Margaret Fuller’s Reading Worlds

Author

Friedrich Schiller(1759–1805)

Fuller read Schiller and Goethe together during her German immersion years (1832–1839) and never fully separated them. She transcribed the Aesthetic Letters in her manuscript notebooks, studied the plays, and returned to both throughout her career. Where Goethe represented the empirical and the worldly, Schiller embodied passionate idealism — a distinction she drew explicitly and believed. “I wish I could write a play like Wallenstein — then die.” Wallenstein remained her most-cited Schiller work; she analyzed it as a study of how great men shape the lives around them without those lives feeling it. Maria Stuart, Don Carlos, Die Künstler, Das Lied von der Glocke, and the Aesthetic Letters all appear across letters, manuscripts, and published essays, and the Schiller–Goethe correspondence was read as a document of intellectual friendship as much as a literary source.

Engagement
TranslatedExcerptedAnalyzedQuotedReadMentioned
Translated
  • Selected passages translated in the manuscript notebooks — no standalone published translation
Present in
Letters · Books · Essays · Journals · Notebooks · Manuscripts
Documented
1825–1847

Additional passages preserved in the Memoirs (1852)

Totals count documented engagements, once at the earliest witness. How we count →

Reprints, Memoirs passages, and repeat notes within a single manuscript are shown but never counted twice. Evidence for this author is selective, not exhaustive. Methodology →

Confirmed reading

Passages where the evidence goes beyond allusion to indicate that Fuller had Friedrich Schiller’s work in hand — an explicit statement of reading, sustained excerpting or translation, or a specific reading episode recorded by those who knew her.

  • Dated
  • 1832Work not namedPossiblePosthumous testimony

    “within the year she had read the most important works of Goethe and Schiller, with the writings of Tieck, Korner, Bichter, and Novalis”

    Mem-3 Reminiscences of Edna Cheney · She began the study of German in 1832 ... within the year

    Same dated 1832-1833 claim regarding Schiller.

  • 1833Work not namedPossiblePosthumous testimony

    “within the year had read the most important works of Goethe and Schiller”

    Mem-4 Margaret Fuller by Julia Ward Howe · within the year of 1832

    Same dated (1832-33) explicit 'had read' statement naming Schiller.

  • 1835Work not namedAttested

    “Fuller responded to her reading of Jacques Pierre Brissot and Schiller by planning "two tragedies on the history of G[ustavus] A[dolphus]”

    Letters of Margaret Fuller ed. Hudspeth · Reading Journal for 13 March 1835

    Same dated Reading Journal entry documenting her reading of Schiller.

Phases of engagement

  1. 1825–1831

    First encounters — initial exposure before the systematic German immersion; Schiller enters alongside other German literature.

  2. 1832–1839

    German immersion years — peak engagement: the Aesthetic Letters transcribed in the notebooks, Wallenstein analyzed across multiple sittings, Schiller read alongside and in dialogue with Goethe.

  3. 1840–1847

    Sustained but quieter — Schiller remains present in essays and letters through the Dial and Tribune years; Maria Stuart and Don Carlos appear, and Carlyle’s Life of Schiller is referenced.

In Fuller’s words

“Read Schiller all the afternoon. I wish I could write a play like Wallenstein and pour on fine poetry — then die. Yet his lofty enthusiasm is not of that sort which serves us for the endurance of common life.”
Manuscript notebook · c. 1833 — Wallenstein
“Whoever reads these treatises of Schiller with attention, will perceive that they depend on principles of an immensely higher and more complex character than our “Essays on Taste.””
Manuscript notebook · 1833 — Briefe über die ästhetische Erziehung des Menschen
“’T is finely manifested in Wallenstein, where the two common men sum up their superficial observations... and show that, not until this agitating crisis, have they caught any idea of the deep thoughts which shaped that hero.”
Letter · 1829 — Wallenstein
“T is finely manifested in Wallenstein, where the two common men sum up their superficial observations on the life and doings of Wallenstein, and show that, not until this agitating crisis, have they caught any idea of the deep thoughts which shaped that hero, who has, without their feeling it moulded their existence.”
Wallenstein · Letter to Unknown · 1829
“Whoever reads these treatises of Schiller with attention, will perceive that they depend on principles of an immensely higher and more complex character than our 'Essays on Taste' and our 'Inquiries concerning the freedom of the will' — The laws of [...] These Letters on Aesthetick culture, without the aid of any thing which the most sceptical could designate as superstition trace out”
Briefe über die ästhetische Erziehung des Menschen [Letters on the Aesthetic Education of Man] · Journal 1833–1842
“faith these words though indeed we hear them most [frequent?] / Im Munde der Guten und Besten / Schallen vergeblich; ihr Klang ist leer / yet indeed they have power, helfen und trosten, / But no man lives up to them; they only serve as cement / to his mental edifice. / Das Rechte, das Gute findet ewig Streit, / Nie wird der Fiend ihm entiezen.”
"Die Worte des Wahns" [The Words of Delusion] · Journal Fragments

