The essays reprinted in this 1980 book were first published at various times between 1951 and 1972. They deal largely with medieval German heroic and epic poetry, emphasising the way the basic language and imagery of that literature were rooted in a deep understanding and appreciation of the natural world. Professor Hatto presents these essays in the hope of enabling readers to recapture the significance of early poetry, the understanding of which is of increasing importance in an age where man is divorced from his natural setting.