Hermann and Dorothea
First published 1797 · English · 112 pages
- Poetry
- Epic poetry
Hermann and Dorothea is a narrative poem in hexameters, set in a small German town during the upheavals that followed the French Revolution. Hermann, the son of an innkeeper, meets a young refugee woman among displaced people on the road. He is drawn to her, but family expectations and uncertainty stand in the way. Goethe sets a simple love story against large events, praising ordinary decency, home and steadfastness in troubled times.