The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-28
TODAY IN HISTORY
of eermany's Great Poet.
saTuRDAy AUGUST 27, 1910.

Birthday Of Germany's Great Poet'
Today Is the birthday OF Germany
great poet, Goethe Into a little lhH-
lily at Frankfort which revolved WIN
awe around clever but conceited ana
pompous father. inordinately conscious Oh
the ennobllng won In his name, Ger
many's greatest poet, Johann Woisahs
Won Goethe. was born In 1y19 Though
the family was wealthy one. highIy
esteemed by the townsfok. the boy re-
ceiyed curiously haphazard eduGa tiTo,r bnr
which might be called eccentric ratper
than defective.
Johann went to no school, but Under
his father was taught many accoinPhsn
mentS-drawing. music. Latin ltallail'
Frcnch-together with some irregular m
struction In more solid branches, w mat
Is still moro curious In q German mousse
as n matter OF form than n deep e<
perience OF the heart. To inc end w
his days and the last OF his wrll'nss;
the relation OF man to his God reTnalneo
to Goethe more or less or an enigma.
compared with the clarity OF his views
concerning the relation TO ones orotber
man.
Goethe grew up most remarkable
youth-beautlful. fiery, Just naughty
enough to pique peoples interest. so
striking altogether In appearance ana
conversation that Il is said that wnen
he entered a public school every, one
stopped and hung on his woros ana inc
attraction OF his personality.
After studying at the University os
time covering the years 1765-l7Il, he
took his degree of Iicentiate of law,
profession In which his father expected
him 10 distinguish himself
Instead OF taking any interest In leeal
matters however, young Goethe's merry
spirit poured itself forth In lyrics ana
critical essays for the press, and soon
in two dramas, ''Die Laune des Werlich
Mitschildgen" ("The Fellow Sinners")
Published anonymously, they missed tne
public eye: but two years sater, IN ITO,
he at once won admiration and literary
position by his drama, 'Gotz Won Berh-
chlnden" based on the character OF
medieval hero-knight OF that name, ana
by the world-famous sorrows ot Wer-
ther."
The effect Of this novel, which is said
TO have been written In four weeks, on
the reading public all over the continent:
IT was forbidden by law in some coun-
tries. Even far China, then the tight
est-closed land on the face OF the earth;
heard OF nWerther'" il ane sent,meniIn. nnn nina
OF emo,ionality. shot themselves with the
book in their hands.
From that time on Goethe's path to
success was easy; indeed, 1t had never
been hard. In i775 the Duke OF Sake
Wcimar invited him to live at his court
This was the poets heyday OF glory
lasting longer than heydays DO generally,
for the two great men dwelt together on
terms Of the happiest friendship until
the duke died In 1928. Goethe had ad-
minlstrative ability, and satisfactorily
filed "A number OF court offices. ranging
from director of the ducal theater TO min
!ster OF state.
In the splendid house which his patron
had built for him. the poet produced his
Stella" "Clavlgo," "Tasso," Faust
Wilhelm Meistcr' and other works
which are now German classics. His
last important undertaking was his "Au-
photography" published In 1880, Two
years later en- March -, Goethe died and
was buried beside his old friend, the
duke.
Allc-llst os is dat Of the discnn=