Jerusalem, now weep – remarks on Walther’s crusade song L 76,22

Abstract

A rhetorical analysis of L 76,22 shows the apostrophe of the personified Jerusalem – which is unique in Walther‘s oeuvre – to be the decisive feature of the text. The city is called upon to weep in the face of its desolate situation; personification, apostrophe and allegory make it the hinge point between the singer’s persona and the audience. Jerusalem is positioned as a catalyst for the call to crusade, whose aim and purpose is presented using rhetoric effects to create the impression of immediacy.