put forward the new concept of "world literature".He said: "I am more and more convinced that poetry is the common property of mankind. The era of world literature is approaching. Now, everyone should contribute to make it come early." It is worth mentioning that 20 years later, Marx andEngelsOn《Communist Manifesto》He also put forward the concept of "world literature" in another way.
Goethe arrived in 1814RhineandMaine RiverRegional travel.In 1817, he began to write "My History of Botanical Research" and founded the magazine "Talking about Natural Science, Especially Morphology" (until 1824).He formed a friendship with the mineralogist, botanist Steinberg and musician Dirt.
At 11:30 on March 22, 1832, Goethe died of illness on Thursday.His last words are: "Give me more lights!" This reflects his optimism as a great writer.He was buried in the marquis cemetery on March 26.[2]
personal works
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·《Emotions of lovers》（），
Love drama
Created in 1768 and copied in 1806
Conspiracy
comedy
Started to create in 1769 and copied in 1787
The Iron Hand Knight Gezi von Berechingen
script
1773
Prometheus
Poetry
1774
New Morality - Political Puppet Play
1774
Elder Brey's Carnation Festival Drama
1774
New City of Prenderthals
1774
God, Hero and Wieland
farce
1774
Cravigo
tragedy
1774
Greetings from the Gods
Poetry
1774
Young Victor's Worries
Epistolary novel
1774, 2nd edition, 1787
Egmont
tragedy
Started to create in 1775 and copied in 1788
Irving and Elmiller
Accompany a play
1775
William Maister's Dramatic Mission "Former Maister"
, fiction
Goethe Anthology
Since 1776, copied in 1911
Stella
Drama written for lovers
1776
Ephegnia of Tauris
Drama), prose version
1779, 1787
Tolquato Tasso
Theatre
Since 1780, copied in 1790
On the Intermaxillary Bones of Humans and Animals
1786
The Lament of Rome
It was written between 1788 and 1790
Venice epigram
1790
Faust
Fragment
1790
Optical Thesis (),
Thesis, 2 volumes
1791/1792
Dakovta (comedy), 1792
Civilian General (comedy), 1793
Lina Fox (animal narrative poem), 1794
In All Good Moments (the anthem of the joint opportunity branch), 1775
Stories told by German fugitives (frame structure novels), 1795
William Maister's Learning Age, 1795/1796
Kesenian (Gift Words) (poetry, completed in cooperation with Schiller), 1796
Faust's A Tragedy (in line with the first part of Faust), which began in 1797, was copied on this topic for the first time in 1808
The Life of Benvenuto Cellini (article), 1797
Novella, since 1797
Herman and Dou Green Moss (an idyll written in six tone lines), 1798
Unlawful Daughter (Tragedy), 1804
The Roaming Age of William Maister (novel), started in 1807, copied in 1821, and the original text of 1829 was revised
Pandora (a drama created for festivals), written in 1807/1808, copied in 1817
Affinity, 1809
On Colorology (scientific paper), 1810
Poetry and Truth in My Life (autobiographical works, 4 volumes), 1811-1833
There is a lot to say about singers (a Masonic poem written to thank singers), 1815
"When you repay the dearest" (a Masonic poem for keeping secrets), 1816
Journey to Italy, 1816/1817
Good Women, 1817
On Art and Antiquity (6 volumes, in cooperation with Johann Heinrich Meyer), 1816-1832
Solemn Mission Festival: "50 years have passed" (a thank-you speech in the form of poetry for awarding the 50th anniversary certificate of honor to participate in the Masonry), 1820
Collection of Western and Eastern Poems (poetry), 1819
"Opening Mourning Speech" Mourning speech to the late Masonic Riedel, 1821
Political Movement in France (report), 1822
Speech: Memorial of Wieland Brothers (Masonic eulogy), Goethe's eulogy on February 8, 1830
Faust II (Part II of Faust), 1833 (posthumous works)
Affinity, a novel written by German writer Goethe, was published in 1809.The novel revolves around Edwards and Charlotte and their lovers.Affinity is a work of Goethe in his later years, but it has a certain romantic color that is common in his early works.Edward's emotional impulse, semi scientific theme, and poetic and harmonious (even unrealistic) death are just a few examples of his romantic factors.
Penguin Classic Series: Young Werther's Worries is a book published by the People's Literature Publishing House in April 2011. The author is [Germany] Goethe.
