Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Voss, Johann Heinrich
VOSS, JOHANN HEINRICH, a German
poet; born in Sommersdorf,
Germany, Feb. 20, 1751. He received a
scanty school education, acted for a time
as private tutor in a family, and in 1772
went to Göttingen, where he studied the
classical and modern languages, and was
one of the founders of the Göttingen
Dichterbund, or Poet's Union. In 1775
he retired to Wandsbeck, in order to
edit the “Almanac of the Muses,” which
he published till 1800. In 1778 he
became rector of a school at Otterndorf, in
Hanover, and in 1782 went as rector to
Eutin. In 1805 he became professor at
Heidelberg. Between 1785 and 1802 he
published several volumes of original
poems, the best of which is the idyl,
“Luise.” Among his translations that
of Homer's works is undoubtedly the
greatest, being the classical German
version of these great epics. A translation
of Shakespeare, which he undertook with
his sons, was published in nine volumes
in 1829. He died in Heidelberg, March
29, 1826.