The pastoral works of the seventeenth-century poet and eulogist, Sigmund von Birken, are variations of a single glorified hymn of praise, directed all to the virtual apotheosis of powerful patrons and prospective noble sponsors. Such exaggerated eulogies were, however, not unusual in this era; rather they were of prime importance. “Although by far the majority of writers did not come from court circles at this time, still an author had to win favor in some court if he was to be successful. The best way to do so was to dedicate a work to a patron, a prince, or at least a great and powerful man.” Aside from dedications, another variety of encomiastic writing was developed for this same purpose. This genre Opitz termed the “Schäfferey.”