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Autograph poem in German, signed "J. W. v. Goethe," one page, 7 x 6.5, July 16, 1821. Goethe pens his poem 'Fünf andere [Five Others],' from his seminal 1819 collection of poetry, West–östlicher Divan [West–Eastern Diwan]. In full (translated): "What makes time short to me? / Activity! / What makes it long and spiritless? / 'Tis idleness! / What brings us to debt? / To delay and forget! / What makes us succeed? / Decision with speed / How to fame to ascend? / Oneself to defend!" Housed in an 8.75 x 8.5 presentation folder. In fine condition. Accompanied by a mailing envelope from German antiquarian bookseller and art dealer Paul Graupe, sending the poem to a friend at Klinik La Moubra in Switzerland, plus a brief handwritten note.
Also accompanied by a brief family history, which holds that Paul Graupe "gave the poem to my mother's Aunt Margaret (my grandmother's sister), who was born in 1909, now deceased. Aunt Margaret and Paul Graupe met when they were both patients at La Moubra in Wallis, Switzerland before the war. He was prone to giving his friends gifts on special occasions. Paul Graupe was quite wealthy, Jewish, and had a deformity; one leg being shorter than the other, a birth defect…After Mr. Graupe went back to Germany, Aunt Margaret never heard from anyone who knew what happened to him."
First published in 1819 and expanded in 1827, West–östlicher Divan stands among Goethe’s most celebrated late works, inspired by his profound engagement with Persian poetry, particularly the verse of Hafez. Conceived as a poetic dialogue between East and West, the collection reflects Goethe’s fascination with comparative religion and the universality of artistic expression. Blending lyric intensity with philosophical reflection, the Divan explores themes of love, temporality, faith, and self-knowledge, embodying Goethe’s ideal of a world literature (Weltliteratur) that transcends national and cultural boundaries.
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