Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship Quotes

“One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship

“I wish the stage were as narrow as the wire of a tighrope dancer so that no incompetent would dare step upon it.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship

“Art is long, life short, judgment difficult, opportunity transient. To act is easy, to think is hard; to act according to our thought is troublesome.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship

“A lovely, pure, noble, and most moral nature, without the strength of nerve which forms a hero, sinks beneath a burden which it cannot bear, and must not cast away. All duties are holy for him; the present is too hard. Impossibilities have been required of him; not in themselves impossibilities, but such for him. He winds, and turns, and torments himself; he advances and recoils, is ever put in mind, ever puts himself in mind; at last does all but lose his purpose from his thoughts; yet still without recovering his peace of mind.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship

“From youth, I have been accustomed to direct the eyes of my spirit inwards rather than outwards; and hence it is very natural, that, to a certain extent, I should be acquainted with man, while of men I have not the smallest knowledge.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship

“I, for my share, cannot understand," continued she, "how men have made themselves believe that God speaks to us through books and histories. The man to whom the universe does not reveal directly what relation it has to him, whose heart does not tell him what he owes to himself and others, that man will scarcely learn it out of books, which generally do little more than give our errors names.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship

“Men are so inclined to content themselves with what is commonest; the spirit and the senses so easily grow dead to the impressions of the beautiful and perfect,—that every one should study, by all methods, to nourish in his mind the faculty of feeling these things. For no man can bear to be entirely deprived of such enjoyments: it is only because they are not used to taste of what is excellent that the generality of people take delight in silly and insipid things, provided they be new. For this reason," he would add, "one ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship

“The world is so waste and empty, when we figure only towns and hills and rivers in it; but to know of some one here and there whom we accord with, who is living on with us, even in silence,—this makes our earthly ball a peopled garden.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship

“Unhappily, moreover, on such occasions, a multitude of painful discoveries about my own sex were forced upon me; and, in truth, I was then wiser, as a girl of sixteen, than I now am, now that I scarcely understand myself. Why are we so wise when young,—so wise, and ever growing less so?”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship

“Kennst du das Land, wo die Zitronen blüh'n,
Im dunkeln Laub die Goldorangen glüh'n,
Ein sanfter Wind vom blauen Himmel weht,
Die Myrte still und hoch der Lorbeer steht,

Dahin! Dahin
Möcht' ich mit dir, o mein Geliebter, zieh'n.

Kennst du das Haus? Auf Säulen ruht sein Dach,
Es glänzt der Saal, es schimmert das Gemach,
Und Marmorbilder stehn und seh'n mich an:
Was hat man dir, du armes Kind, getan?
Kennst du es wohl?

Dahin! Dahin
Möcht ich mit dir, o mein Beschützer, zieh'n.

Kennst du den Berg und seinen Wolkensteg?
Das Maultier sucht im Nebel seinen Weg;
In Höhlen wohnt der Drachen alte Brut;
Es stürzt der Fels und über ihn die Flut.
Kennst du ihn wohl?

Dahin! Dahin
Geht unser Weg! o Vater, laß uns zieh'n!”
― Goethe, Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship

“He could not deny that the beauty, the youth, the gracefulness, of the countess had made some impression on him: but his nature was entirely averse to all empty gallantry, and his principles forbade any thought of more serious enterprises; so that his perplexity at this moment was in truth extreme. The fear of displeasing the countess, and that of pleasing her too well, were equally busy in his mind.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship

“We first observe how dreary and disagreeable an overclouded day is when a single sunbeam pierces through, and offers to us the exhilarating splendor of a serene hour.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship

“In all provinces of life, it is unhappily the case, that whatever is to be accomplished by a number of co-operating men and circumstances cannot long continue perfect. Of an acting company as well as of a kingdom, of a circle of friends as well as of an army, you may commonly select the moment when it may be said that all was standing on the highest pinnacle of harmony, perfection, contentment, and activity. But alterations will ere long occur; the individuals that compose the body often change; new members are added; the persons are no longer suited to the circumstances, or the circumstances to the persons; what was formerly united quickly falls asunder.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship

“... der Mensch ist dem Menschen das Interessanteste und sollte ihn vielleicht ganz allein interessieren. Alles andere, was uns umgibt, ist entweder nur Element, in dem wir leben, oder Werkzeug, dessen wir uns bedienen. Je mehr wir uns dabei aufhalten, je mehr wir daraf merken und teil daran nehmen, desto schwaecher wird das Gefuehl unsers eignen Wertes und das Gefuehl der Gesellschaft.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm Meister

“In consequence of this information, Wilhelm, with the most sedulous attention, set about preparing the piece, which was to usher him into the great world. "Hitherto," said he, "thou hast labored in silence for thyself, applauded only by a small circle of friends. Thou hast for a time despaired of thy abilities, and are yet full of anxious doubts whether even thy present path is the right one, and whether thy talent for the stage at all corresponds with thy inclination for it. In the hearing of such practised judges, in the closet where no illusion can take place, the attempt is far more hazardous than elsewhere; and yet I would not willingly recoil from the experiment: I could wish to add this pleasure to my former enjoyments, and, if it might be, to give extension and stability to my hopes from the future.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship

“Възпитателят на людете е длъжен не да предпазва от заблуда, а да ръководи заблуждаващия се, нещо повече, и да го оставя да пие от пълни чаши своите заблуди - ето къде е мъдростта на наставника. Който само вкуси от своята заблуда, дълго ще ѝ бъде привързан, дълго ще ѝ се радва като на рядко щастие, а който я изпие до дъно, непременно ще разбере, че се е заблуждавал, освен ако не е побъркан.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm Meister

“It was as if my soul were thinking separately from the body: she looked upon the body as a foreign substance, as we look upon a garment. She pictured with extreme vivacity events and times long past, and felt, by means of this, events that were to follow. Those times are all gone by; what follows likewise will go by; the body, too, will fall to pieces like a vesture; but I, the well-known I, I am.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship

“Next morning Mariana awoke only to new despondency; she felt herself very solitary; she wished not to see the light of day, but staid in bed, and wept.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm Meister (Book 1&2): Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship & Wilhelm Meister's Journeyman Years