The Roman Elegies

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is widely considered the most important German writer, but that would truly belittle the span of his work. In fact, Goethe dabbled in poetry, drama, literature, theology and philosophy on a global stage, taking a great interest in world literature and culture. For that reason, he is a worldy figure, not simply a German one. Today Goethe is best remembered for his magnum opus "Faust," a two-part drama still considered one of the world's greatest works. Goethe is also celebrated for many of his poems, including the Bildungsroman Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship, and novels like "The Sorrows of Young Werther."
"The Roman Elegies "(originally published under the title Erotica Romana in Germany) is a series of 24 poems written by Goethe after he traveled to Italy. In addition to the Venetian Epigrams, this poetry is a look back at his journey through Italy and a celebration of Italy's classical and modern culture. At the time, the intimate nature of the work kept Goethe from publishing all of the poems based on his worry about censorship.