I've often wondered what Goethe really meant when he said, "See Naples and then Die," if it was indeed him. Some believe that he was quoting an already existing phrase.

Many people interpret it as meaning that Naples is so beautiful that when you see it your heart might stop. But it isn't clear. My own interpretation is that he was saying something equivalent to, "put it on your bucket list." In other words, before you die, see Naples. Or, see Naples, then die. The word poi connotes after, not at that same time. In other words, die after you've seen Naples, and not before. I don't really know.

After all, this was just a note in the journal he kept when he fled Germany during his mid-life crisis to find his soul again by experiencing the beauty of life in Italy that he later published as the book, "Italian Journey," one of the great works of travel literature, describing Venice, Verona, Vicenza, and points going all the way south to Sicily during his almost two year trip.