Meyer, Conrad Ferdinand [key], 1825–98, Swiss poet and novelist. He studied history and art and later turned to literature. He is best known for his historical novellas, which are marked by a feeling for the spirit of past ages, keen psychological insight, and deep concern for ethical problems. Among these works are Das Amulett (1873), Jürg Jenatsch (1876), Der Heilige (1880; tr. Thomas à Becket the Saint, 1885), and Die Hochzeit des Mönchs (1884; tr. The Monk's Wedding, 1887). Meyer's verse, like his prose, dealt mainly with Renaissance themes, but its underlying symbolism made it a link between classical and impressionistic poetry.
See translations by G. F. Folkers (2 vol., 1976); studies by H. Henel (1954) and T. Lanne (1983).
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