Primary sourceBook1848 (translation; original German text earlier)
Truth and Poetry: From My Own Life
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe · 1848 (translation; original German text earlier)
Goethe's own autobiography describing his childhood, youth and early career, in an 1848 English translation.
Goethe wrote this autobiography himself, making it a direct primary source on his own early life.
About this source
What it is
This book is Goethe's autobiography, originally titled Dichtung und Wahrheit ("Poetry and Truth"), covering his early life. This edition is an 1848 English translation by John Oxenford, published in London.
Why it matters
As a primary source written by Goethe himself, this autobiography is one of the main ways historians learn how he understood his own development as a writer and thinker. The translator's note explains that the title reflects Goethe's blending of factual memory with a poetic retelling, which is important for readers to keep in mind.
Look closer
- Why might an autobiography blend "truth" and "poetry" rather than stick to plain facts?
- What does the translator's preface tell you about the challenges of bringing a German text into English?
- What parts of a life might an author choose to leave out of their own story?
This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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