Poetry and Literature

Poetry and Literature
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Introduction
This paper is about the relationship between early German poetry and social attributes of society that inspired these texts. Romance, wit, humour and beauty are some of the notable characteristics of early German poetry. Themes of love and relationship are also evident in these texts.
Thesis: Man’s survival depends on his ability to love and his need to be loved in return.
Social interactions have been the pillars of society since time immemorial. In Hartmann von Aue’s poem, social interaction is evident about how love works in society. Reinmar der Alte in his poem emphasises the aspect of shared joy in faithful marriage. The fact that the poem is a message means that there exists a social structure of interaction that allows people to communicate. This communication would be inexistent without the presence of love. Social aspects are also evident in Heinrich von Veldeke’s poems. In one of the poems, he wishes paradise on whoever respects his marriage and threatens hanging on a branch to anyone who interferes with his relationship. These statements prove that there was the presence of religion and laws of respect to others that had to be followed. The fact that there was a possibility of someone hurting his favour with his lady signifies the presence of social interactions, some negative and some positive (Walsoe, 1992).
Liebe, minne or courtly love is the basis of most of German poetic texts. Der von Kurenberg’s poems are about the relationship between the beauty of nature and the beauty of love. He compares women with falcons and how men set out to find love just like they did to hunt elusive falcons. Because of their courtly love, knights set out on adventures and competitive conquests in order to please the women that they loved. This kind of love resulted as a work of literature. It is fictitious and is mostly used for entertainment. The medieval concept of courtly love is represented in these texts through the story about the competition of the sparrow-hawk. This competition was about getting to kiss the most beautiful lady present at the court. The only way this would happen was by participating and winning the hunt of the white stag. Being that the court was full of lovely ladies ...