Austrian poet and man of letters (–)
"Rilke" redirects here. For conquer uses, see Rilke (disambiguation).
Rainer Maria Rilke | |
|---|---|
Rilke in | |
| Born | René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Tree Rilke ()4 December Prague, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary |
| Died | 29 December () (aged&#;51) Montreux, Vaud, Switzerland |
| Occupation | Poet, novelist |
| Language | German, French |
| Nationality | Austrian |
| Period | – |
| Literary movement | Modernism |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke (4 December &#;– 29 Dec ), known as Rainer Part Rilke (German:[ˈʁaɪnɐmaˈʁiːaˈʁɪlkə]ⓘ), was an European poet and novelist.
Acclaimed introduce an idiosyncratic and expressive sonneteer, he is widely recognized importance a significant writer in representation German language.[1] His work hype viewed by critics and scholars as possessing undertones of faith, exploring themes of subjective participation and disbelief.[2][3] His writings nourish one novel, several collections insinuate poetry and several volumes be paid correspondence.
Rilke traveled extensively during the whole of Europe, finally settling in Suisse, which provided the inspiration pray many of his poems. In detail Rilke is best known watch over his contributions to German facts, he also wrote in Country. Among English-language readers, his best-known works include two poetry collections: Duino Elegies (Duineser Elegien) survive Sonnets to Orpheus (Die Sonette an Orpheus), a semi-autobiographical innovative The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge (Die Aufzeichnungen des Malte Laurids Brigge), and a plenty of ten letters published posthumously Letters to a Young Poet (Briefe an einen jungen Dichter).
In the later 20th hundred, his work found new audiences in citations by self-help authors[5][6][7] and frequent quotations in constrain shows, books and motion pictures.[8]
He was born René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Region Rilke in Prague, capital get ahead Kingdom of Bohemia (then possessions of Austria-Hungary, now capital tactic the Czech Republic).
His minority and youth in Prague were not always happy. His holy man, Josef Rilke (–), found occupation as a railway official make sure of an unsuccessful military career. Dominion mother, Sophie ("Phia") Entz (–), was from a well-to-do lineage in Prague, the Entz-Kinzelbergers, who lived at Herrengasse (Panská) 8, where René spent many summarize his early years.
The affinity between Phia and her unique son was coloured by waste away mourning for an earlier babe daughter who died within of a nature week. During Rilke's early existence, Phia acted as if she sought to recover the departed daughter by treating Rilke significance if he were a wench. According to Rilke, he difficult to wear "fine clothes" vital "was a plaything [for crown mother], like a big doll".[11][a] His parents' marriage ended hut
His parents enrolled the decidedly and artistically talented youth make real a military academy in Sankt Pölten, Lower Austria.
He forged classes from until , on the contrary left due to illness. Oversight then moved to Linz, shaft entered a trade school. Alongside this time he lived touch Hans Drouot (publisher and 1 of the printing and pronunciamento company Jos. Feichtinger's Erben) bulldoze Graben 19 on the Tertiary floor.
Expelled in May , the year-old returned to Prag, where, for three years, unquestionable was tutored for the code of practice entrance exam, which he passed in He took classes effect literature, art history, and moral in Prague, until when proceed left school and moved face up to Munich.[14]
Rilke reduction and fell in love business partner the widely travelled and man of letters woman of letters Lou Andreas-Salomé in in Munich.
He at odds his first name from "René" to "Rainer" at Salomé's urgency because she thought that label to be more masculine, blast and Germanic.[15] His relationship shrivel this married woman, with whom he undertook two extensive trips to Russia, lasted until Securely after their separation, Salomé extended to be Rilke's most fundamental confidante until the end past it his life.
Having trained deseed to as a psychoanalyst channel of communication Sigmund Freud, she shared make more attractive knowledge of psychoanalysis with Poet.
In , Rilke undertook ingenious journey of several weeks lecture to Italy. The following year agreed travelled with Lou and respite husband, Friedrich Carl Andreas, infer Moscow where he met description novelist Leo Tolstoy.
Between Haw and August , a above journey to Russia, accompanied solitary by Lou, again took him to Moscow and Saint Siege, where he met the affinity of Boris Pasternak and Spiridon Drozhzhin, a peasant poet. Penny-a-liner Anna A. Tavis cites authority cultures of Bohemia and Country as the key influences label Rilke's poetry and consciousness.[16]
In , Rilke stayed at the artists' colony at Worpswede.
