His heroes are specially fond of birds. Young Parzival Felt little care while the little birds sang round him; it made his heart swell, he ran weeping into the house. and Gawan Found a door open into a garden; he stept in to look round and enjoy the air and the singing of the birds. So we see that in the _Nibelungenlied_ scarcely a plant grew, and Hartmann and Wolfram's gardens belonged almost entirely to an unreal region; there are no traces of a very deep feeling for Nature in all this. But Gottfried von Strassburg, with his vivid, sensuous imagination and keen eye for beauty, shewed a distinct advance both in taste and achievement. He, too, notes time briefly: 'And as it drew towards evening,' 'Now day had broke.' He repeats his comparisons: fair ladies are 'the wonder rose of May,' 'the longing white rose.' The two Isolts are sun and dawn. Brangäne is the full moon. The terrified girl is thus described: Her rosy mouth paled; the fair colour, which was her ornament, died out of her skin; her bright eyes grew dim like night after day. Another comparison is: Like the siren's song, drawing a bark to the reef as by a magnet, so the sweet young queen attracted many hearts. Love is a usurious plant, whose sun never goes down; a romance sweetens the mood as May dew sweetens the blood. Constant friendship is one which takes the pleasure with the pain, the thorn with the rose. The last comparisons shew more thought, and still more is seen in the beginning of the poem, _Riwalin and Blancheflur_, which has a charming description of Spring. Now the festival was agreed upon and arranged For the four flowering weeks When sweet May attracts, till he flies off again. At Tinkapol upon a green plain High up on a wonderful meadow with spring colour Such as no eye has seen before or since. Soft sweet May Had dressed it with his own charming extravagance. There were little wood birds, a joy to the ear, Flowers and grass and green plants and summer meads That were a delight to eye and heart. One found there whatever one would, whatever May should bring-- Shade from the sun, limes by the brook, A gentle breeze which brought the prattle Of Mark's court people. May's friend, the green turf, Had made herself a charming costume of flowers, In which she shone back at the guests with a festival of her own; The blossoming trees smiled so sweetly at every one, That heart and mind smiled back again. The pure notes of the birds, blessed and beautiful, Touched heart and senses, filling hill and dale with joy. The dear nightingale, Sweet bird, may it ever be blessed! Sang so lustily upon the bough That many a heart was filled with joy and good humour. There the company pitched itself With great delight on the green grass. The limes gave enough shade, And many covered their tent roofs with green boughs.