Martin Opitz

German poet and literary theorist. Born in Wrocław in the Silesian region of Poland. Studied at universities in Heidelberg and other cities, and travelled to Paris and the Netherlands, where he interacted with scholars. In 1624, he wrote "German Poetics" in just five days. Modelled on Greek and Roman classics and French poetics, it was a groundbreaking attempt to establish the norms of German literature by counting the spelling of verses according to stress and their regular alternation as the basis of poetic method, in keeping with the essence of the German language. It was valued from the Baroque period until the period of German classicism. In 1625, he was awarded the title of Poet Laureate by the emperor in Vienna. He served in various courts and diplomatic duties, while also contributing to the movement to purify the German language. He was a member of the literary academy "Fruitschrift Society" from 1629. He also wrote the libretto for the first opera in German, "Daphne" (music by Heinrich Schütz). He finally found a casual position that allowed him to pursue an academic life, but he died of the plague in Danzig (now Gdańsk).

[Takatsuji Tomoyoshi]

"German Theatre in the Baroque Period" by Fujio Nagano (1974, Toyo Publishing)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ドイツの詩人、文芸理論家。現ポーランド領シュレージエン地方のブロツワフの生まれ。ハイデルベルクなどの大学に学び、パリ、オランダに遊んで学者たちと交わる。1624年、わずか5日間で『ドイツ詩学』を書き上げる。ギリシア、ローマの古典やフランスの詩学に範をとりながら、ドイツ語の本質に即して、詩句のつづりを強弱によって数えることと、その規則正しい交替を詩法の基本としてドイツ文芸の規範を確立する画期的な試みで、バロック時代以降ドイツ古典主義の時代まで重視された。25年ウィーンで皇帝から桂冠(けいかん)詩人の位を受ける。以後諸方の宮廷に仕え、外交の任にもあたるかたわらドイツ語浄化運動に貢献。29年から文芸アカデミー「結実協会」の会員。ドイツ語による最初の歌劇『ダフネ』の台本も執筆（音楽はハインリヒ・シュッツ）。ようやく学究生活に従える閑職を得たが、ダンツィヒ（現グダニスク）でペストのために没。

［高辻知義］

『永野藤夫著『バロック時代のドイツ演劇』（1974・東洋出版）』

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