Frontmatter -- Author's Note -- Table of Contents -- Introduction -- I. Paradise lost -- II. Trouble ahead -- III. Embargo on Relatedness -- IV. Through a Glass, Darkly -- V. Paradise Regained -- VI. Hazards of Abstraction -- VII. Word into Flesh: The Quest for the Symbol -- Notes -- Index
The text explores various themes and interpretations related to Goethe's works. It begins with discussions on invention and discovery, examining Mignon's wings and the concept of a "winged genius" in relation to Goethe's "Der Zauberflöte." The analysis of Euphorion's form and Mephisto's serious humor follows. The second section delves into perception and belief, highlighting Goethe's conversation with Johannes Daniel Falk and the themes in "Die Wahlverwandtschaften." The third part addresses duality, focusing on the theological aspects of Goethe's ballads and the interplay between love and tragedy in the context of Helena. The dialogue between genders is also explored. The fourth section reflects on artistry and the role of the poet, considering the demonic spirit of Goethe's genius and the medieval perspective on "Faust." Finally, the text discusses the dignity of the rejected in "Faust," Shakespeare's influence on Goethe, and the complexities of redemption in the conclusion of "Faust." Throughout, the work emphasizes Goethe's creative process and the provisional nature of artistic solutions. The annotation concludes with a register and backmatter, encapsulating the depth of Goethe's literary contributions.
Frontmatter -- Author’s Note -- Table of Contents -- Foreword -- I Chameleon -- 1 Goethe’s own Werther: An artist’s truth about his fiction -- 2 Strange encounter: The Cycle of Sonnets 1807/8 -- II A Master in the Making -- 3 One trifling Word: ‘Zwischen uns sei Wahtheit’ -- 4 ‘Rat, Mäßigung und Weisheit und Geduld’: The Diaries of a young Man (1775–1782) -- III Metamorphoses -- 5 ‘Tasso’s’ Italian Journey -- 6 The three Faces of Prometheus: ‘Pandora’. A Fragment -- IV Gegenständlichkeit -- 7 Transmigrations: ‘Warum gabst du uns die tiefen Blicke ...’ -- 8 An Eye for the World : Stages of Realisation in ‘Wilhelm Meister’ -- V The Symbolic Mode -- 9 ‘Verwandte Engelsbilder’ : Apotheosis of an Artist (‘Die Wahlverwandtschaften’) -- 10 ‘Das flücht’ge Ziel’: ‘Die natürliche Tochter’ -- VI Dauer im Wechsel -- 11 A delicate Balance: ‘Hermann und Dorothea’ -- 12 The grateful Moment: The Element of Time in ‘Faust’ -- VII Schwankende Gestalten -- 13 ‘Ihr naht euch wieder, schwankende Gestalten’ -- Index -- I Goethe’s Works -- II Names -- III Themes, Concepts, Images and Key Words