German Love Poems, Ballades and Sonnets

Here is a small overview of German ballads, sonnets and love poems. The titles of the poetry are usually in German too but for understanding,

I translated them as well.

German love poems

"Welcome and Farewell" by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"The Lover Again" by Rainer Maria Rilke

"In a cool ground" by Joseph von Eichendorff

"I Think of Thee" by Martin Opitz

"Love Song" by Paul Fleming

"The Lover Writes" by Friedrich Hölderlin

"To Anna Blume" by Kurt Schwitters

"Annette" by Eduard Mörike

"My Heart" by Heinrich Heine

"Love Poem" by Theodor Storm

German Sonnets

A sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines, usually in a specific rhyme scheme. There are two main types of sonnets: the Italian sonnet and the English sonnet. Here are some of the most famous German ones:

"On a Christmas Flower" by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

"The Sorcerer's Apprentice" by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"To Joy" by Friedrich Schiller

"To an Aeolian Harp" by August Wilhelm Schlegel

"To the Parzen" by Friedrich Hölderlin

"The Lovers" by Rainer Maria Rilke

"The Carousel" by Rainer Maria Rilke

"Autumn Day" by Rainer Maria Rilke

"Dream Crowned" by Stefan George

"You are like a Flower" by Heinrich Heine

This list is incomplete, there are many other German sonnets, but these poems are among the best-known and most widely read in German literature.

German Ballades

A ballad is a narrative poem that often has a dramatic plot and a recurring refrain pattern. German literature is known for its many famous ballads. Here are some examples:

"The Erlking" by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

"The Lorelei" by Heinrich Heine

"The Glove" by Friedrich Schiller

"John Maynard" by Theodor Fontane

"The Sorcerer's Apprentice" by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"The Surety" by Friedrich Schiller

"The Ring of Polycrates" by Friedrich Schiller

"The Grenadiers" by Heinrich Heine

"Lenore" by Gottfried August Bürger

"The Dance of Death" by Josef von Eichendorff

Of course, this list needs to be completed, as there are many other famous German ballads. German literature is known for its various lyrical forms and styles, and the ballad is among the most famous and popular.