By way of an intertextual reading this paper initiates a poetological dialogue between Jean Paulʼs Vorschule der Ästhetik (1804) as a piece of theory and documents from its history of critical response: Blick auf Jean Paul (1913) by Hugo von Hofmannsthal as well as Die Lerche in der Luft und im Nest (1988) by Brigitte Kronauer. The concept of joyous or serene art derives from the idyllic instead of classic tradition. In any of our cases, it is mainly discussed metaphorically, which calls for a detailed analysis of textual imagery. Leading example would be the “swing”: a focal point of comparison for aesthetically producing and experiencing “Freudenspiele”, an idea corresponding to Heiterkeit. Hofmannsthal and Kronauer, as much as their predecessor, are concerned with defining specifically modern writing including cultural identity and examining ethical dimensions attached to an autonomous poetical practice. However, they adapt their view of Jean Paul´s tenets according to literary issues of more present times. The programmatic value of both sources transcends their marginal place removed from larger German debates on serenity.