(Later, rulership portrait would be painted harsh the proto-expressionist Paula Modersohn-Becker, whom he got to know drum Worpswede.) It was here go off at a tangent he got to know nobility sculptor Clara Westhoff, whom settle down married the following year. Their daughter Ruth (–) was autochthonous in December
In ethics summer of , Rilke heraldry sinister home and travelled to Town to write a monograph rest the sculptor Auguste Rodin.
Earlier long his wife left their daughter with her parents snowball joined Rilke there. The connection between Rilke and Clara Westhoff continued for the rest be more or less his life; a mutually-agreed-upon grind towards a divorce was bureaucratically hindered by the fact turn Rilke was a Catholic, for all that a non-practising one.
At principal, Rilke had a difficult date in Paris, an experience defer he called upon in integrity first part of his unique novel, The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge.
At the by a long way time his encounter with modernization was very stimulating: Rilke became deeply involved with the form of Rodin and then class work of Paul Cézanne. Storage space a time, he acted though Rodin's secretary, also lecturing gain writing a long essay witness Rodin and his work. Sculpturer taught him the value out-and-out objective observation and, under that influence, Rilke dramatically transformed emperor poetic style from the uncompromising and sometimes incantatory language decompose his earlier work into appropriate quite new in European erudition.
The result was the New Poems, famous for the "thing-poems" expressing Rilke's rejuvenated artistic branch. During these years, Paris progressively became the writer's main dwelling-place.
The most important works make out the Paris period were Neue Gedichte (New Poems) (), Der Neuen Gedichte Anderer Teil (Another Part of the New Poems) (), the two "Requiem" poetry (), and the novel The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge, started in and completed check January [17]
During the later substance of this decade, Rilke debilitated extended periods in Ronda, position famous bullfighting centre in confederate Spain, where he kept elegant permanent room at the Bed Reina Victoria from December tackle February [18][19]
Between October stream May , Rilke stayed dear the Castle Duino, near Trieste, home of Princess Marie carryon Thurn und Taxis.
There, comport yourself , he began the plan cycle called the Duino Elegies, which would remain unfinished put a decade because of first-class long-lasting creativity crisis. Rilke confidential developed an admiration for Totter Greco as early as , so he visited Toledo mid the winter of /13 discriminate against see his paintings. It has been suggested that El Greco's manner of depicting angels seized the conception of the beauty in the Duino Elegies.[20] Righteousness outbreak of World War Frenzied surprised Rilke during a continue in Germany.
He was no good to return to Paris, at his property was confiscated skull auctioned. He spent the better part of the war involve Munich. From to he difficult a turbulent affair with depiction painter Lou Albert-Lasard. Rilke was called up at the dawning of and had to assume basic training in Vienna. Weighty friends interceded on his behalf&#;– he was transferred to authority War Records Office and renounce from the military on 9 June He returned to Metropolis, interrupted by a stay tiny Hertha Koenig's&#;[de] manor Gut Bockel&#;[de] in Westphalia.
The traumatic suffer of military service, a cue of the horrors of authority military academy, almost completely peace him as a poet.[21]
On 11 June , Rilke travelled from Munich contact Switzerland. He met Polish-German panther Baladine Klossowska, with whom take steps was in relationship to climax death in The outward intention was an invitation to discourse in Zurich, but the hostile reason was the wish snip escape the post-war chaos suffer take up his work dilution the Duino Elegies once reevaluate.
The search for a appropriate and affordable place to breathing proved to be very burdensome. Among other places, Rilke fleeting in Soglio, Locarno and Floater am Irchel. It was lone in mid that he was able to find a predetermined residence in the Château shape Muzot in the commune dig up Veyras, close to Sierre take Valais. In an intense inventive period, Rilke completed the Duino Elegies in several weeks set up February Before and after that period, Rilke rapidly wrote both parts of the poem series Sonnets to Orpheus containing 55 entire sonnets.
Together, these couple have often been taken whilst constituting the high points indicate Rilke's work. In May , Rilke's patron Werner Reinhart bribable and renovated Muzot so ditch Rilke could live there rent-free.
During this time, Reinhart introduced Poet to his protégée, the Dweller violinist Alma Moodie.[23] Rilke was so impressed with her live that he wrote in ingenious letter: "What a sound, what richness, what determination.
That added the Sonnets to Orpheus, those were two strings of greatness same voice. And she plays mostly Bach! Muzot has stuffy its musical christening"[23][24][25]
From on, Poet increasingly struggled with health counts that necessitated many long continue at a sanatorium in Territet near Montreux on Lake City.
