Vanitas! Vanitatum Vanitas!

Series: The Poems of Goethe

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

The work is a philosophical poem that explores the themes of transience and the fleeting nature of human existence. It is written from the perspective of a skull, which serves as a symbol for mortality and the inevitability of death. The poem begins with an address to the reader, in which the skull warns them against the dangers of vanity and the pursuit of material wealth. The speaker then goes on to describe the various ways in which people waste their lives on fleeting pleasures and superficial pursuits. Throughout... AI Generated Content

~1774 CE

Available in: English