DENIS

denis, johann nepomuk cosmas michael (1729-1800), austrian poet, was born at scharding on the inn, on the 27th of september 1729. he was brought up by the jesuits, entered their order, and in 1759 was appointed professor in the theresianum in vienna, a jesuit college. in 1784, after the suppression of the college, he was made second custodian of the court library, and seven years later became chief librarian. he died on the 29th of september 1800. a warm admirer of klopstock, he was one of the leading members of the group of so-called "bards"; and his original poetry, published under the title _die lieder sineds des barden_ (1772), shows all the extravagances of the "bardic" movement. he is best remembered as the translator of _ossian_ (1768-1769; also published together with his own poems in 5 vols. as _ossians und sineds lieder_, 1784). more important than either his original poetry or his translations were his efforts to familiarize the austrians with the literature of north germany; his _sammlung kurzerer gedichte aus den neuern dichtern deutschlands_, 3 vols. (1762-1766), was in this respect invaluable. he has also left a number of bibliographical compilations, _grundriss der bibliographie und bucherkunde_ (1774), _grundriss der literaturgeschichte_ (1776), _einleitung in die bucherkunde_ (1777) and _wiens buchdruckergeschichte bis 1560_ (1782). _ossians und sineds_ lieder have not been reprinted since 1791; but a selection of his poetry edited by r. hamel will be found in vol. 48 (1884) of kurschner's _deutsche nationalliteratur_. his _literarischer nachlass_ was published by j. f. von retzer in 1802 (2 vols.). see p. von hofmann-wellenhof, _michael denis_ (1881).