Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann WolfgangGoethetə/; German: ; 28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German writer and statesman. His body of work includes epic and lyric poetry written in a variety of metres and styles; prose and verse dramas; memoirs; an autobiography; literary and aesthetic criticism; treatises on botany, anatomy, and colour; and four novels. In addition, numerous literary and scientific fragments, more than 10,000 letters, and nearly 3,000 drawings by him exist...
NationalityGerman
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth28 August 1749
CountryGermany
Beware of dissipating your powers; strive constantly to concentrate them. Genius thinks it can do whatever it sees others doing, but it is sure to repent every ill-judged outlay.
Whether a person shows themselves to be a genius in science or in writing a song, the only point is, whether the thought, the discovery, or the deed, is living and can live on.
Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.
Genius is formed in quiet, character in the stream of human life
Genius develops in quiet places, character out in the full current of human life
The first and last thing required of genius is the love of truth.
The first and last thing required of genius is, love of the truth.
The greatest genius will never be worth much if he pretends to draw exclusively from his own resources.
Beauty and Genius must be kept afar if one would avoid becoming their slave.
Humor is one of the elements of genius--admirable as an adjunct; but as soon as it becomes dominant, only a surrogate for genius.
The first and last thing required of genius is the love of truth. [Ger., Das erste und letzte, was vom Genie gefordert wird, ist Wahreits-Liebe.]
There is no greater consolation for mediocrity than that the genius is not immortal.
It is the great triumph of genius to make the common appear novel.
The greatest genius will not be worth much if he pretends to draw exclusively from his own resources