Friedrich Spee's Trutznachtigall (German Studies in America)

This work is the most complete and exhaustive treatment of Spee's masterpiece, the Trutznachtigall, to date. Dimler examines all aspects of Spee's poetry: emblemata, Jesuit spirituality, classical and medieval motifs, Petrarchan influences, to name a few. He takes into account practically every major influence on Spee and seeks a synthesis. Moreover, no previous study has investigated in detail the impact of Spee's earlier work, G ldenes Tugend-buch on the Trutznachtigall. This correlation constitutes one of the major aims of the book. Finally, two all-important questions are discussed: how does Spee fuse secular and spiritual motifs in his poetry, and to what extent does he employ the typical baroque imagery of his time as a vehicle for his poetic ideas?