Dictionary.net

A German poet, dramatist, and essayist; born in Hofwyl, Bern, Switzerland, May 4, 1810; died at Brunswick, Oct. 16, 1868. He became a tutor and professor of literature soon after the completion of his university course. His "Pictures from Classic Greece", a collection of poems, attracted attention, and an epic on "The Sistine Madonna" made him celebrated. He wrote several excellent works on music. "Artistic Genius in German Literature during the Last Century" was for years an authority upon the subject. As a playwright, "Maximilian Robespierre" and "The Girondins" entitle him to no minor place, and his "Ideal and World" and "In the Upper Sphere" have been staged many times. He wrote a volume of stories that possess merit.