KARL THEODOR KORNER (1791-1813),

Who was born on the 23rd of September 1791, at Dresden. He studied at Leipzic in 1810, and accepted the situation of poet to the theatre at Vienna. In 1813, upon the breaking out of the war, Körner exchanged the lyre for the sword. THEODOR KÖRNER was the son of Schiller's most intimate friend, and the first who ventured to raise the holy warsong;-holy, because uttered in the sacred name of liberty. A deep vein of patriotism, and heart-born expressions, constitute the leading beauties of his muse. The lyre of battle had in him the most inspiring of its attendant bards. His poems were the national and true exponent of the feelings of the patriotic of his day; and, although we are ready to allow that his works are not all constructed upon a strictly poetic model, they will perhaps always rank as the noblest repository of Germanic feelings.

The poems published under the title of "Leyer und Schwert" are some of the fruits of inspiration of which we have been speaking;—they serve, indeed, for the symbolism of Bellona. "Jägerlied," "Gebeth während der Schlacht," "Aufruf," "Reiterlied," "Was uns bleibt," but particularly the "Schwertlied," and that exceedingly beautiful song, "Lützows wilde Jagd," are among the most popular. With regard to Körner's other poems, not included in the "Leyer und Schwert," we may particularize, as the best and most liked, "Der Kynast," "Wallhaide,” and "Der Teufel in Salamanka."

Körner's dramatic talents produced most promising germs, but no flowers ensued. His tragedy "Zriny" is certainly his best. Still, his little comedies of "Der grüne Domino," ," "Die Braut,” are very clever in their way, and remarkable for a happy invention. His drama entitled "Toni" is built upon the model of a novel of Kleist's," Die Verlobung in St. Domingo;" it is dressed out in very bright colours, but not sufficiently finished in its sketches of life and character, nor is its tone of light and shade sufficiently

decided. "Der Nachtwächter," "Der Vetter aus Bremen," are two small, but witty and amusing pieces, and both established favourites with the German public.

Körner was adjutant of "Lützow" when he was wounded in the breast by a cannon-shot. This unhappy event happened in the fight of Gadebusch, on the 26th August 1813, just after he had finished reading to his friends his famous "Schwertlied." He was buried under a fine old oak, near the village of Wöbbelin, where a brass monument denotes the place of his grave.

MAX FR. SCHENK VON SCHENKENDORF

(1784-1817)

Was born at Tilsit, on the 11th of December 1784. He was a counsellor of the regency at Coblentz; and died on the 11th of December 1817.

The war-songs of this writer are among the finest of those of the troublous era of 1813-1815. They breathe the spirit of freedom, and of a soldierly daring; in fact Schenk is a worthy contemporary of Körner. He had no sooner returned to the camp, after the battle in which he had taken part, than he jotted down, in a poetic form, all the circumstances, great and small, of the awful scene of war. It was Schenk who wrote that admirable "Landsturmlied,” also "Die Feuer sind entglommen," "Den Uebergang über den Rhein," "Scharnhorst's Tod," "Soldatenmorgenlied," "Das Lied von den deutschen Strömen," &c., all of which were written under the spur and prompting of national liberty, and were finished off in a peculiar style of beauty. He exhibited a literary grace of high order, and an enthusiastic love of freedom; a glowing imagination, and a romantic turn, are also discernible in his writings. The delightful poems "Der Schwarzwald," "Das Bergschloss," "Der Dom zu Speier," and the religious poems "Sehnsucht,” ," "Am Sonntage," &c., are very commendable efforts in their peculiar style, and betoken that

great love of nature that seems to have ever resided in the breast of Schenkendorf.

FRIEDRICH AUGUST VON STÆGEMANN (1763) Was born at Vierraden, in the Ukermark, on the 7th of November 1763. He filled the office of counsellor of state at Berlin; and died on the 18th of December 1840.

STEGEMANN was of the number of those bards who, at the season of war, manfully swept the lyre, and had the power to strike therefrom martial, inspiring strains of patriotism. Stägemann's "Kriegsgesänge aus den Jahren 1806-1813," are a body of songs and poems stamped with the impress of a noble mind, and redolent also of the love of country, which the German fatherland so eminently suggests.