When Fuller engaged with Friedrich Schiller

I. Childhood
II. Adolescence3records
III. Self-Directed14records
IV. Transcendentalist18records
V. New York13records
VI. Europe12records
✦. Memoirs (1852)5records
1810
1820
1832
1836
1844
1846
1850

Schiller in Fuller’s reading world

Translated by Fuller

  • Selected passages in the manuscript notebooks (no standalone published translation)

Analyzed in depth

  • Wallenstein (trilogy: Wallensteins Lager, Die Piccolomini, Wallensteins Tod)·
  • Briefe über die ästhetische Erziehung des Menschen [Letters on Aesthetic Education]·
  • Maria Stuart·
  • Don Carlos, Infant von Spanien·
  • Die Künstler [The Artists]·
  • Das Lied von der Glocke [The Song of the Bell]·
  • Die Ideale

Further works

  • Schiller–Goethe Correspondence·
  • Wilhelm Tell

Further works documented in the catalogue

Manuscripts on digitalfuller.org

Transcribed from originals at Houghton Library, Harvard, and the Boston Public Library. The manuscripts are not supplementary — they are the evidence.

Documentary evidence

Selected passages from Fuller’s own writings, in chronological order.

1825—

Reading Notebook 1825–1827

p. 63
excerpted · quoted · readSearch Digital Fuller (page unverified)
“Bethink we duly, then what 'vantage / From conflux of weak efforts springs … The glory 'tis of man's estate / Thereto the boon he did receive / That he in mind should contemplate / What with his hands he doth achieve.”

Fuller, Margaret. "Reading Notebook 1825–1827." Houghton Library, Harvard University.

Fuller copies verses and attributes them to 'a miserable translation of Schiller.' The specific Schiller work is not identified in the notebook.

1829—

Journal Entry December 1829

p1
analyzed · readSearch Digital Fuller (page unverified)
“Tis finely manifested in Wallenstein, where the two common men sum up their superficial observations on the life and doings of Wallenstein, and show that, not until this agitating crisis, have they caught any idea of the deep thoughts which shaped that Hero, who has, without their feeling it moulded their existences.”

Fuller, Margaret. "Journal Entry December 1829." Houghton Library, Harvard University; bMS Am 1086.

1829—

Letter to Unknown

p156
analyzed · read
“T is finely manifested in Wallenstein, where the two common men sum up their superficial observations on the life and doings of Wallenstein, and show that, not until this agitating crisis, have they caught any idea of the deep thoughts which shaped that hero, who has, without their feeling it moulded their existence.”

Fuller, Margaret. The Letters of Margaret Fuller. Edited by Robert N. Hudspeth. Vol. I. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1983.

1833—

Letter to James F. Clarke

read2 selected passages
“while reading them believed them to be translated from Schiller”

Inferred Fuller's ability to mistake Clarke's verses for translations from Schiller demonstrates her familiarity with Schiller's poetic style, indicating she read German literature extensively in this period.

“There is no freedom save in the hope of a better existence?- And in believing this I trust I do not sin against thy creed 0 Schiller.”

Inferred Fuller directly addresses Schiller with the invocation 'thy creed O Schiller,' associating him with an idealist philosophy of freedom and hope in a better existence. No specific work is cited; this is an author-only reference drawing on Schiller's philosophical reputation.

Fuller, Margaret. The Letters of Margaret Fuller. Edited by Robert N. Hudspeth. Vol. VI. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1988.

1833—

Journal 1833–1834

p33
excerpted · analyzed · read
“Scene from Schiller’s “Robbers” so admiringly mentioned by Coleridge / Act IIId.”

Fuller, Margaret. "Journal 1833–1834." Houghton Library, Harvard University; bMS Am 1086 (4); Box 5 (83).

