Schiller, thinks he, had been less of a bore 
If only he’d read the Bible more. 
One could have nothing but praise for The Bell 
If it featured the Resurrection as well, 
Or told how, on a little ass, 
Christ into the town did pass; 
While David’s defeat of the Philistine 
Would have added something to Wallenstein. 


* Pusthkuchen—a punning reference to Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Pustkuchen, 
author of Wilhelm Meisters Wanderjahre, based on Wilhelm Meisters Wanderjahre by 
Goethe. Pustkuchen also means “puff cake”, hence “hot air” or “nonsense” .— Ed. 


Early Literary Experiments 579 


2 


Goethe can give the ladies a fright, 
For elderly women he’s not quite right. 
He understood Nature, but this is the quarrel, 
He wouldn’t round Nature off with a moral. 
He should have got Luther’s doctrine off pat 
And made up his poetry out of that. 
He had beautiful thoughts, if sometimes odd, 
But omitted to mention —“Made by God”. 


3 

Extremely strange is this desire 

To elevate Goethe higher and higher. 
How low in actual fact his reach — 
Did he ever give us a sermon to preach? 

Show me in Goethe solid ground 

For Peasant or Pedagogue to expound. 
Such a genius marked with the stamp of the Lord 
That a sum in arithmetic had him floored. 


4 


Hear Faust in the full authentic version; 

The Poet’s account is sheer perversion. 
Faust was up to his ears in debts, 
Was dissolute, played at cards for bets. 

No offer of help from above was extended, 

So he wanted it all ignominiously ended. 
But was overwhelmed by a fearful sensation 
Of Hell and the anguish of desperation. 

He then devoted due reflection 

To Knowledge, Deed, Life, Death, and Perdition; 
And on these topics had much to say 
In a darkly mystical sort of way. 

Couldn’t the Poet have managed to tell 

How debts lead man to the Devil and Hell. 
Who loses his credit may well conceivably 
Forfeit redemption quite irretrievably. 


5 
Since Faust at Easter had the gall 
To think, why trouble the Devil at all? 
Who dares to think on Easter Day 
Is doomed to Hell-fire anyway. 


580 


Karl Marx 


6 


Credibility too is defied. 
The Police would soon have had enough! 
They’d surely have had him clapped inside 
For running up debts and making off! 


7 


Vice alone could elevate Faust, 
Who really loved himself the most. 
God and the World he dared to doubt, 
Though Moses thought they’d both worked out. 
Silly young Gretchen had to adore him 
Instead of getting his conscience to gnaw him, 
Telling him he was the Devil’s prey, 
And the Day of Judgment was well on the way. 


8 


There’s use for the “Beautiful Soul”. It’s simple: 
Just trim it with specs and a nun’s wimple. 
“What God hath done is right well done,” 

Thus the true Poet hath begun.