Heine's epic poem presents a wicked satire of every facet of romanticism, taking aim at the Gothic novel, socialist firebrands, romantic artistes of every description, and the many other vainglorious personalities of the day. Heine's protagonist is Atta Troll, the revolutionary dancing bear, who embodies all that Heine finds worthy of ridicule.
The other poems in the collection are likewise chosen to highlight Heine's gift for lampooning social, political and artistic pomposity, while fighting for his own vision of a just world.