Fuller’s extract runs from pages 33–49 of the manuscript and is a substantial verbatim transcription (in English translation) of the Karl von Moor scenes with Grimm, Schwarz, Schweizer, Spiegelberg, and Kosinsky.

1833—

Journal Fragments

p. 14
readManuscript page
“to my favorite Mr Emerson! _ More German. Schiller's Demetrius_”

Fuller, Margaret. "Journal Fragments." Houghton Library, Harvard University.

1833—

Letter to James F. Clarke

p188
analyzed · read4 selected passages
“Clarke was translating Schiller's Jungfrau von Orleans.”

Hudspeth identified that Clarke was translating Schiller's Jungfrau von Orleans and that Hedge had praised Clarke's qualifications to translate transcendentalism.

“the faith which a Schiller could never attain,—a faith in the power of the human will.”
“I know I can sympathize with all who feel and think, from a Dryfesdale up to a Max Piccolomini.”

Inferred Inferred from Max Piccolomini, as a major character in Schiller's Die Piccolomini and Wallensteins Tod (parts II and III of the Wallenstein trilogy).

“What would you have? If you want sympathy read Schiller.”

Fuller, Margaret. The Letters of Margaret Fuller. Vol. I: 1817-1838. Edited by Robert N. Hudspeth. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1983.

1834—

Letter to Amelia Greenwood

p201
read
“the hist and critical works of Goethe and Schiller”

Fuller, Margaret. "To Amelia Greenwood, 10 March 1834." In The Letters of Margaret Fuller, Vol. I: 1817–1838, edited by Robert N. Hudspeth, 201–202. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1983.

Inferred Fuller names 'the hist and critical works of Goethe and Schiller' as part of her winter study course, referring to Schiller's histories of the Netherlands and the Thirty Years' War as well as his critical aesthetic writings.

1834—

Journal 1833–1834

p81
excerpted · quoted · read
“To my Friends — Schiller / Beloved Friends!”

Fuller, Margaret. "Journal 1833–1834." Houghton Library, Harvard University; bMS Am 1086 (4); Box 5 (83).

Inferred Poem attributed to Schiller in the manuscript header ‘To my Friends — Schiller’; identified as ‘An die Freunde’ (also titled ‘Die Freunde’). Fuller explicitly attributes the poem to Schiller and copies out two stanzas in English translation (pp. 81–85, duplicated in pages 83–85). Earth has known brighter days.’ The title is inferred because the manuscript header says only ‘To my Friends — Schiller’, not the German title.

Poem attributed to Schiller in the manuscript header ‘To my Friends — Schiller’; identified as ‘An die Freunde’ (also titled ‘Die Freunde’). Fuller explicitly attributes the poem to Schiller and copies out two stanzas in English translation (pp. 81–85, duplicated in pages 83–85).

1834—

Letter to Amelia

p3
readManuscript page
“The hist and critical works of Goethe and Schiller, and the outlines of history of our own country.”

Fuller, Margaret. "Letter to Amelia." Houghton Library, Harvard University; bMS Am 1086.

Inferred Author plain (not 'Inferred') because Fuller explicitly names Schiller.

1834—

Fragmentary Reading Notes and Autobiographical Reflections

p2
analyzed · quoted · read4 selected passagesManuscript page
“Schiller rejoiced in the death of Gustavus Adolphus because he dreaded such a reaction.”

Inferred Fuller mentions Schiller's view on Gustavus Adolphus; the context of Schiller's historical and dramatic treatment of Gustavus Adolphus appears in his History of the Thirty Years' War (1791) and is the background for Wallenstein. Fuller's notes compare characters ('Carlos', 'Max') from Wallenstein to the Gustavus Adolphus dramas she proposes — indicating she has read Schiller's dramatic and/or historical works.

Fuller attributes to Schiller a view about the death of Gustavus Adolphus and the danger of political reaction.

“more various, less vehement than Carlos / more reflective than Max… A work like Wallenstein”
“more various, less vehement than Carlos”

Inferred Character 'Carlos' named — Carlos is the protagonist of Schiller's Don Carlos (1787), a character Fuller explicitly contrasts with her proposed Gustavus. Fuller names 'Carlos' as a character point of comparison ('more various, less vehement than Carlos').

“With Schiller / O venture thou on earth to dream and rove / Deep meaning often lies in childish play! - / O Friedrich why did you not cultivate that high acquirement.”

Two lines beginning 'O venture thou on earth to dream and rove / Deep meaning often lies in childish play!' attributed to Schiller, followed by a direct address to 'O Friedrich.' Specific lyric not identified.

