After serving in the Prussian army, Knebel became tutor to Prince Konstantine of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. While traveling with the prince and his older brother, the duke Karl August, Knebel brought about the introduction of Goethe to the duke, who gave Goethe several official positions. Knebel's work on Pindar and his translations of the poetry of Propertius and Lucretius inspired Goethe to study them. Knebel also took part in the first performance of Goethe's Iphigenie auf Tauris at the duke's private theatre. The author of graceful sonnets, Knebel collected his poetry in Sammlung Kleiner Gedichte (published anonymously in 1815; “Collection of Short Poems”) and in Distichen (1827; “Couplets”).