ABSTRACT
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's West-ostlicher Divan does not denote a sudden enchantment with the East, for the poet had long been engaged by Oriental mythology. Goethe's mystical experience, characterized by serenity, joy and a 'temporary rejuvenation', is affirmed in the new epoch of enhanced productivity. Goethe's parody develops a leitmotif from Persian poetry where the eyes are often associated with notions of magic and intoxication. In 'Geheimes' the lovers' world is transfigured through eyes of love, yet Goethe integrates this visual sensibility with inward vision. Goethe's flirtatious air is captured in the vocal line as Franz Schubert illustrates in music how the lover almost betrays his secret, so strong is his joy. In 'Geheimes' and 'Versunken', Goethe uses art to mythologize his life, and his aesthetic reveals the work of a mature poet. A pendant to 'Geheimes', 'Versunken' is Schubert's first Goethe setting of 1821 and the first of the Divan settings.
