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Reinmar

Literary Character
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Influential Minnesänger known for refined, melancholic courtly love songs

Detailed Definition
Reinmar the Old, active in Vienna, set high standards for Minnesang with his elegant, sorrowful lyrics on unattainable love. In poetry, he appears as a master of emotional restraint, symbolizing the codification of courtly ideals and the lyrical expression of noble suffering in medieval German tradition.
Example
Example in poetry:
Reinmar der Alte’s Minnesang constructs the courtly lover as refined, restrained, and devoted to an idealized lady; His songs often contrast true love with superficial desire, establishing moral character through lyric voice; Walther von der Vogelweide’s poetic debates with Reinmar highlight differing views of love as character stance; Reinmar’s influence codified the “hohe Minne” (high love) persona in Middle High German poetry.
Additional Notes
Reinmar der Alte, a leading Minnesänger, refined courtly love conventions with formal elegance and emotional restraint; his literary characters—distant ladies, suffering knights—established the “hohe Minne” (high love) ideal, foundational for studying gender dynamics and lyrical decorum in Middle High German poetry.
Also Known As
Reinmar der Alte Reinmar von Hagenau
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