Brief introduction to Time Library: Young Werther's Worries (Goethe's Selected Short Stories): The protagonist Werther is a young man with outstanding talent, enthusiasm and freedom, but this is incompatible with the vulgar society at that time, so Werther fell into loneliness and depression.At this time, he met a kind girl, Green Di, and fell in love with her deeply.But Lvdi chose the former between ethics and love, which made Victor extremely sad and angry, and finally chose suicide
The World's Ten Greatest Writers: Faust is Goethe's representative work. It is a poetic tragedy and a masterpiece that Goethe devoted his whole life to.It describes Faust's painful experience of seeking truth in his life, reflects the history of Europe from the Renaissance to the early 19th century, and reveals the continuous struggle between light and darkness, progress and backwardness, science and superstition.The content includes the Auerbach Hotel in Leipzig, the Pill Room of the Witch, the garden of Malt, and Wap
This is a collection of the poetry essence of Goethe, the great German poet. (German and Chinese comparison) It leads readers into a life in which the poet and poetry creation are integrated: romantic feelings of youth, steady progress in the middle and prime of life, persistent pursuit of art and literature, comfort and vicissitudes of life after entering old age, and admiration for ancient oriental civilization,What runs through all periods is his passionate and constant pursuit of love.Love gives the poet abundant life force, heat and beauty, it
The Night Song of Wanderers is a book published by the People's Literature Publishing House, and the author is Goethe (Germany)
Briefwechsel zwischen Goethe und Zelter in den Jahren 1799 bis 1832 Teil 1. Text 1799-1827
Author nameJohann Wolfgang von Goethe
Goethe Anthology
Author nameJohann Wolfgang von Goethe
Work time2006-6
Introduction to Goethe's Collected Works: Goethe (1749-1882), a German writer, is recognized as a great master of world literature and a versatile European cultural talent.The works selected in this collection are all Goethe's masterpieces handed down from generation to generation.The Worries of Young Werther is an epistolary novel written by Goethe during the "Rampage" movement.The work is about a talented young Victor who comes from a citizen's family and hates the feudal hierarchy and the stale love concept
Goethe is not only good at painting, but also has extensive research on natural science. His creation includes lyric poems, blank free poems, poems, long narrative poems, pastoral poems, historical poems, historical dramas, tragedies, poetic dramas, novels, short stories, educational novels, epistolary novels, autobiographical poems, essays and other literary works in various genres.The most famous is the epistolary novel《Young Victor's troubles》(1774). Poetic Philosophical Tragedy《Faust》(1774-1831) and the novel William Mester (1775-1828).The Worries of Young Werther was warmly welcomed by the masses because it reflected the anti feudal aspirations of a generation of young people, which made Goethe enjoy the voice of the world from then on.Faust is based on the legend of Dr. Faust in Germany in the 16th century, and is processed and transformed.It is the artistic generalization that the bourgeois advanced people constantly explore and pursue during the rising period of the European bourgeoisie.Tragedy is not only grand in structure and colorful, but also integrates realism, romanticism and symbolismMiphistThe whole thought, words and deeds of "Li" form the dialectical relationship between good and evil, conduct and emotion, success and failure.[1]
Goethe's brilliant achievements in his life, especially in his later creation, are inseparable from his adherence to this principle of realism.In his early years, Goethe had led the crazy and tenacious movement, which was inclined to romanticism.But later, he realized that romanticism was "sick" and turned to classicism.The classicism advocated by Goethe is realism in essence.Realism is a focus of Goethe's later theoretical thinking.In the historical process of the development of western realism theory, Goethe's realistic literary thought can be called a milestone, which has given a direct and powerful impetus to the development of European realistic literature.The European critical realism literary movement, which rose in the 1930s, was obviously deeply influenced by Goethe's literary thought.[3]
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
He does not attempt to "reflect something abstract" in his works, but only to process the "perceptual, vivid, likeable, colorful" "impressions" he has obtained from life "in an artistic way" and provide them to people through "vivid description".Goethe did not specify the source of "impression" here, but it is not difficult to understand the content of the whole paragraph. The so-called "impression" is nothing but the reflection of the real life of the objective outside world in the writer's subjective consciousness, and the writer's "observation" of the objective life in social practice.Because he believes that this is the real foundation and basis of literary and artistic creation.[3]
Goethe is withAckermann When talking about the creation of Faust, on the one hand, he admitted that "there is no line of poetry in Faust that does not have a clear sign of carefully studying the world and life",On the other hand, he said, "If I don't put the world in my heart first with a premonition, I will turn a blind eye... There is light and color around us, but if there is no light and color in our eyes, we can't see the light and color outside".By "premonition" and "light and color" in his eyes, he means that the writer can actively sense and predict the psychological conditions of life, or that the creative subject should have a broad, flexible and full of tension psychological form.It can be read from here that the feeling and grasp of the literary creator to the specific external things depend on the corresponding subjective conditions. If this condition is not met, the objective existence will not become his object even if it is meaningful again, so it cannot trigger his creative impulse.[4]
