Weltschmerz

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Weltschmerz (German: [ˈvɛltʃmɛɐ̯ts] ; literally "world-pain") is a literary concept describing the refusal or incapacity to accept the world as it is, creating a deep sadness at the state of the world. It results in "a mood of weariness or sadness about life arising from the acute awareness of evil and suffering". The term was coined by the German Romantic author Jean Paul in his 1827 novel Selina. In its original definition in the Deutsches Wörterbuch by the Brothers Grimm, it denotes a deep sadness about the insufficiency of the world ("tiefe Traurigkeit über die Unzulänglichkeit der Welt"). The translation can differ depending on context; in reference to the self, it can mean "world-weariness", while in reference to the world, it can mean "the pain of the world". The term was created to describe the melancholy typically defining the Romantic movement. The worldview of Weltschmerz has been seen as widespread among Romantic and decadent authors such as Jean Paul, the Marquis de Sade, Lord...

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