Tuesday, December 10, 2013

ABC Wednesday

The letter this week is V

I am stretching a little by choosing Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and his quote from Faust, Part 1, but it has been one I cherished all my life and was in the first teen-age collection of poetry I gathered and sighed over, during the Second World War.....
 
If the whole world I once could see
on free soil stand, with the people free,
Then to that moment would I say
'linger awhile, so fair thou art'. 
 
always, so apropos
 
von Goethe, a German writer was born in August of 1749 and died in March of 1832
 
George Eliot called him 'Germany's greatest man of letters" and his works span
the fields of poetry, drama, literature, theology, humanism and science.
 
 
for more interesting takes on the letter V (or v)
visit here at ABC Wednesday
with thanks to Denise and Roger and, verily, all their helpers.
 
 

11 comments:

Leslie: said...

Good choice for V week!

Leslie
abcw team

Roger Owen Green said...

Never knew Goethe was a Von. There's a Goethe Street in Binhghamton, NY, and they pronounce it Go-EE-thee!



ROG, ABCW

Hazel said...

I know a couple of people who named their sons "von;" like Roger I didn't know Goethe was a von either.

Hazel

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

Good choice and a choice quote.

The Weaver of Grass said...

It might me a bit of a tenuous choice using von Hildred but you are forgiven because it is such a beautiful verse - and so true.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Of course I don't do the alphabet meme, but I can't imagine anyone would complain about your choice. It's a beautiful poem, lovely to learn a little history of the author (as always) and a lovely bonus to share a poem that has been your life-long favorite.

Carver said...

I think that's a great idea to uses a Von for V week.

uberrhund said...

Perfectly good post for V~ Von and Verse!
Oddly enough my daughter and I were discussing Faust yesterday and thinking we should revisit the works of Goethe since we both read them as teenagers and might have a different take on the content now at the ages of 33 & 54...I think we will take away something more, something we did not absorb before as youngsters.
Have a great rest of the week!

Amar said...

von for V is a perfect entry :)

Reader Wil said...

Goeth was a great writer indeed, but it has been a long time since I read his Faust for my examination of German.Good choice.
Wil, ABCW Team.

Along These Lines ... said...

No stretch, good V choice