The Marienbad Elegy by Stefan Zweig. Short summary

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An elderly Goethe falls in love with a girl and composes «The Marienbad Elegy.» Every day a friend reads this poem to him and the poet is cured of his passion.

1 minute

At the age of seventy-four Goethe became seriously ill. He was tormented by a severe fever.

Suddenly the illness passed and Goethe felt young and healthy. The elderly poet began to seek the company of ladies and in Marinbad passionately fell in love with a young girl.

Goethe persuaded his old friend to ask for her hand. He was given an uncertain answer.

Tormented by love, he left. On the road Goethe composed «Marienbad elegy. In the poem he expressed all his pain and passion.

Arriving in Eger, the poet falls ill. The doctor, who examined him, was surprised to realize that the old man suffers from an unrequited passion.

To heal the poet, a friend began reading Goethe every day «Marienbad elegy. The poet gradually came to his senses and his love affliction disappeared.

Cured of his passion, Goethe sits down to write «The Years of Wanderings» and «Faust.