RUCKERT, FIDEDRICII, a German lyric poet, was b. May 16, 1789, at Schweinfurt, and died in Jan., 1866. He received his education at the gymnasium of his native town, and studed at Jena university. In 1826 he was nominated professor of oriental languages at Erlangen; went in 1840 to Berlin, as professor and privy-councilo•, but resigne'd that position in 1849, and lived on his estate of Neuses in Coburg. Ruckert began liis literary career under the pseudonym of Freimund Raimar with his Deutsche Gedichte (German Poems, Heidelb. 1814); and Napoleon, eine Politische Komodie in drei Stncken (Napoleon, a Political Comedy in three Parts, Stuttg. 1816). Under his own name he published: Kranz der Zeit (A Wreath of the Time, ,Stuttg. 1817); Oesiliche Rosen (Eastern Roses, Leip. 1822): Gesammelte Gedic/te (Collected Poems, Fi vole. Erl. 1834-38). As fruits of his oriental studies are to be considered his translations of Hariri's Mit/cm/rem under the title Veruandelungen des Abu-Seid (The Transformations of Abu-Seid, 2 vole. Stuttg. 1826); of the Indian tale, No./ mai Demajanti (Frank. 1828); Hamasa, oder die rielteste Arabiiche Volkslieder (Hamasa, or the oldest Arabic Ballads, 2 vols. Stuttg. 1846), and Amrilkais der Dichter and .Kinn;q the Poet and the Stuttg. 1847). Orig inal poems of Ruckert, also relating to the. east, are Morgenkind.'Sagen and Gesrhichten
(Eastern Tales and Stories, 2 vole. Stuttg. 1837); ILrbautiches and Beschauliches sus derv. iforgenland (2 vols. Berl. 1837); Rostem and. Suhrab (Ed. 1838); Bruhmansche Brat/dungen (Brahmanic Tales,. Leip. 1839); Die TVeisheit des I3rahmanen, ein Lehrgedicht in Bruck stftcleen. (The Wisdom of the Brahman, a • Didactic Poem in Fragments, 6 vole. Leip. 1836-39); Leben Jesu (The Life of Jesus, Stuttg. and Tub. 1839). The titles of his dramas are: Saul and David (Erl. 1843); Herodes der Grosse (2 vols. Stitt tg. 1844); Kaiser Heinrich IV. (2 vols. Frank. 1845); Cristoforo Colombo (2 vols, Frank. 1845). Bricker( was one of the most learned, versatile, and sprightly lyrists of modern times. He tried all sorts of meters, the Greek hendeeasyllabic, the old Norse alliterative verse, the old German couplet, the Nibeluagen strophe. the popular ballad, the delicate yet stately measure of the eastern gazelle (sonnets), and every kind of European quatrains, .distiches, etc.; and he snceecded in all. Perhaps his fancy and wit were more remarkable than his depth of lyric feeling, yet the simple pathos of such pieces as the Alm der Jugendzeit could hardly be surpassed