30 Goethe Quotes

In the realm of literature, few figures carry the intellectual gravitas of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. A polymath of the highest order, Goethe's influence extends beyond his native Germany and reverberates through the annals of Western thought. His works, spanning poetry, drama, philosophy, and science, offer a treasure trove of wisdom and insight. For anyone seeking inspiration, reflection, or a deeper understanding of the human condition, Goethe's words remain as resonant and relevant today as they were in the 18th and 19th centuries. In this post, we've curated a collection of the top 30 quotes by Goethe to enrich your mind and spirit. Dive in and let the timeless wisdom of one of history's greatest thinkers illuminate your day.

1. “Art is bad when ‘you see the intent and get put off.’ (Goethe) In Tolstoy one is unaware of the intent, and sees only the thing itself. from the book, On Retranslating A Russian Classic Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy” - Joel Carmichael

2. “How to please the public - that's the test,But nowadays I find I'm in a fix;I know they're not accustomed to the best,But they've all read so much they know the tricks.How can we give then something fresh and newThat's serious, but entertaining too?” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

3. “Dandies, who – as you know - scorn all emotions as being beneath them, and do not believe, like that simpleton Goethe, that astonishment can ever be a proper feeling for the human mind.” - Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly

4. “The actor's realm is that of the fleeting. Of all kinds of fame, it is known, his is the most ephemeral. At least, this is said in conversation. But all kinds of fame are ephemeral. From the point of view of Sirius, Goethe's works in ten thousand years will be dust and his name forgotten.” - Albert Camus

5. “Faustus, who embraced evil and shunned righteousness, became the foremost symbol of the misuse of free will, that sublime gift from God with its inherent opportunity to choose virtue and reject iniquity. “What shall a man gain if he has the whole world and lose his soul,” (Matt. 16: v. 26) - but for a notorious name, the ethereal shadow of a career, and a brief life of fleeting pleasure with no true peace? This was the blackest and most captivating tragedy of all, few could have remained indifferent to the growing intrigue of this individual who apparently shook hands with the devil and freely chose to descend to the molten, sulphuric chasm of Hell for all eternity for so little in exchange. It is a drama that continues to fascinate today as powerfully as when Faustus first disseminated his infamous card in the Heidelberg locale to the scandal of his generation. In fine, a life of good or evil, the hope of Heaven or the despair of Hell, Faustus stands as a reminder that the choice between these two absolutes also falls to us.” - E.A. Bucchianeri

6. “He is happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

7. “The lord whose is the oracle at Delphoi neither utters nor hides his meaning, but shows it by a sign.The Sibyl, with raving lips uttering things mirthless, unbedizened, and unperfumed, reaches over a thousand years with her voice, thanks to the god in her.” - Heraclitus

8. “The world is so empty if one thinks only of mountains, rivers & cities; but to know someone who thinks & feels with us, & who, though distant, is close to us in spirit, this makes the earth for us an inhabited garden.” - Goethe

9. “If it were Hegel, I might suspect it means nothing. But Goethe means something, always.” - Robert Anton Wilson

10. “„Was glänzt ist für den Augenblick geboren; Das Echte bleibt der Nachwelt unverloren.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

11. “All theory is gray, my friend. But forever green is the tree of life.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

12. “Des Menschen Kraft, im Dichter offenbartThe human power is revealed by poetIl potere dell'umanità si rivela nel poeta” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

13. “Upon the publication of Goethe’s epic drama, the Faustian legend had reached an almost unapproachable zenith. Although many failed to appreciate, or indeed, to understand this magnum opus in its entirety, from this point onward his drama was the rule by which all other Faust adaptations were measured. Goethe had eclipsed the earlier legends and became the undisputed authority on the subject of Faust in the eyes of the new Romantic generation. To deviate from his path would be nothing short of blasphemy.” - E.A. Bucchianeri

14. “... the vintage of history is forever repeating ~ same old vines, same old wines!” - E.A. Bucchianeri

