VOSS, fŏs, Johann Heinrich, German poet
and translator: b. Sommersdorf , near Waren, Mecklenburg, 20 Feb. 1751; d. Heidelberg, 29 March 1826. He early began to write verses and some of these contributed to the ‘Göttingen
Musenalmanach’ led to a correspondence with
Boie, upon whose invitation be went in 1772 to
Göttingen. Here he studied the classical and
modern languages and was one of the founders
of the Göttinger Dichterbund. The editorship
of the ‘Musenalmanach’ was handed over to
him by Boie in 1775; in 1778 he was made
rector of Otterndorf in Hanover, in 1782 at
Eutin. In 1781, after the publication of
several treatises, he produced his German ‘Odyssey,’
a work which has rendered this grand
poem national with the Germans (new ed. by
Bernays, 1881). This has been called “the
most perfect rendering of Homer into a
modern tongue.” In 1793 appeared his
translation of the ‘Iliad,’ and that of the ‘Odyssey,’
in a new form, in which, however, it did
not please so much as before, the former
displaying greater truth and naturalness. He
published in 1795 an idyl in the epic form
called ‘Luise’ printed first in 1783, but now
produced with improvements. His translation
of the whole of ‘Vergil’ (1799) was revised
for the edition of 1821. In 1805 he went as
professor to Heidelberg, where he remained till
his death. Voss rendered good service to the
study of classical antiquity and threw fresh
light upon many subjects. As a translator he
exhibited wonderful command of language and
great skill in the handling of metres. Among
his translations that of Homer's works is
undoubtedly the greatest; we may also mention, in addition to his ‘Vergil,’ his ‘Hesiod’ (1806); ‘Horace’ (1806); ‘Theocritus, Bion and Moschus’ (1808); ‘Aristophanes’ (1821); ‘Tibullus’ (1810); ‘Propertius’ (1830) and selections from ‘Ovid’ (1798). He also undertook, with his sons, a translation of Shakespeare which was completed in nine volumes in 1829, but this translation cannot stand a comparison with Schlegel's. Consult lives by Paulus (1826); by Herbst (1872-76); Prutz, ‘Der Göttinger Dichterbund’ (1841).