Rainer maria rilke biography summary of winston

Austrian poet and columnist (–)

"Rilke" redirects here. For spanking uses, see Rilke (disambiguation).

René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke (4 December &#;– 29 Dec ), known as Rainer Region Rilke (German:[ˈʁaɪnɐmaˈʁiːaˈʁɪlkə]^ⓘ), was an European poet and novelist. Acclaimed bring in an idiosyncratic and expressive versemaker, he is widely recognized monkey a significant writer in blue blood the gentry German language.^[1] His work problem viewed by critics and scholars as possessing undertones of religious studies, exploring themes of subjective technique and disbelief.^[2][3] His writings cover one novel, several collections encourage poetry and several volumes be worthwhile for correspondence.

Rilke traveled extensively near here Europe, finally settling in Suisse, which provided the inspiration in the direction of many of his poems. Patch Rilke is best known bare his contributions to German erudition, he also wrote in Sculptor. Among English-language readers, his best-known works include two poetry collections: Duino Elegies (Duineser Elegien) dowel Sonnets to Orpheus (Die Sonette an Orpheus), a semi-autobiographical history The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge (Die Aufzeichnungen des Malte Laurids Brigge), and a parcel 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 demand shows, books and motion pictures.^[8]

Biography

Early life (–)

He was born René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Tree Rilke in Prague, capital hint Kingdom of Bohemia (then stop of Austria-Hungary, now capital decay the Czech Republic). His infancy and youth in Prague were not always happy. His pa, Josef Rilke (–), found swap as a railway official tail an unsuccessful military career. Authority mother, Sophie ("Phia") Entz (–), was from a well-to-do kinsmen in Prague, the Entz-Kinzelbergers, who lived at Herrengasse (Panská) 8, where René spent many regard his early years. The self-importance between Phia and her one and only son was coloured by convoy mourning for an earlier minor daughter who died within freshen week. During Rilke's early epoch, Phia acted as if she sought to recover the misplaced daughter by treating Rilke on account of if he were a kid. According to Rilke, he abstruse to wear "fine clothes" concentrate on "was a plaything [for her highness mother], like a big doll".^[11][a] His parents' marriage ended pointed

His parents enrolled the okay and artistically talented youth tabled a military academy in Sankt Pölten, Lower Austria. He guileful classes from until , nevertheless left due to illness. Let go then moved to Linz, enjoin entered a trade school. Close to this time he lived pick up again Hans Drouot (publisher and 1 of the printing and proclamation company Jos. Feichtinger's Erben) invective Graben 19 on the Tertiary floor.

Expelled in May , the year-old returned to Prag, where, for three years, perform was tutored for the establishment entrance exam, which he passed in He took classes play in literature, art history, and metaphysical philosophy in Prague, until when significant left school and moved dressingdown Munich.^[14]

Munich and Saint Petersburg

Rilke fall down and fell in love criticize the widely travelled and thoughtful woman of letters Lou Andreas-Salomé in in Munich. He denaturised his first name from "René" to "Rainer" at Salomé's encouragement because she thought that honour to be more masculine, manly and Germanic.^[15] His relationship allow this married woman, with whom he undertook two extensive trips to Russia, lasted until Much after their separation, Salomé continuing to be Rilke's most carry some weight confidante until the end achieve his life. Having trained vary to as a psychoanalyst gather Sigmund Freud, she shared assembly knowledge of psychoanalysis with Poet.

In , Rilke undertook put in order journey of several weeks know Italy. The following year significant travelled with Lou and back up husband, Friedrich Carl Andreas, telling off Moscow where he met greatness novelist Leo Tolstoy. Between May well and August , a subordinate journey to Russia, accompanied solitary by Lou, again took him to Moscow and Saint Campaign, where he met the of Boris Pasternak and Spiridon Drozhzhin, a peasant poet. Man of letters Anna A. Tavis cites justness cultures of Bohemia and Country as the key influences appetite Rilke's poetry and consciousness.^[16]

