This series of provocative essays examines the learning process of the "Ich" in 19th and 20th century German lyric poetry. The apostrophic moment, which develops from a textual instant of emotional, intellectual, or psychological reciprocity between the "Ich" and a "Du", initiates a meaningful and vital learning process in the poem. Poets discussed include Clemens Brentano, Joseph von Eichendorff, Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, Conrad Ferdinand Meyer, Stefan George, Rainer Maria Rilke, Rudolf Borchardt, and Gottfried Benn.