The history and progress of the world . n, who cultivated theiraffections. While French garrisons occupied the city dur-ing the Seven Years War, young Goethe learned theirlanguage and found pleasure in their theater. He wentto the University of Leipsic, and in 1770 to Strasburg toobtain his degree in law. Here two important influencescame upon him. First, he met with Herder, poet andtheologian, who taught him that poetry is the expressionof national life, and introduced him to the beauties ofEnglish literature. Secondly, he, then handsome asApollo, met with the fair Friederike Brion, whose pre
The history and progress of the world . n, who cultivated theiraffections. While French garrisons occupied the city dur-ing the Seven Years War, young Goethe learned theirlanguage and found pleasure in their theater. He wentto the University of Leipsic, and in 1770 to Strasburg toobtain his degree in law. Here two important influencescame upon him. First, he met with Herder, poet andtheologian, who taught him that poetry is the expressionof national life, and introduced him to the beauties ofEnglish literature. Secondly, he, then handsome asApollo, met with the fair Friederike Brion, whose presencegives charm to his Autobiography. On his love affairwith her was founded the story of Gretchen in Faust. After taking his degree in law, the young man wenthome and began to write lyrical poems, but he soon at-tempted a drama after the boisterous style then von Berlichingen, though written without a plan,displayed his genius in vivid representation of a power-ful character of the Sixteenth Century. Still another man-. GERMAN 281 ifestation of his literary ability was seen in his Sorrowsof Werther, a story told in letters in the sentimental styleof Rousseau. It was really founded on his own hopelesslove for Charlotte Buff. It exhibits the force of unre-strained youthful passion and expresses with deep pathosthat weariness of life that overtakes imperfect , a well-educated young man, falls in love with afriends wife, but shrinks from temptation and at last infond despair, commits suicide. But Goethe was toostrong intellectually and morally to yield thus. In hismany lyrics the emotions of his soul found vent. In I775>at the invitation of the Duke of Saxe Weimar, Goetheremoved to his capital where Wieland already was, andwhither Herder and Schiller came later. The little Saxontown of Weimar became the intellectual and literary cen-ter of Germany. Here, says a biographer, everybodyworshiped him, especially the women. For ten yearsGoethe was busy
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