The Sorrows of Young Werther

Sturm und Drang, or “Storm and Stress,” is a literary movement that emerged in 18th-century Germany as a reaction to the Enlightenment’s rationalism and neoclassical conventions. At the time, the Enlightenment dominated the literary and intellectual landscape in Western Europe, emphasizing reason, order, and adherence to classical forms. However, this rationalistic approach stifled many young writers’ burgeoning emotional and imaginative capacities. The rigid rules of neoclassicism, inspired by ancient Greek and Roman models, left little room for personal expression and creativity. Writers of the Sturm und Drang movement sought to break free from the constraints of reason and embrace emotional intensity, individualism, and natural expression. These writers included Johann Gottfried Herder, Johann Georg Hamann, Friedrich Schiller, and most prominently, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Works of this genre tend to have a few key features. Sturm und Drang literature celebrates the individual and explores the human experience, giving precedence to subjective feelings and personal intuition. Characters are vessels for exploring intense emotions and the complexities of the human psyche. Nature plays a significant role, not merely as a backdrop but as an active participant in the narrative, mirroring the characters’ tumultuous emotions and inner conflicts.