How did Johann Gottfried von Herder describe stages of historical development?

In his work Ideen zur Philosophie der Geschichte der Menschheit (Outlines of a Philosophy of the History of Man), Johann Gottfried von Herder proposed a tripartite view of historical development, which he linked to the evolution of language and human consciousness.1

Herder described these stages as follows:

• Age of Primitive Poets: An early stage characterized by human consciousness expressed through epics.1
• Age of Prose: A subsequent stage occurring as humans matured.1
• Ripe Age: A final stage, metaphorically associated with senescence, in which language achieved the precision necessary for philosophical reflection.1

Herder emphasized that each culture, or Volk, possesses a distinct collective identity and "ethnic soul" (Volksseele), which defines its unique path. He resisted the notion that any specific age or culture was inferior to another, standing in contrast to Enlightenment standards that graded societies based on their proximity to a singular model of rationality. Instead, he insisted that historical achievements must be understood within their specific context of "time, place and national character," rejecting the attempt to explain human history through abstract, universal laws.213