The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Kind, Johann Friedrich

KIND, kĭnt, Johann Friedrich, German poet, dramatist and novelist: b. Leipzig, 1768; d. 1843. Graduating in law he practised his profession for 21 years. He was a very industrious writer in many fields of literature, in all of which he was popular in his day with a large class of lreaders. Though he published five volumes of sentimental and popular poetry his poetry is the weakest of his literary efforts. His popular tales have somewhat more merit than his poems; but it is in the line of operatic plays that he is best and most generally known. Among his opera productions the best are ‘Das Nachtlager von Granada’ (to Kreutzer's music); ‘Der Holzdieb’ (Marschner's music), and ‘Der Freischutz’ (Weber's music). He wrote too much to have produced really valuable literary works; but scattered throughout his various compositions are many passages which read well and are capable of being separated from their contexts and used as selected readings.