Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Theory of Colours is a book by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe about the poet's views on the nature of colours and how these are perceived by humans. Published in 1810, it contains detailed descriptions of phenomena such as coloured shadows, refraction, and chromatic aberration. The work originated in Goethe's occupation …

Goethe viewed the writing of poetry as essentially autobiographical, and the works selected in this volume represent more than sixty years in the life of the poet. In early poems such as 'Prometheus,' he rails against religion in an almost ecstatic fervor, while 'To the Moon' is an enigmatic meditation on the end of a …