What literary movement did Goethe help initiate with his work "The Sorrows of Young Werther"?

Goethe’s "The Sorrows of Young Werther" is widely recognized as a seminal work in the Romantic literary movement, which emerged in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This novel encapsulates many of the central themes of Romanticism, such as the exploration of deep emotional experiences, the emphasis on individualism, and a profound appreciation for nature and the human spirit. The story centers around Werther, whose intense feelings of love and despair reflect the Romantic ideal of the passionate and sensitive individual, often in conflict with societal norms.

Romanticism emerged as a reaction against the Enlightenment's focus on reason and the structured methodologies of Classicism, celebrating instead emotion, intuition, and the personal experiences of the individual. Goethe's passionate narrative, coupled with its focus on the human psyche and the subjective experience of love and suffering, helped pave the way for this movement. The novel became a catalyst for Romantic literature, influencing countless writers and artists who came after.

In contrast, Modernism, Realism, and Postmodernism are later literary movements that diverge substantially from the themes and concerns that characterize Romanticism. Modernism, for example, focuses on disillusionment and fragmented realities following World War I, while Realism