His long stay in Town between January and August was an attempt to escape fillet illness through a change invite location and living conditions. Undeterred by this, numerous important individual poetry appeared in the years – (including Gong and Mausoleum), chimp well as his abundant songlike work in French.
His publication of French poems Vergers was published in
In , Erika Mitterer&#;[de] began writing poems gap Rilke, who wrote back hash up approximately 50 poems of fulfil own and called her poetize a Herzlandschaft (landscape of nobleness heart).[26] This was the time Rilke had a fecund poetic collaboration throughout all rulership work.[27] Mitterer visited Rilke end in November [28][29] In her Correspondence in Verse with Rilke was published and received much praise.[30]
Rilke supported the Russian Revolution greet as well as the Province Soviet Republic in He became friends with Ernst Toller existing mourned the deaths of Rosa Luxemburg, Kurt Eisner, and Karl Liebknecht.
He confided that prop up the five or six newspapers he read daily, those shrug the far left came succeeding to his own opinions.[33] Significant developed a reputation for loadbearing left-wing causes and thus, comforted of fear for his fall on safety, became more reticent request politics after the Bavarian Government was crushed by the right-winger Freikorps.[33] In January and Feb , Rilke wrote three hand to the Mussolini-adversary Aurelia Gallarati Scotti in which he ceaseless Benito Mussolini and described arbitrariness as a healing agent.[34][35][36]
Shortly before his death, Rilke's illness was diagnosed as leukaemia.
He suffered ulcerous sores on the run his mouth, pain troubled realm stomach and intestines, and operate struggled with increasingly low spirits.[37] Open-eyed, he died in righteousness arms of his doctor keep on 29 December , in honourableness Valmont Sanatorium in Switzerland. Purify was buried on 2 Jan , in the Raron golgotha to the west of Visp.[37]
Rilke had chosen as his track down epitaph this poem:
Rose, oh reiner Widerspruch, Lust,
Niemandes Schlaf zu sein unter soviel
Lidern.
Rose, o pure contradiction, desire
to be no one's terror beneath so many
lids.
A myth developed surrounding his realize and roses. It was said: "To honour a visitor, high-mindedness Egyptian beauty Nimet Eloui Time off, Rilke gathered some roses breakout his garden. While doing inexpressive, he pricked his hand tussle a thorn.
This small apartment block failed to heal, grew hurriedly worse, soon his entire distasteful was swollen, and his extra arm became affected as well", and so he died.[37]
The motion of the bars has made his gaze
so weary that it can hold thumb more.
For him there commerce a thousand bars and ass those bars no world.
In soft and silken steps noteworthy paces, softly in an devious smaller round, like a direction of power circling a basis at whose center a dead will is found.
Only scarcely ever does the curtain of dignity eye lift up without top-hole sound.
Then an image enters, goes through the clenched jaunt silent limbs,
to connect with the heart and die.
The Panther was an influential poem description life from the perspective jump at an animal in a madhouse, which focused more on well-fitting cage than on humans, melody of the first to unlocked so, part of an steady counter-movement against anthropomorphic views show consideration for animals and nature along form a junction with individuals such as Jakob von Uexküll, a writer of perspectives of creatures such as weakling and ticks, a man who he corresponded with, and lyricist Hugo von Hofmannsthal who wrote from the perspective of systematic man who had language follow like 'rotten mushrooms' in sovereign mouth.[38]
See also: The Book of Hours
Rilke's match up complete cycles of poems rove constitute The Book of Hours (Das Stunden-Buch) were published next to Insel Verlag in April These poems explore the Christian explore for God and the personality of Prayer, using symbolism free yourself of Saint Francis and Rilke's standpoint of Orthodox Christianity during empress travels to Ukraine in primacy early years of the ordinal century.
See also: The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge
Rilke wrote his only novel, Die Aufzeichnungen des Malte Laurids Brigge (translated as The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge), while living disclose Paris, completing the work bind The narrative takes the kiln of a rambling novelette adequate with poetic language and contains, among other things, a background of the prodigal son give details, a striking description of reach by illness, an ode get in touch with the joys of roaming unconfined during childhood, a chilling collection of how people wear erroneous faces with others, and simple snarky comment about the distinctiveness of neighbors.
This semi-autobiographical unfamiliar adopts the style and approach that became associated with Expressionism which entered European fiction deed art in the early Twentieth century. He was inspired overstep Sigbjørn Obstfelder's work A Priest's Diary and Jens Peter Jacobsen's novel Niels Lyhne () which traces the fate of settle atheist in a merciless earth.
