inspired by French threats of war with Prussia and of the
conquest of the Rhine territory. The same events inspired Max
Schneckenburger's _Wacht am Rhein_, which at the time could not compete
in popularity with Becker's poem, but in later years has quite
supplanted it as a permanent national song. German officialdom, which
had looked askance at all political poetry, easily saw the value to the
national defense of such patriotic strains, and now encouraged these
national singers with gifts and honors. But political poetry could not
be kept within officially recognized bounds. Inevitably it became
partisan and revolutionary in character. HEINRICH HOFFMANN (who styled
himself VON FALLERS-LEBEN after his birthplace; 1798-1874), one of the
most prolific lyric poets of Germany, had the knack of expressing the
common feeling in poems that became genuine national songs; the most
famous of these, _Deutschland, Deutschland ueber alles_ (1841), is still
sung wherever those who love Germany congregate. But from this
expression of the common German tradition Hoffmann went on to espouse
the liberal cause, and he had his taste of martyrdom when he lost his
professorship at Breslau because of his ironical _Unpolitical Songs_
(1840-42). Hoffmann was essentially an improviser, and sang only too
copiously in all the tones and fashions of German verse.

FERDINAND FREILIGRATH (1810-1876) gained immediate fame with the
brilliant color and tropical exuberance of his early oriental lyrics, of
which the much-declaimed _Lion's Ride_ is an excellent example. But
Freiligrath's strongest work was in the field of political poetry. He,
too, made sacrifices for the faith that was in him; he gave up a royal
pension and twice went into voluntary exile in order to be free to
express his liberal sentiments. He began, indeed, with the denial of any
partisan bias; but when the Revolution of 1848 broke, no other poet
found more daring and eloquent words for the spirit of revolt and of
democratic enthusiasm than Freiligrath. And when the war of 1870 again
brought new hope of German unity, Freiligrath sang in stirring measures
this national awakening.

GEORG HERWEGH (1817-1875), also driven into exile by his opposition to
the government, created a sensation with his _Poems of the Living_
(1841), which in ringing refrains incited to revolutionary action. But
when the deed followed the word, and Herwegh led an invading column of
laborers into Baden in 1848, he