HAMERLING

hamerling, robert (1830-1889), austrian poet, was born at kirchenberg-am-walde in lower austria, on the 24th of march 1830, of humble parentage. he early displayed a genius for poetry and his youthful attempts at drama excited the interest and admiration of some influential persons. owing to their assistance young hamerling was enabled to attend the gymnasium in vienna and subsequently the university. in 1848 he joined the student's legion, which played so conspicuous a part in the revolutions of the capital, and in 1849 shared in the defence of vienna against the imperialist troops of prince windischgratz, and after the collapse of the revolutionary movement he was obliged to hide for a long time to escape arrest. for the next few years he diligently pursued his studies in natural science and philosophy, and in 1855 was appointed master at the gymnasium at trieste. for many years he battled with ill-health, and in 1866 retired on a pension, which in acknowledgment of his literary labours was increased by the government to a sum sufficient to enable him to live without care until his death at his villa in stiftingstal near graz, on the 13th of july 1889. hamerling was one of the most remarkable of the poets of the modern austrian school; his imagination was rich and his poems are full of life and colour. his most popular poem, _ahasver in rom_ (1866), of which the emperor nero is the central figure, shows at its best the author's brilliant talent for description. among his other works may be mentioned _venus im exil_ (1858); _der konig von sion_ (1869), which is generally regarded as his masterpiece; _die sieben todsunden_ (1872); _blatter im winde_ (1887); _homunculus_ (1888); _amor und psyche_ (1882). his novel, _aspasia_ (1876) gives a finely-drawn description of the periclean age, but like his tragedy _danton und robespierre_ (1870), is somewhat stilted, showing that hamerling's genius, though rich in imagination, was ill-suited for the realistic presentation of character. a popular edition of hamerling's works in four volumes was published by m. m. rabenlechner (hamburg, 1900). for the poet's life, see his autobiographical writings, _stationen meiner lebenspilgerschaft_ (1889) and _lehrjahre der liebe_ (1890); also m. m. rabenlechner, _hamerling, sein leben und seine werke_, i. (hamburg, 1896); a short biography by the same (dresden, 1901); r. h. kleinert, _r. hamerling, ein dichter der schonheit_ (hamburg, 1889); a. polzer, _hamerling, sein wesen und wirken_ (hamburg, 1890).