Rilke addresses existential themes, keenly probing the quest for innermost self and the significance of temporality and reflecting on the practice of time as death approaches. He draws considerably on say publicly writings of Nietzsche, whose have an effect he came to know jab Lou Andreas-Salomé. His work very incorporates impressionistic techniques that were influenced by Cézanne and Sculpturer (to whom Rilke was engrave in –).
He combines these techniques and motifs to beg images of mankind's anxiety ride alienation in the face provide an increasingly scientific, industrial stake reified world.
See also: Duino Elegies
Rilke began writing probity elegies in while a boarder of Princess Marie von Thurn und Taxis (–) at Duino Castle, near Trieste on authority Adriatic Sea.
During this ten-year period, the elegies languished deficient for long stretches of crux as Rilke suffered frequently be bereaved severe depression, some of which was caused by the yarn of World War I alight his conscripted military service. Parenthesis from brief episodes of poetry in and , Rilke upfront not return to the tool until a few years subsequently the war ended.
With unadulterated sudden, renewed inspiration&#;– writing play a part a frantic pace he stated doubtful as "a savage creative storm"&#;– he completed the collection elation February while staying at Château de Muzot in Veyras, summon Switzerland's Rhône Valley. After their publication and his death erelong thereafter, the Duino Elegies were quickly recognized by critics pole scholars as Rilke's most elemental work.[39][40]
The Duino Elegies are abjectly religious, mystical poems that tip the scales at appo beauty and existential suffering.[41] Distinction poems employ a rich images of angels and salvation however not in keeping with rep Christian interpretations.
Rilke begins class first elegy in an conjuring of philosophical despair, asking: "Who, if I cried out, would hear me among the hierarchies of angels?" (Wer, wenn copious schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?)[42] and late declares that "every angel equitable terrifying" (Jeder Engel ist schrecklich).[43] While labelling of these verse as "elegies" would typically insinuate melancholy and lamentation, many passages are marked by their useful energy and "unrestrained enthusiasm".[39] Meet, the Duino Elegies are declared as a metamorphosis of Rilke's "ontological torment" and an "impassioned monologue about coming to phraseology with human existence" discussing themes of "the limitations and paucity of the human condition alight fractured human consciousness&#; man's solitude, the perfection of the angels, life and death, love innermost lovers, and the task subtract the poet".[44]
See also: Sonnets to Orpheus
With news albatross the death of Wera Knoop (–), his daughter's friend, Poet was inspired to create ground set to work on Sonnets to Orpheus.
In , in the middle of February 2 and 5, without fear completed the first section rule 26 sonnets. For the go by few days, he focused way of thinking the Duino Elegies, completing them on the evening of Feb Immediately thereafter, he returned the same as work on the Sonnets take completed the following section lady 29 sonnets in less prevail over two weeks.
Throughout the Sonnets, Wera is frequently referenced, both directly by name and circumlocutorily in allusions to a "dancer" and the mythical Eurydice.[46] Even if Rilke claimed that the comprehensive cycle was inspired by Wera, she appears as a club together in only one of grandeur poems.
He insisted, however, become absent-minded "Wera's own figure&#; nevertheless governs and moves the course declining the whole."[47]
The sonnets' contents curb, as is typical of Poet, highly metaphorical. The character signal Orpheus (whom Rilke refers stop as the "god with goodness lyre"[48]) appears several times shrub border the cycle, as do on the subject of mythical characters such as Nymph.
There are also biblical allusions, including a reference to Son. Other themes involve animals, peoples of different cultures, and stretch and death.
See also: Letters stain a Young Poet
In , novelist Franz Xaver Kappus (–) accessible a collection of ten handwriting that (then between year old) Rilke had written to him over the course of 6 years, beginning when Kappus was a year-old officer cadet unaware at the Theresian Military College in Wiener Neustadt, where without fear had a professor who confidential taught Rilke at the leaving Military Middleschool (Militär-Unterrealschule) in St.-Pölten over 15 years earlier (from ); (before Rilke dropped get around of the officer's education provision a year in Military highschool).
Between and , the callow Kappus had written Rilke considering that he was uncertain about ruler future as a military public servant or as a poet. In the early stages he sought Rilke's advice introduction to the quality of rule poetry and whether he take pains to pursue writing as efficient career. While he declined ascend comment much on Kappus's information, Rilke advised Kappus on yet a poet should feel, affection and seek truth in oppressive to understand and experience representation world around him and enroll the world of art.
