Meta Klopstock
Meta Klopstock, born Margareta Moller in Hamburg, Germany, in 1728, was a notable figure in the 18th-century literary and religious landscape. Growing up in a merchant family, she displayed an early aptitude for languages, mastering English, French, and Italian. Her life took a significant turn when she discovered a poem fragment by Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock, which led to a profound relationship that blossomed into marriage in 1754. Meta's belief in marrying for love, rather than social obligations, was progressive for her time, reflecting her independent spirit.
Throughout her marriage, she contributed to Klopstock's literary endeavors and maintained a vibrant correspondence that spanned various topics, illustrating her intellectual curiosity and cultural engagement. Despite her doubts about her own writing, she produced a body of work that included hymns, a biblical drama, and numerous letters, some of which were published posthumously in 1759. Tragically, Meta Klopstock died shortly after giving birth at the age of thirty. Her legacy endures through her letters, which offer insights into her thoughts and the societal issues of her era, marking her as an influential figure in the literary and religious movements of her time.
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Meta Klopstock
Writer
- Born: March 16, 1728
- Birthplace: Hamburg, Germany
- Died: November 28, 1758
- Place of death: Hamburg, Germany
Biography
Meta Klopstock was born Margareta Moller in Hamburg, Germany, in 1728. She was the daughter of Peter Moller, a merchant, and his wife, Margarete Frieling Moller. As a child she learned to read English, French, and Italian. In 1751, while visiting a friend, she found a fragment of a poem about the Messiah, written by author Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock. Although she was somewhat critical of the poem, she wanted to read more of it, and a meeting between the two was arranged. Once the two met, they had little time for anything but each other. Moller began to write Klopstock romantic letters containing her thoughts about religion.
After a year of friendship, Moller and Klopstock became officially betrothed. Moller’s rather unconventional view that a person should marry for love, and not for social or religious reasons, seems ahead of her time. The couple were finally married in 1754. During her marriage, she continued to write letters ranging in subject matter from purely domestic concerns to humorous thoughts about Danish society. Her husband often enlisted her help with his poem about the Messiah, and parts of the poem are dedicated to her. Unfortunately, Meta Klopstock died in childbirth at the young age of thirty.
Meta Klopstock doubted the quality of her writing, but was encouraged to write by her husband and his literary friends. The body of her literary work consists of two hymns, a drama with a biblical theme, and many letters. Most of her works were published posthumously in 1759 as Hinterlassne Schriften von Margareta Klopstock. She is best remembered for her letters to her husband, family, and friends. Klopstock was an intellectual woman whose opinions deserve attention because of her activism in the literary and religious movements of her age.