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Alecsandri, Vasile

(Encyclopedia)Alecsandri, Vasile väsēˈlē älĕksänˈdrē [key], 1821–90, Romanian poet, dramatist, and statesman. He was (1858) provisional foreign minister and subsequently served in various diplomatic post...

Hooft, Pieter Corneliszoon

(Encyclopedia)Hooft, Pieter Corneliszoon pēˈtər kôrnāˈlĭsōn hōft [key], 1581–1647, Dutch historian, poet, and dramatist. His great work was a history of the revolt of the Netherlands against Spain, Neder...

Abu Nuwas

(Encyclopedia)Abu Nuwas äˈbo͞o no͞owäsˈ [key], c.750–c.810, Arab poet, b. Ahvaz, Persia. He spent most of his life in Baghdad. High in favor with the caliphs Harun ar-Rashid and Amin, he lived a courtier's ...

Bull, Olaf

(Encyclopedia)Bull, Olaf ōˈläf bo͞ol [key], 1883–1933, Norwegian lyric poet. The son of a successful writer, Bull began his career as a journalist. His poetic brilliance was revealed by the publication of his...

Bijns, Anna

(Encyclopedia)Bijns, Anna äˈnä bīns [key], 1494?–1575?, Flemish poet of Antwerp. Her three volumes (1528, 1548, 1567) of lyric verse place her among the foremost Dutch poets of her age. She excelled in robust...

Chaminade, Cécile Louise Stéphanie

(Encyclopedia)Chaminade, Cécile Louise Stéphanie sāsēlˈ lwēz stāfänēˈ shämēnädˈ [key], 1857–1944, French composer and pianist. She was a popular concert pianist and wrote many graceful, romantic pia...

Anacreon

(Encyclopedia)Anacreon ənăkˈrēən, –ŏn [key], c.570–c.485 b.c., Greek lyric poet, b. Teos in Ionia. He lived at Samos and at Athens, where his patron was Hipparchus. His poetry, graceful and elegant, celeb...

Tucker, Richard

(Encyclopedia)Tucker, Richard, 1913–75, American tenor, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. Tucker began his singing career as a cantor and remained one throughout his 30-year operatic career. In 1945 he made his debut at the Metr...

Walther von der Vogelweide

(Encyclopedia)Walther von der Vogelweide välˈtər fən dĕr fōˈgəlvīˌdə [key], c.1170–c.1230, German minnesinger of noble birth, probably the finest lyric poet of medieval Germany. He wandered from court ...

Günther, Johann Christian

(Encyclopedia)Günther, Johann Christian günˈtər [key], 1695–1723, German lyric poet. The young Goethe was inspired by the naturalness and vigor of Günther's verse. Among his remembered poems is the drinking...