She was indeed the first whom I loved deeply and truly. I can also say that she has been the last. She – that is Lili Schönemann, an equally attractive and intelligent daughter from a wealthy family, whom the young Goethe met at a piano evening. Shortly thereafter, he began to entertain thoughts of marriage. Suspiciously kept at a distance by Lili's brothers, who had a better match in mind for their just sixteen-year-old sister, Goethe soon had to realize that he would not meet the demands of her family. This led to a break. Dagmar von Gersdorff brings this love story back to life before the eyes of the reader. All the poems that Goethe wrote to Lili, as well as his letters and diary entries, are printed in this volume. Even in old age, Goethe was preoccupied with the time he was engaged to Lili. Even decades later, it is said.