Of all the treasures of German poetry, this is the most precious: the lyrics of Goethe. Perhaps there are authors of the German language whose poetic works are more extensive, but there is none who has written so many poems that have remained alive to this day, none whose lyrics are more delicate and wiser, more versatile and colorful, more contemplative and passionate. Not all of his significant poems are gathered here. However, all those found here are insightful and characteristic, and therefore also significant. Above all, to put it in an old-fashioned way, they are beautiful. Marcel Reich-Ranicki. This volume collects the most beautiful poems from the extensive and unique work of Johann Wolfgang Goethe - famous as well as lesser-known, familiar as well as forgotten, edited by Marcel Reich-Ranicki.