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In a lush, imagined garden the narrator tends the blossoms of desire, using the language of myth and horticulture to frame love’s first stirrings. Drawing on the voices of Priapus, Cupid, and the ancient streets of Rome, the opening weaves together sensual poetry and vivid descriptions of marble temples, bustling piazzas, and hidden chambers where intimacy awakens.
The journey unfolds as the speaker wanders through the eternal city’s palazzos and ruins, guided by a mischievous Cupid who offers fresh roses and whispered promises. Each encounter is rendered with a tactile honesty—silk versus homespun, the creak of a modest bed, the heat of a stolen kiss—capturing the tension between public grandeur and private longing.
Rendered in lyrical prose, the work invites listeners to savor the interplay of ancient myth and human passion, presenting a timeless meditation on how love can both cultivate and uproot. Its rich imagery and gentle humor make the early chapters a captivating immersion into a world where every stone seems to hum with desire.
Language
en
Duration
~40 minutes (39K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Harry Haile, Mike Pullen, and David Widger
Release date
2005-04-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1749–1832
A giant of German literature, this poet, playwright, and thinker helped shape European culture with works that still feel vivid today. Best known for Faust and The Sorrows of Young Werther, he brought together storytelling, philosophy, and a lifelong curiosity about the natural world.
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by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe