32 PASTORAL LITERATUHE FROM OPITZ TO OESSNER. 



ner follows Haller's example in only one idyl, where lie describes 

 a real human character with the Alps as background. Xot tiU we 

 come to the works of Miiller and Yoss do we again hear idylhc 

 notes of such clearness and beauty as Haller's. 



Haller was also the first poet who gave expression to the feeling 

 of hostihtv against society and civilization ('•Kulturfeindliche 

 Stimmung"') in German poetry; the sentiment which later found 

 its best expression in Eousseau with his theory of a return to na- 

 ture. 1 



In imitation of Brockes and Haller there appeared a great 

 number of works descriptive of nature. Foremost of these is 

 Ewald von Kleist's- Friihlmg (1749), in which he describes the 

 impressions he had received during a walk on a beautiful spring 

 day.' It is based upon Brockes' paraphrased translation o^ 

 Thomson's Seasons. Compared with Haller"s Alpen it shows a 

 retrogression in the idyUic elements, A\hile the descriptions* are 

 more vigorous. ° 



The germs of a genuine idyl, especially as found in Haller, were 

 not to bear fruit till almost half a century later. Most promi- 

 nent among the influences which interrupted its 

 The Influence of development was that of Gottsched. This reac- 

 Gottsched; tionary effect he accomplished mainly by two of 



Critische his works which he published at the beginning of 



Dichtkunst and his "autocratic rule" in German hterature, Cri- 

 Atalanta. tische Dichtkunst'^ (1730), and the shepherd- 



play Atalanta (1741). By the former he deter- 



1 See p. 40. 



2 Ewald Christian t. Kleist (171.5-1759) also Tvrote many poems of an idyllic 

 nature (Sep Deut. Na.t. Lit.; Anakreontiker); SLVCiong others SeliDSucbt nacb 

 Rube 1744 (p. 134): An Wilhelmina (p. 1-31), Das Landleben 174.3 (p. 140) 

 Menalk (p. 142). 



3 Gottsched and his follower^ condemned it; but it was hailed with joy by 

 Klopstock and the Swiss, and strengthened not a little the influence of descriptive 

 poetry in Gessner's idylls. (Sea Deut. Nat. Lit., .Anakreontikerll. 109.) 



■* LsBsing's Laokoon XVIII, passes sentence on descriptive poetry; Der 

 Friihliug'is also mentioned as coming under this doom_ since it is "eine mit Emp- 

 findungen sparsam durehwebten Eeihe von BUdern." 



5 See Julian Schmidt; Gescb. d. deut. Lit. I 226. 



6 The references on the following pages are to the edition of 17.51. 