Truly national is E. M. ARNDT's "Was ist des Deutschen Vaterland ?" A patriotic vein flows through F. G. WETZEL's "Lieder aus dem Kriegsjahre 1813," FR. RÜCKERT'S "Geharrnischte Sonetten," FOUQUÉ'S Kriegslieder," &c.

EPIC AND LYRIC POETS.

ERNST KONRAD FRIEDRICH SCHULZE (1789-1817) Was born on the 22nd of March 1789, at Zelle. He was a doctor of philosophy; and died on the 26th of June 1817. This delightful writer, and sweet poet of love, created for himself an enduring reputation, although his career was short, and his place in the court of the muses too soon left

vacant.

The neat structure of Schulze's verses, even at his very outset, gave promise that he would one day rise to considerable eminence. He evinced very decided leanings towards the idealism of the romantic school, of which his

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"Bezauberte Rose" and "Cæcilie" afford, we think, sufficient proofs. Our author's first efforts in poetry were made as early as the age of eighteen, when he produced his Psyche," a piece of descriptive verse that contains some fine parts. Not long after this, Schulze became deeply enamoured of a beautiful girl, named Cæcilie, but who, unfortunately, fell a victim to an illness under which she had been labouring for nearly a year. It was at this saddening crisis that Schulze's melancholy, yet enthusiastic regret was worked up to the highest pitch, and, under the suggestions of his bereaved affections, he conceived the idea of writing the apotheosis of this young girl, a subject that would necessarily draw upon his highest powers. Accordingly, in three years' time, his "Cæcilie" made its appearance. It was evidently Schulze's design, in this work, to follow Dante's steps, in regard to "Beatrice," and to exalt and celebrate his heroine's virtues, beauty, and accomplishments in every possible way. In "Cæcilie," as Menzel acutely and pithily remarks, "we find sundry mannerisms, gathered from Homer, Ossian, the Niebelungen, the Edda, Dante, Tasso, and, lastly, from the Easterns."

In 1814, Schulze entered the army, and, upon the termination of the campaign, returned home, greatly debilitated in health. Two years afterwards, at the end of a tour up the Rhine, and while struggling with consumption, our poet gave to the world that very charming performance "Die bezauberte Rose" (translated into English by W. Waddilove, 1835: Leipzig); so ornate and sublime a work, that, so to speak, it swiftly glided, on soaring pinnions, through the higher atmosphere of the romantic school. The main idea of the work is, in the first place, unquestionably admirable; and, secondly, the working out of that idea, the high finish of the several characters and scenes, not forgetting, in especial, the exceedingly easy and graceful structure of the versification,—have combined to secure for this work of Schulze an undying literary

renown.

"Die bezauberte Rose" is a purely classical pro

duction, and though produced at the last moment of its author's existence, he lived to enjoy the first tokens of its never-dying fame.

AUGUST GRAF V. PLATEN ZU HALLERMUENDE* (1796-1835)

Was born at Ansbach, on the 24th of October 1796; was educated at the university of Erlangen, and rose to the rank of chamberlain at the Wirtemburg court. Platen ended his days at Syracuse, on the 5th of December 1835.

PLATEN was gifted with great elasticity of mind as a writer, and also with a fine ear and rare industry in the improvement of his style, which he succeeded in bringing to great refinement. Whatever may be said of Platen's deficiencies in that literary quality which conduces to pictorial effect, we may adduce him, on the other hand, as one of those few authors who, at a time when the outward forms of poetry were generally neglected or despised, used the utmost diligence in the construction of his metrical forms. Platen's "Gazeln," says Goethe, "although not intended to be sung, we have much pleasure in noticing as deeply-felt, clever, and beautiful poems, with quite the character and mannerism of the East.

With a success equal to that with which our author imitated the peculiar style of the Italian sonnet, we afterwards find him—in his satirical plays, for instance, as also in much of his lyric poetry-adopting the style of the ancient classics. His song beginning: "Wie rafft' ich mich auf, in der Nacht, in der Nacht,” &c., is very fine, whilst the following pieces are highly esteemed: "Der Pilgrim von ""Das Grab im Busento," St. Just,' 29.66 Zobir," ""Die Fischer auf Capri," ""Bilder aus Neapel," &c.

* J. Minckwitz. Graf von Platen als Mensch und Dichter.