How should one read German-language poetry from the 17th century? Dirk Werle answers this question based on a consistently historical understanding of genres and epochs: 'Poetry' was understood differently in the 17th century than it is today, and the term 'Baroque' was unknown. For the example analyses that introduce each chapter, poems were selected that do not appear in relevant anthologies, thus allowing for an unprejudiced access to a fascinating field of literary history. Werle demonstrates that 17th-century poetry is characterized by a poetics of repetition, which is based on an affinity for music and the principle of social play. It represents a form of popular literature that does not directly refer to reality.