15. “Yes, there are in me the makings of a very fine loafer, and also of a pretty spry sort of fellow. I often think of those lines of old Goethe: 'Schade, daß die Natur nur einen Menschen aus dir schuf; Denn zum würdigen Mann war und zum Schelmen der Stoff.'” - Arthur Conan Doyle

16. “Tot așa cum galbenul este intotdeauna asociat cu lumina, se poate spune și că albastrul aduce cu el și un principiu al întunericului. Această culoare are un efect special și aproape indescriptibil asupra ochiului. Pe scara culorilor este una puternică, însă de partea negativă, și la maximum de puritate este, cum s-ar zice, o negație stimulatoare. Aspectul său este deci un fel de contradicție între excitație și calm.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

17. “The limits of my language are the limits of my universe.” - Goethe

18. “Nothing is more dangerous than solitude.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

19. “I treat my heart like a sick child and gratify its every fancy.” - Goethe Wolfgang

20. “So the restless traveler long at last for his native soil, finds his cottage in the arms of his wife, in the affection of his children, labor necessary for their support, all the happiness which he sought in vain the wild world” - Goethe Wolfgang

21. “I am proud of my heart alone, it is the sole source of everything, all our strength, happiness and misery. All the knowledge I possess everyone else can acquire, but my heart is all my own” - Goethe Wolfgang

22. “ Într-adevăr ştiu multe, dar aş vrea să ştiu totul. ” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

23. “Our souls are made of water, Goethe says. So too, our bodies. There is a flow within us, rising and falling, unidirectional, to the heart. there is a flow without also. We circulate. We are drawn up, and we fall back down to earth again. It's all haemodynamics.” - J.M. Ledgard

24. “Ah, gençliğimin mabedi o sevgili nerelerde! Kaybolacak idiyse onu ne diye tanıdım ben?.. Kendi kendime: Çılgınsın! diyorum, artık bulunması olanaksız bir şey arıyorsun!Ama ben ona, o sevgiliye bir zamanlar sarılmıştım. Kalbinin atışlarını duymuştum. Yüce yaradılışı önünde kendimi benliküstüne yükselmiş gibi görürüm. Çünkü onun yanında ne kadar olabileceksem o kadar sezgili olurdum.Hey Tanrım! O zaman ruhumun hiçbir yeteneği boşa çıkar mıydı? Yüreğimin tüm evreni kucaklamadaki şaşılacak gücü onun önünde bütünüyle kendini ortaya koymaz mıydı? Yüreğin derinliklerinden yükselen ürpermeler, iki ruhun yüz yüze şimşeklenmesi aramızda her günün, bir alışverişine benzemez miydi? Ah, onunla her sohbetimiz ve iğneli şakalarımız dahil, her sözümüz inci gibi inceltilmişti, ben bunu bilirim...Asla unutamayacağım, onun ruhunun duruluğunu, sağlamlığını, onun o göksel yumuşaklığını asla unutamayacağım...” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

25. “Ben ayrımında değilim: Ne zaman gündüz oluyor, ne zaman gece. Evren etrafımdan silindi ve sadece o kaldı.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

26. “Uzaklar yaklaşınca, özlediğimiz yere ulaşınca görürüz ki hiçbir şey değişmemiştir. Kendimizi yine o yoksulluğumuzun dar çerçevesi içinde buluruz. Bu böyle sürüp gider ve ruhumuz hep elinden kaçan mutluluğun ardından göğüs geçirip durur.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

27. “Sabahleyin azaplı bir rüyadan uyanınca yok yere ona doğru kollarımı uzatıyorum...Daha böyle yarı uykulu halde onu yanımda aradıktan sonra iyice uyanıp da yalnızlığımı anladığım zaman kalbimden gözyaşlarımın pınarı taşıyor ve önümde beliren geleceğin karanlıklarına karşı bağırtıyla ağlıyorum.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

28. “Nelere sahibim! Ama onu düşünmem; neyim varsa hepsini çekip atıyor! Nelere sahibim... Ama onsuz, benim için her şey hiçleşiyor!” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

29. “Fakat, şimdi... Hayaller bana rahat vermiyor...” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

30. “Grau, teurer Freund, ist alle Theorie und grün des Lebens goldner Baum” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe