Originally published in 1966, this book contains a selection of over a hundred poems from the whole range of Goethe's poetry, except for the scientific and dramatic works. The poems are arranged in groups. Each group has a brief introduction, and each poem is followed, where necessary, by a brief glossarial note and by a longer comment. This incorporates some historical or biographical information, but is mainly critical. The poems give a cumulative sense of the detail of Goethe's art. There is a general introduction, which deals briefly with Goethe's life and has a long section on his use of language. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in Goethe's poetry and literary criticism.
