Der Messias ("The Messiah") is an epic poem published from 1748 to 1773 by German poet Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock.
The project reflected the influence of Johann Jakob Bodmer's translation of John Milton's Paradise Lost, which Klopstock had read at the school.
The poem became regarded in some circles as equal to the epics of Dante and Milton, especially by women and religious people.
A flood of epic imitations on various biblical subjects attested to his contemporary influence, and all the younger poets of his day learned from Klopstock, but the 19th century admired him from an ever-increasing distance.
However, instead of strong contrasts, going from darkness to light, from misery to bliss, Klopstock attempts to portray a mental state of continuous, dazzling brilliancy.