The Country Schoolmaster
A young man returns to his rural hometown after a period of education and becomes the village schoolmaster. He struggles with the limitations of his position and the expectations placed upon him by the community. His relationships with the villagers are strained, particularly with the local pastor who sees him as a threat. The young man's attempts to modernize the school and improve the lives of the children are met with resistance from the traditionalists in the village.
By Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe · First published 1774 · Genre: Poetry, Satire, Fable · 329 words
First lines
I. A MASTER of a country school Jump'd up one day from off his stool, Inspired with firm resolve to try To gain the best society; So to the nearest baths he walk'd, And into the saloon he stalk'd. He felt quite... startled at the door, Ne'er having seen the like before. To the first stranger made he now A very low and graceful bow, But quite forgot to bear in mind That people also stood behind; His left-hand neighbor's paunch he struck A grievous blow, by great ill luck; Pardon for this he first entreated, And then in haste his bow repeated. His right hand neighbor next he hit, And begg'd him, too, to pardon it; But on his granting his petition, Another was in like condition; These compliments he paid to all, Behind, before, across the hall; At length one who could stand no more, Show'd him impatiently the door.
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is written in verse, employing rhyme and meter, characteristic of poetry.
- Satire — It critiques social behavior and manners through humorous situations and character interactions.
- Fable — It conveys moral lessons through the actions and experiences of the protagonist.
- Comedy — The humorous misadventures of the schoolmaster create a light-hearted tone.
Tags
Coming-of-age · Satire · Social commentary · Literary realism · German literature · 19th century literature · Novel · Autobiographical elements · Education · School life · Teacher-student relationships · Class struggle
What this Textopian page supports
The Country Schoolmaster is listed on Textopian as a poem by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, dated 1774 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
- Date: 1774 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Satire, Fable, Comedy, Narrative
- Length: 329 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Country Schoolmaster by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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