The father, who had some of Friedrich's poems published in 1720, died on 17 December 1722, leaving his family in a difficult financial situation. Nevertheless, Hagedorn received a good education at the Akademische Gymnasium in Hamburg.
Classical poetry was a major influence on the young man, who delighted, in particular, in Horace's works. In 1726 he began to study law at the University of Jena but maintained close links with a Hamburg group of poets and writers. He had some short poems published in the literary magazine Der Patriot and in Christian Friedrich Weichmann's anthology Poesie der Nieder-Sachsen (Poetry of Lower Saxony, 1721-1723). He was unable to complete his law degree, perhaps because of debaucheries in which he was involved and debts he incurred. Afraid of being incarcerated by the university, he abruptly ended his university education in 1727. He published his first major collection of lyric poetry, Versuch einiger Gedichte (Attempt at Some Poems) in 1729.
Also in 1729 he accepted the position of diplomatic secretary to Baron von Söhlenthal, the Danish ambassador, in London. Although he did not receive a salary, he had free room and board in return for relatively little work.
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