Goethe has a great influence on world literature.His works have been translated into 48 languages and are an important part of the classics of various countries.Goethe knew many languages, and was familiar with the literary works and forms of European countries in various historical periods. He translated, parodied or wrote in the style of these works.Faust is simply a collection of European literary traditions.Goethe also has a strong interest in folk songs around the world and actively collects works outside the mainstream of Europe.The most prominent examples of his participation in "world literature" are the two poetry collections "West East Poetry Collection" and "China Germany Four Seasons Morning Evening Miscellaneous Chant".The former was influenced by the Persian poet Hafez, while the latter was influenced by Chinese dramas and novels.Goethe hopes to improve tolerance through cultural understanding. His "world literature" should be called "cross-cultural communication", referring to a series of global dialogues and exchanges.In these dialogues and exchanges, the commonalities of different cultures are increasingly obvious, but the individuality has not been obliterated.Goethe understood the views of various cultures in the world through extensive academic reading and text translation, and treated them with tolerance, calmly accepted or ignored them.Goethe agrees with Kant's view that art and science inspire each other.His scientific practice and the practice of "world literature" are all to find the unity and harmony of all life bodies reflected in different.[5]
Goethe's works were introduced into China around the 1898 period.In 1922,Guo MoruoThe full translation of Young Werther's Worries was officially published, and later he successively translated Faust.It is worth mentioning that Goethe's works had a positive impact on the Chinese Enlightenment.After the founding of New China, with the development of cultural exchanges between China and Germany, Goethe and his works are like a shining star, radiating more and more brilliant light in China.The People's Literature Publishing House published a ten volume collection of Goethe's works, which gathered the academic achievements of Goethe researchers and translators of three generations in China, and became a great event in the history of Sino German cultural exchanges.In the 1930s, Faust entered the university classroom and was studied in the course of "Selected Reading of Western Masterpieces" offered by some schools.By the eve of the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan, almost all Goethe's major works had been translated into Chinese in just over a decade, with the exception of the two untranslated full-length novels William Manst's Roaming Times and Affinity.The popularity of Goethe in China can be seen.[6]
Character evaluation
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EngelsAs he said, "Goethe is sometimes very great and sometimes very small", "in his mind, there is often a struggle between a talented poet and the cautious son of a Frankfurt city councillor, and the respected privy adviser of Weimar." Engels even mentioned Goethe and Hegel together and gave them high praise,Goethe and Hegel are both Zeus on Olympus in their own fields.[3]
philosopherHegelHe has a profound understanding of Goethe's ideas. He accurately pointed out that "Goethe's initial phenomenon does not already mean an idea, but means a spirit - the essence of sensibility, which mediates between the pure concept of essence and the accidental phenomenon of the perceptual world."[7]
Character ideology
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He believes that artists should express their familiar life.Goethe examined human literary creation from a macro perspective and concluded that "the whole world is his subject matter" and "there is no real subject matter that cannot be included in poetry or non poetry".But at the same time, he saw that, as far as the specific creative activities of each writer are concerned, there must be a specific range of material selection: if any writer wants to achieve success in writing, he must refrain from focusing on other things, and should focus on those familiar life phenomena that he can control based on his own life practice.[4]
Secondly, Goethe pointed out that writers should start from the grasp of individual things in life when entering the creative process on the basis of feeling and experiencing life.He believes that the grasp and description of individual things is the life of literature and art.The so-called individual things, in Goethe's view, include not only individual characters, events and situations in real life, but also some legends and stories handed down in history.Goethe requires writers to take the grasp of individual things in life as the starting point of the creative process, which is a major breakthrough in the traditional literary creation thought and a milestone in the historical process of the development of western literary theory.[4]
In the era of Goethe's life, the conflict between the call for freedom and individuality in literary creation and theoretical criticism and the traditional literary concept is increasingly acute.Goethe, based on his profound understanding of literary characteristics, continued to explore along the direction of predecessors, and finally completed the transformation from "type theory" to "individual theory" in creative theory.Goethe gave a forceful negation to the "typology" in theory.The basic spirit conveyed here also runs through many other remarks of Goethe.[4]
