Every Saturday, Vol. 3 : A Journal of Choice Reading; January to June, 1873 (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Every Saturday, Vol. 3: A Journal of Choice Reading; January to June, 1873

His rst work of any importance was the heroic drama of G'otz von Berlichingen, which was also Walter Scott's work, so to speak; the forerunner of all those Marmions and Ivanhoes which have long obliterated and superseded their German pioneer. Gotz was written when Goethe was twenty-two, and is perhaps more remarkable as being his banner of revolt against the poetical canons of his time, the outburst of a new national literature and new genera tion of genius and also as the origin of a school of poetry widely extended among ourselves, and scarcely yet ex hansted in force and power - than from its own intrinsic merits. These merits we cannot think to be great; though that it was wonderful in its daring there can be no doubt, and startled the whole German world b a marvellous rev elation of something of their own, wort caring for, which would naturally have the profoundest effect upon a people living, as it were, out of their own language in the bor rowed delights of an alien literature, neither congenial nor natural to them. In circumstances so exceptional it may be right to characterize this drama as a work of darin power, of vigor, of originality a work to form an epoce in the annals of letters; or, with a newspaper of the day, to describe it as a piece in which the three unities are shamefully outraged, and which is neither a tragedy nor a comedy, ut is, notwithstanding, the most beautiful, the most capltivatin monstrosity. In these days, however, few En 'ah re ers will find Go'tz either captivating or beautif It is bustling, rapid, and full of activity in its plot and action; yet it strikes us as looking much more like a fossil than an animated picture of life. One reason of this probably is, that the author, with a philosophic cool ness most characteristic of his nature. Makes it his aim, not to represent any group of individual souls, their assions and motives, but to give a picture of the age. Is pic ture of the age, however, is abrupt and fragmentary. It has neither the fulness and richness of Scott, nor the mi nute and patient detail of Manzoni; although, so far as this effort is concerned, Goethe was the parent of both these great writers. The drama is a breathless sketch rapid, stirring, and full of movement, but without passion, almost without strong emotion. Go'tz himself is but thrown in in bold outline u on the canvas, his character very faintly indicated, and is position never made quite clear. His mixture of patriotism and individualism; his readi ness for a raid at any time; his loyalty, such as it is, to the Emperor, and hostility to everybody else, have not the clearness and force which such a picture Peqflim'

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