Goethe's poems are among the most vibrant works alongside Faust. With the poems from his youth, he provided the Germans for the first time with verses that seem to be shaped by the heartbeat—creations of compelling linguistic power. The lyricism of his later years is less driven by the tone of experience, feeling, and mood, and more by a world wisdom filtered through experience and a passionate intensity that is transcended in linguistic form. Mastery is the signature of this lyricism. The collection presented here does not offer a selection in the usual sense. Instead, it aims for a concentration that brings the essence of Goethe's poems to the reader's mind.