Fuller, Margaret. "Fragmentary Reading Notes and Autobiographical Reflections." Houghton Library, Harvard University.

1835—

Letter to James F. Clarke

p237
read
“[From Hudspeth footnote 1: 'Fuller responded to her reading of Jacques Pierre Brissot and Schiller by planning "two tragedies on the history of G[ustavus] A[dolphus]"']”

Fuller, Margaret. The Letters of Margaret Fuller. Edited by Robert N. Hudspeth. Vol. I. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1983.

Inferred Based on Hudspeth, Fuller's Reading Journal from 1835 indicates she read Schiller alongside Brissot for her Gustavus Adolphus research. The most relevant works would be his Geschichte des Dreißigjährigen Krieges (1791–93), which covers the Thirty Years War including Gustavus Adolphus's campaigns, or the Wallenstein trilogy (1800).

Based on Hudspeth, Fuller's Reading Journal from 1835 indicates she read Schiller alongside Brissot for her Gustavus Adolphus research.

Preserved in the Memoirs (1852)

Passages surviving only in the posthumous Memoirs of Margaret Fuller Ossoli, compiled by Emerson, Channing, and Clarke.

1852—

Memoirs of Margaret Fuller Ossoli

p107
analyzed · read9 selected passages
“the faith which a Schiller could never attain, — a faith in the power of the human will”

Inferred Margaret Fuller invokes Friedrich Schiller, referencing his known philosophical focus on the human will and a faith therein, which she posits he himself "could never attain." While no specific work is cited, this allusion reflects Fuller's considered engagement with Schiller's broader intellectual contributions, particularly prevalent during her Cambridge years and her intensive study of his writings.

“I know I can sympathise with all who feel and think, from a Dryfesdale up to a Max Piccolomini.”

Inferred Margaret Fuller's reference to "Max Piccolomini" identifies Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller's dramatic cycle, Wallenstein (specifically Die Piccolomini and Wallensteins Tod, both 1799).

“all of Schiller's principal dramas, and his lyric poetry”

Inferred Margaret Fuller engaged extensively with the works of Friedrich Schiller in her first year of German studies, reading "all of Schiller's principal dramas, and his lyric poetry." While no single item is definitively identified, her familiarity with major dramatic cycles like the Wallenstein trilogy and individual plays such as Maria Stuart, Die Jungfrau von Orleans, and Wilhelm Tell is evident, alongside an appreciation for his lyric poetry, including pieces like "Die Künstler" and his ballads.

“I have been reading the 'Revolt in the Netherlands' with intense interest, and have reflected much upon it.”
“the historical and critical works of Goethe and Schiller”

Inferred In March 1834, Margaret Fuller outlined a rigorous winter study plan that included Friedrich Schiller's "historical and critical works." While no specific title by Schiller is identified within this passage, Fuller's inclusion of these writings signals her engagement with the influential German poet and philosopher's intellectual contributions as part of her systematic intellectual development.

“she had read German books, and for the three years before I knew her, almost exclusively, — Lessing, Schiller, Richter, Tieck, Novalis, and, above all, Goethe.”

Inferred Margaret Fuller engaged with the works of German authors, including Friedrich Schiller, whom she read extensively in the years preceding her acquaintance with Emerson. This passage suggests a deep immersion in the German literary tradition, highlighting Schiller as a significant figure among her preferred authors alongside Goethe, Lessing, Richter, Tieck, and Novalis.

“Reading Schiller's introduction to the Wars of the League, I have been led back to my old friend, the Duke of Sully, and his charming king.”

Margaret Fuller engaged with Friedrich Schiller's introductory essay to his History of the Thirty Years' War, a work she identifies as concerning the "Wars of the League." In this passage, the text prompts Fuller to recall her previous engagement with the Duke of Sully, suggesting a thematic connection or resonance between Schiller's historical account and her prior literary explorations.

“How natural is the love of Wallenstein for Max”
“like Schiller's poet. But the difference between American and German regulations would seem to be, that in 'Germany the poet, when not "with Jove," is left at 'peace on earth”

Inferred This entry identifies Friedrich Schiller's 1795 poem "Die Teilung der Erde" (The Division of the Earth).

Emerson, Ralph Waldo, William Henry Channing, and James Freeman Clarke, eds. Memoirs of Margaret Fuller Ossoli. 2 vols. Boston: Phillips, Sampson and Company, 1852.

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