Based on a broad comparison of literary texts and 19th century art, the work presents a portrait of the phenomenon of romantic desire (Sehnsucht) related to a goal that is distant, veiled, unattainable or hidden. He characterizes this experience, in which joy and sorrow intersect, in detail and uses the method of ideal types to present a spectrum of attitudes towards it, ranging from the sympathetic to the sharply critical. In particular, he touches on the subject of the possible totally contradictory evaluations of Sehnsucht within Christianity. The study shows the practical implications of the various responses to the question of the relationship between infinite desire and the finite world, between the promises of distant fulfillment and the everyday.
Czech edition