24 PASTOKAL LITEKATURE PKOM OPITZ TO GESSNER. 



tion, and hence a genuineness, that we miss in other pastoral 



poetry of this period. 



The first eclogue is written in praise of his wife^ and of mutual 



love. Eclogues II-V^ sing of the four seasons.' The contents 



of the Vlth may be summed up in the couplet: 



" 'Tie better to have loved and lost 

 Than never to have loved at all." 



Though Weckherlin's works show more originality and power, 

 his influence was entirely overshadowed by that of Opitz.* This 

 is explained in the first place by Weckherlin's residence in Eng- 

 land during the last thirty-three years of his life; in the second 

 place, by the fact that Opitz, through his translations and para- 

 phrases, which were excellent m form and style, introduced the 

 great pastoral works of other languages, which were the literary 

 fads of the time. From now on the pastoral element enters into 

 and controls all the various kinds of literature, romance, dra- 

 matic, didactic, and lyric, for more than a hundred years, till 

 finally the sound of the shepherd's flute dies away at the end of 

 the eighteenth century. 



The flood of pastoral literature which followed Opitz came in 

 two lai'ge waves: the former, the smaller wave, reaching its high- 

 est point about the middle of the seventeenth cen- 

 The Imitators tury. After a subsidence this Avas followed by a 

 of Opitz. Ten- larger wave, reacliing its highest point about the 

 dency Towards middle of the eighteenth century (see table No. !)■ 

 Marinism- The former period and the earlier part of the lat- 



ter with all their pastoral poetry did not produce 



1 Philidor expresses his joy at having won "this crown of the island of Al- 

 bion." 



2 In the third eclogue, as in no other, Weckherlin gives free play to silly tri- 

 fling, both in form and contents, using diminutives and dallying expressions a (/ 

 naiiseaw. vSo Chloris says in verse 1 06, etc.: '■'(wie selig bin icb) 



Dass den Taublein gleich wir uns einander sehnabelen, 

 Mit Kiissen Nektar-gleich begabelen, erlabelen." 

 Eclogue IT., thoiigh containing some conceits, gives a good descrijjtion of a har- 

 vest festival, in which occurs a vigorous responsive song; the shepherds celebrate 

 Bacchus, the nymphs Cupid. 



3 They remind one somewhat of Thomson's Sensons, even to the occasional 

 incidents. 



* See Scherer's Gescb. d. deut. Lit., p. 320. 



