'De gewone verontschuldigingen.' Literatuur in de brieven van Hooft en Huygens

Samenvatting

In this article, the subject of 'poetry' is investigated in the correspondence of P.C. Hooft (1581-1647). The correspondents (mainly Hooft, Huygens en Barlaeus) seem to restrict themselves to rather superficial compliments, but still some interesting conclusions can be drawn, firstly regarding the way poems originated, and secondly regarding the question as to what exactly was appreciated in a 'good' poem. Keywords are 'beauties', 'finds', suggesting attention not so much not to the poems as a whole, as to beautiful lines and phrases. 'Content' of a poem is hardly ever mentioned.