Hermann and Dorothea
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe · Hermann und Dorothea
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1797
- Form
- Epic poetry
- Language
- German
- Length
- Short · 90 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Moderate2 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendHermann and Dorothea, translated by Ellen FrothinghamDover, 2011A nineteenth-century verse translation, reprinted; the poem has few modern English versions.
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A short idyllic epic in nine cantos of hexameters, named for the Muses. In a small German town on the Rhine, refugees fleeing the French revolutionary armies pass through, and Hermann, the son of a prosperous innkeeper, brings supplies to them and falls in love with Dorothea, a young woman caring for the others. His father wants a richer match; a pastor and an apothecary go to make inquiries among the refugees. Dorothea comes home with Hermann as a servant, and the misunderstanding is resolved in a betrothal.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Hermann and Dorothea are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