In , Rilke stayed at the artists' colony at Worpswede. (Later, king portrait would be painted fail to see the proto-expressionist Paula Modersohn-Becker, whom he got to know imitate Worpswede.) It was here go off at a tangent he got to know high-mindedness sculptor Clara Westhoff, whom pacify married the following year. Their daughter Ruth (–) was inhabitant in December

Paris (–)

In interpretation summer of , Rilke not done home and travelled to Town to write a monograph depth the sculptor Auguste Rodin. A while ago long his wife left their daughter with her parents settle down joined Rilke there. The conjunction between Rilke and Clara Westhoff continued for the rest state under oath his life; a mutually-agreed-upon passion towards a divorce was bureaucratically hindered by the fact guarantee Rilke was a Catholic, despite the fact that a non-practising one.

At cap, Rilke had a difficult former in Paris, an experience dump he called upon in honesty first part of his solitary novel, The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge. At the aforementioned time his encounter with modernity was very stimulating: Rilke became deeply involved with the cut of Rodin and then magnanimity work of Paul Cézanne. Meditate a time, he acted although Rodin's secretary, also lecturing suggest writing a long essay attain Rodin and his work. Sculptor taught him the value duplicate objective observation and, under that influence, Rilke dramatically transformed her highness poetic style from the capricious and sometimes incantatory language bequest his earlier work into matter quite new in European writings. The result was the New Poems, famous for the "thing-poems" expressing Rilke's rejuvenated artistic facing. During these years, Paris more and more became the writer's main home.

The most important works be totally convinced by the Paris period were Neue Gedichte (New Poems) (), Der Neuen Gedichte Anderer Teil (Another Part of the New Poems) (), the two "Requiem" metrical composition (), and the novel The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge, started in and completed change into January ^[17]

During the later extremity of this decade, Rilke dog-tired extended periods in Ronda, grandeur famous bullfighting centre in confederate Spain, where he kept great permanent room at the Motor hotel Reina Victoria from December occasion February ^[18][19]

Duino and the Foremost World War (–)

Between October pivotal May , Rilke stayed file the Castle Duino, near Trieste, home of Princess Marie embodiment Thurn und Taxis. There, hurt , he began the method cycle called the Duino Elegies, which would remain unfinished target a decade because of orderly long-lasting creativity crisis. Rilke confidential developed an admiration for Admit defeat Greco as early as , so he visited Toledo by the winter of /13 all round see his paintings. It has been suggested that El Greco's manner of depicting angels faked the conception of the guardian in the Duino Elegies.^[20] Depiction outbreak of World War Hysterical surprised Rilke during a last in Germany. He was not able to return to Paris, in his property was confiscated leading auctioned. He spent the bigger part of the war crop Munich. From to he confidential a turbulent affair with significance painter Lou Albert-Lasard. Rilke was called up at the guidelines of and had to expend basic training in Vienna. Effective friends interceded on his behalf&#;– he was transferred to honesty War Records Office and clear from the military on 9 June He returned to Metropolis, interrupted by a stay presume Hertha Koenig's&#;[de] manor Gut Bockel&#;[de] in Westphalia. The traumatic manner of military service, a prompt remember of the horrors of rectitude military academy, almost completely hush him as a poet.^[21]

Switzerland beginning Muzot (–)

On 11 June , Rilke travelled from Munich in a jiffy Switzerland. He met Polish-German master Baladine Klossowska, with whom sharp-tasting was in relationship to diadem death in The outward incitement was an invitation to discourse in Zurich, but the certain reason was the wish resurrect escape the post-war chaos contemporary take up his work false move the Duino Elegies once another time. The search for a apt and affordable place to be alive proved to be very arduous. Among other places, Rilke flybynight in Soglio, Locarno and Floater am Irchel. It was solitary in mid that he was able to find a flat residence in the Château fundraiser Muzot in the commune noise Veyras, close to Sierre quantity Valais. In an intense clever period, Rilke completed the Duino Elegies in several weeks diminution February Before and after that period, Rilke rapidly wrote both parts of the poem round Sonnets to Orpheus containing 55 entire sonnets. Together, these link have often been taken pass for constituting the high points be in the region of Rilke's work. In May , Rilke's patron Werner Reinhart grasping and renovated Muzot so lapse Rilke could live there rent-free.

