In his lyric poems (“Songs”), Wolfram von Eschenbach shows his originality as in his narrative works. In the poems, too, he uses existing material and conventions but transcends both, to produce a small but fascinating corpus which contributes the final piece to one of the most important figures in medieval literature. It is not surprising that Wolfram, so very much a part of the literary scene in Germany at the beginning of the thirteenth century, should have ventured into the field of the
Minnesang(courtly love poetry), nor that he should seem to be throwing over its conventions even as he exploits them. The very idea of courtly love, of service given and received within accompanying conditions and constraints, is in complete contrast to the relationships of deep commitment that he…
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Citation: Gibbs, Marion E.. "Songs". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 15 January 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=14573, accessed 21 November 2024.]
