Ewald von Kleist achieved fame on the basis of Der Frühling (The Spring, 1749), a long poem that praises the beauty of nature and the simple life of the countryside. His works show a mixture of sentimental yearning for tranquillity and the glorification of steadfast virtue and heroic patriotism.

Ewald Christian von Kleist was born around 7 March 1715 in Zeblin, Pomerania (now Poland), to Joachim Ewald von Kleist and Juliane von Kleist, née von Manteuffel; the famous playwright Heinrich von Kleist, born some sixty years later, was a distant relative. Kleist studied law in Königsberg from 1731 to 1735; he was also well read in the classical literatures, which were to serve as a model for many aspects of his works. The family was relatively poor, making military service an appropriate career for Kleist. He joined the Danish army in 1736; after Frederick II's accession to the...