Martin Opitz, the "Mars" of the Muses, used the crisis of war and confessionalism as an opportunity to introduce a national language poetry in the spirit of a renewed humanism from the Renaissance. Opitz aimed to contribute to the struggle for religious freedom and thereby foster peace and harmony through his reform. The volumes trace the remarkable success of this humanistic reformation and provide a comprehensive cultural-historical representation of all important German-speaking poets of the 17th century. Each author is dedicated a chapter with references to research, reception, biography, and an overview of their works in both sacred and secular poetry, along with exemplary poem analyses. Volume IV/1 introduces the era as well as genre theory and history, and discusses the works of Weckherlin, Opitz, Logau, Gryphius, and the Pegnitz.