In the middle and late period of Goethe's life, from the 1890s to the 1830s, Germany, as well as the whole of Western Europe and Russia, was permeated with a countercurrent of negative romanticism.Many people advocate that art must start from the poet's inner world and refuse to approach and reflect life.In the face of this extremely harmful trend of thought in literature and art, Goethe remained independent and tried his best to turn the tide, showing his firm belief in the principles of realism.He said: "I run counter to the whole era, because our era is all shrouded in subjective tendencies, and I try to approach the objective world.He pointed out profoundly: "If he can only express his own little subjective emotion, he is nothing; but once he has mastered the world and can express it, he is a poet. Since then, he has endless materials and can write often new things.As for the subjective poet, he soon ran out of his inner life, and finally fell into a habitual style. "In the wave of negative romanticism at that time, Schiller, who had a good friendship with Goethe, was also affected to a certain extent, so that the two men differed in their literary and artistic views.Goethe pointed out: "I advocate the principle that poetry should start from the objective world, and think that this creative method is advisable. But Schiller used a completely subjective method to write, thinking that only his method is correct." "I can't help thinking that Schiller's tendency to philosophy has damaged his poetry, because this tendency made him regard ideas above all nature, and even eliminated nature."Goethe clearly pointed out here that "the principle of starting from the objective world" is the basic principle of realism.The creative tendency of "writing in a completely subjective way", "putting ideas above all nature, or even eliminating nature", is contrary to this principle.[3]
Based on a correct and profound understanding of the aesthetic relationship between literature and art and reality, Goethe always warned writers to "face reality" and be good at drawing creative materials from the vast ocean of life.Goethe believes that poetry is everywhere in life, and the key lies in whether the writer is good at unremitting exploration and discovery."Don't say that real life is not poetic. The ability of a poet lies in that he has enough wisdom to see a fascinating aspect from the ordinary things he is accustomed to seeing. Real life must provide the motive for writing poetry, which is the key point to show, that is, the real core of poetry." He told Ekman: "I only advise you to persevere and firmly grasp the real life."Proceeding from the above basic ideas, Goethe regards authenticity as the primary aesthetic characteristic of realistic literature and art, the primary criterion that realistic writers should follow and the primary goal they should pursue.He said, "The first and last requirement for a genius is to love the truth." "The highest requirement for an artist is that he should abide by nature, study nature, imitate nature, and create a kind of natural work."[3]
Goethe pointed out that "art should speak to the world through a whole body. But this whole body is not what he can find in nature, but the fruit of his own mind, or the result of a rich and holy spirit infused with vitality." The so-called "wisdom" refers to the artist's feelings, thoughts, wisdom, temperament, will, desire, etc,That is, the artist's subjective spiritual world.In the process of artistic processing of the materials provided by the world, artists must "infuse" their own subjective consciousness.Real art, "it is a spiritual creation, part and whole of which are cast from the same spiritual furnace, boasted by a breath of life." Everything in art works is nurtured by artists with their own life milk.Goethe pointed out that the ancient Greek tragedian "Sophocles wrote characters that showed the noble mind of the great poet", "Shakespeare wrote plays that all spoke from his heart... Shakespeare is a great psychologist, from his plays we can learn to understand human thoughts and feelings." Goethe's own creation is the same.When talking about the experience of creating Young Werther's Worries, Goethe said: "Like Que Peng, I nurtured that work with my own efforts. There are a lot of things from my own heart, a lot of feelings and thoughts, enough to write a novel ten times longer than this book." About Faust, the representative work,He said: "Not only Faust's gloomy and unfeigned attempt, but also the devil's scornful attitude and bitter satire, all represent part of my own character." Goethe even called Tasso "This script is a bone in my bones, a piece of meat in my flesh." It is precisely because of the artist's infusion of vitality that the subjective mind and the objective life are integrated,Only in this way can works of art become a "second nature"[3]
Thirdly, art should obey the "higher intention".The so-called "higher intention" refers to the unique intention of people as social people, that is, the moral intention.Goethe's understanding of morality is not in a narrow sense, but refers to the display of human spiritual essence or sociality, which is opposed to pure nature.He pointed out: "If there is no moral relationship between real things, we call it ordinary things."Goethe also said: "Art should be the moral expression of natural things. Objects involving both nature and morality are the most suitable for art." Goethe believed that artists should have great personality when engaged in creation.Excellent artists, "they look at nature with their great personality." However, "our conservative artists do not understand this truth. They imitate nature with their weak personality and artistic incompetence, and think they have made achievements. In fact, they are lower than nature.If anyone wants to make great works, he must improve his cultural education, so that he can, like the Greeks, raise the complicated practical nature to the height of his own spirit, and realize the natural phenomena that have only certain tendencies due to internal weaknesses or external forces. "In Goethe's view, even when depicting animals, Greek artists can achieve the situation of "not only marveling at nature, but also surpassing nature", because they can "raise the complicated actual nature to the height of his own spirit".It can be seen that "the key lies in what kind of people can make what kind of works."[3]
In a word, Goethe's thought that artists are both slaves and masters of nature profoundly reveals the dialectical relationship between the unity of opposites between subjective and objective in artistic creation, which not only opposes negative romanticism, but also draws a clear line with naturalism.This is the essence of Goethe's realistic literary thought and his outstanding historical contribution to the development of realistic theory.[3]
Anecdotes of characters
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Goethe's language sometimes has to be admired.Goethe once walked in the park and met a critic on a path that only allowed one person to pass."I never make way for fools," said the critic."I'm just the opposite!" Goethe said, smiling and retreating to the roadside.[8]
