CHAPTER VI.

MIDDLE HIGH GERMAN POETRY.

Position of Germany. Merit of its poetry. Folk-epics: The _Nibelungenlied_. The _Volsunga saga_. The German version. Metres. Rhyme and language. _Kudrun._ Shorter national epics. Literary poetry. Its four chief masters. Excellence, both natural and acquired, of German verse. Originality of its adaptation. The Pioneers: Heinrich von Veldeke. Gottfried of Strasburg. Hartmann von Aue. _Erec der Wanderære_ and _Iwein_. Lyrics. The "booklets." _Der Arme Heinrich._ Wolfram von Eschenbach. _Titurel._ _Willehalm._ _Parzival._ Walther von der Vogelweide. Personality of the poets. The Minnesingers generally 225