Limits of humanity (Goethe)
Limits of Humanity is a poem written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in 1781 or shortly before . It is continued in The Divine . It belongs to the Weimar Classic era .
content
At first the poem is characterized by gestures of humility towards the "Holy Spirit". Man is asked to show deference, and there is a warning about hubris "for any man should not measure himself with gods". He (man) should not even compare himself with vines or oaks, but stand firmly on the ground. Limits of mankind can therefore be compared with Ganymede , who strikes a similar tone, but in a "more moderate form". But one should not look at the poem alone, but always, as with Prometheus and Ganymede, also keep the divine in view.
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Kurt Rothmann: Literary knowledge for school and study: Johann Wolfgang Goethe . Ed .: Philipp Reclam jun. GmbH & Co. 1st edition. No. 15201 . Reclam, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-15-015201-1 , pp. 66-68 .