Römische Elegien

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"Römische Elegien" by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is a cycle of 24 poems written between 1788 and 1790. After returning from his Italian journey, Goethe composed these elegies celebrating sensual love in Rome. The poems follow a speaker's passionate affair with "Faustina," blending erotic experience with classical education. Written in distich form following ancient models, the elegies merge physical desire with artistic inspiration. Due to their explicit content, Goethe initially withheld four poems, publishing only twenty in 1795. The complete cycle appeared uncensored in 1914.