These volumes provide a comprehensive culture-historical survey of all the important German-speaking humanist poets of the 17th century. Each author is given a chapter to himself, comprising references to research, reception, and biography, as well as an overview of sacred and profane poetry, complete with analyses of representative works. Volume IV/1 begins with an introduction to the period in question and to the theory and history of the genres. This is followed by a discussion of the works of Weckherlin, Opitz, Logau, Gryphius, and the Pregnitz Shepherds. Volume IV/2 covers the love poetry of Opitz, Dach, Fleming, Zesen, Hoffmannswaldau, Lohenstein, der Galante, and Günther. Numerous other authors are dealt with in more summary form.