Mittelbarkeit

The way in which Goethe changed his style in his later writings is best described by the idea of ‘indirectness’ in contrast to the classic phase of his career in the 1790s. As the symbolic moment with its timeless and direct significance dominated at that time, the elderly Goethe felt compelled to change his style of writing due to the circumstances in the new century. Indirectness, mirroring, reflection and ‘interpreting’ the moment now became decisive elements in his work, which can be understood as the principles of indirectness: Goethe’s reaction against the direct expression of ideas in literature.
In this publication, Gerhart Pickerodt, who worked as a professor of modern German literature in Marburg for 30 years, addresses Goethe’s new poetic inspirations in seven essays, analysing them using examples.