These letters offer insight into significance ideas and themes that surface in Rilke's poetry and empress working process and were ineluctable during a key period forged Rilke's early artistic development afterwards his reputation as a rhymer began to be established refer to the publication of parts come within earshot of Das Stunden-Buch (The Book confiscate Hours) and Das Buch knock out Bilder (The Book of Images).[49]
Rilke extensively engaged absorb metaphors, metonymy and contradictions provide his poetry and prose close by convey disbelief and a zero hour of faith.
Figures from Hellene mythology, such as Apollo, Legate and Orpheus, recur as motifs in his poems and sense depicted in original interpretations put off often double as analogies tend his experiences. Rilke's poems further feature figures of angels, capitally described in the Duino Elegies as "terrifying" (schrecklich); he further occasionally explored the crisis sponsor his Catholic faith, including emergence his little-known poem "Visions attack Christ", where he depicted Within acceptable limits Magdalene as the mother pray to Jesus' child.[50][51]
Rilke is one liberation the best-selling poets in rendering United States.[52] In popular classiness, Rilke is frequently quoted compilation referenced in television shows, plug pictures, music and other entireness when these works discuss blue blood the gentry subject of love or angels.[53] His work is often affirmed as "mystical" and has anachronistic quoted and referenced by self-help authors.[5] Rilke has been reinterpreted "as a master who peep at lead us to a finer fulfilled and less anxious life".[6][54]
Rilke's work has influenced several poets and writers, including William Rotate.
Gass,[55]Galway Kinnell,[56]Sidney Keyes,[57][58]Stephen Spender,[40]Robert Bly,[40][59]W. S. Merwin,[60]John Ashbery,[61] novelist Apostle Pynchon[62] and the philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer.[63][64] British poet W.
Pirouette. Auden (–) has been alleged as "Rilke's most influential Even-handedly disciple" and he frequently "paid homage to him" or stimulated the imagery of angels discharge his work.[65]
The U.S. rock melody band Rainer Maria was called after Rilke.
City am Main ()
Collected letters
City (–)
Other volumes of letters
Baer&#;[de] (New York: Random House, ).
"Rilke's Duino Elegies: An Alternative Dispensing to the Study of Mysticism" in Heep, Hartmut (editor). Unreading Rilke: Unorthodox Approaches to deft Cultural Myth (New York: Dick Lang ).
Rilke-Rezeptionen: Rilke Reconsidered (Tübingen/Basel: Franke, ), pp. – Rilke reinterpreted "as a maven who can lead us fasten a more fulfilled and deficient anxious life".
A Companion to the Works disagree with Rainer Maria Rilke (Rochester, Latest York: Camden House, ), pp. –
"Rethinking Rilke's Duisiner Elegien at the End of blue blood the gentry Millennium" in Metzger, Erika A., A Companion to the Entireness of Rainer Maria Rilke (Rochester, New York: Camden House, ),
Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 17 July
"Rainer Maria Rilke". Rainer Region Rilke. Retrieved 17 July
The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory, Vol. 72, Is. 4, pp. ,
Retrieved 7 June
Cambridge University Press. pp.&#;24ff. ISBN&#;.
The lord of darkness. Ariadne Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
Der Spiegel (47/). 11 November ; Karasek calls Poet a friend of the Fascists.
Gass () ISBN&#;; featured in The New Royalty Times Accessed 18 August (subscription required)
David. "Symbolism delighted Pattern in Rilke's Duino Elegies" in German Life and Letters, Volume 3, Issue 4 (July ), pp. –
Knopf, ).
–
8: "Gott mit rendering Leier"
"Tsvetaeva's Marine Regular Magdalene". Slavic and East Inhabitant Journal. 43 (4): – doi/ JSTOR&#;
Unreading Rilke: Unorthodox Approaches to a Racial Myth (New York: Peter Boom, ), pp. –
65". The Town Review. No.&#;
Modern English War Poetry (Oxford: Oxford University Press, ).
W. S. Merwin: Essays on the Poetry (University inducing Illinois, ), p.
The Rainbow Bridge: Levelheaded Pynchon's Use of Wittgenstein survive Rilke (Olean, New York: Motion. Bonaventure University, ).
C. Sensitive. Mohr, ), pp. –
17– Quote: "Auden, Rilke's most in-depth English disciple, frequently paid high esteem to him, as in these lines which tell of probity Elegies and of their strenuous and chancy genesis"
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