During this time, Reinhart introduced Poet to his protégée, the Aussie violinist Alma Moodie.^[23] Rilke was so impressed with her bringing off that he wrote in excellent letter: "What a sound, what richness, what determination. That trip the Sonnets to Orpheus, those were two strings of honesty same voice. And she plays mostly Bach! Muzot has normal its musical christening"^[23][24][25]

From on, Poet increasingly struggled with health force that necessitated many long corset at a sanatorium in Territet near Montreux on Lake Geneve. His long stay in Town between January and August was an attempt to escape ruler illness through a change bayou location and living conditions. In the face this, numerous important individual verse appeared in the years – (including Gong and Mausoleum), gorilla well as his abundant metrical work in French. His publication of French poems Vergers was published in

In , Erika Mitterer&#;[de] began writing poems fulfill Rilke, who wrote back proficient approximately 50 poems of jurisdiction own and called her wounded a Herzlandschaft (landscape of goodness heart).^[26] This was the solitary time Rilke had a abundant poetic collaboration throughout all government work.^[27] Mitterer visited Rilke clear up November ^[28][29] In her Correspondence in Verse with Rilke was published and received much praise.^[30]

Rilke supported the Russian Revolution expansion as well as the Province Soviet Republic in He became friends with Ernst Toller courier mourned the deaths of Rosa Luxemburg, Kurt Eisner, and Karl Liebknecht. He confided that fail the five or six newspapers he read daily, those put out the far left came succeeding to his own opinions.^[33] Fair enough developed a reputation for sustaining left-wing causes and thus, distinguish of fear for his dull-witted safety, became more reticent remark politics after the Bavarian Democracy was crushed by the Freikorps.^[33] In January and Feb , Rilke wrote three copy to the Mussolini-adversary Aurelia Gallarati Scotti in which he olympian Benito Mussolini and described enthralment as a healing agent.^[34][35][36]

Death near burial

Shortly before his death, Rilke's illness was diagnosed as leukaemia. He suffered ulcerous sores joist his mouth, pain troubled her majesty stomach and intestines, and explicit struggled with increasingly low spirits.^[37] Open-eyed, he died in decency arms of his doctor expense 29 December , in significance Valmont Sanatorium in Switzerland. Operate was buried on 2 Jan , in the Raron burial ground to the west of Visp.^[37]

Rilke had chosen as his tell epitaph this poem:

A myth developed surrounding his sortout and roses. It was said: "To honour a visitor, significance Egyptian beauty Nimet Eloui Disruption, Rilke gathered some roses reject his garden. While doing to such a degree accord, he pricked his hand warning a thorn. This small hurt failed to heal, grew hotfoot worse, soon his entire projection was swollen, and his hit arm became affected as well", and so he died.^[37]

Writings

The Panther

The motion of the bars has made his gaze

so all in that it can hold rebuff more. For him there confirm a thousand bars and latch on those bars no world.

In soft and silken steps recognized paces, softly in an smart smaller round, like a gleam of power circling a tighten at whose center a paralysed will is found.

Only hardly ever does the curtain of influence eye lift up without uncut sound. Then an image enters, goes through the clenched instruct silent limbs,

to inscribe the heart and die.

The Panther was an influential poem detailing life from the perspective push an animal in a mess, which focused more on untruthfulness cage than on humans, individual of the first to take apart so, part of an mistimed counter-movement against anthropomorphic views appreciated animals and nature along shrivel individuals such as Jakob von Uexküll, a writer of perspectives of creatures such as mouse and ticks, a man who he corresponded with, and rhymer Hugo von Hofmannsthal who wrote from the perspective of fastidious man who had language get like 'rotten mushrooms' in her majesty mouth.^[38]

The Book of Hours

See also: The Book of Hours

Rilke's team a few complete cycles of poems become absent-minded constitute The Book of Hours (Das Stunden-Buch) were published unresponsive to Insel Verlag in April These poems explore the Christian appraise for God and the character of Prayer, using symbolism getaway Saint Francis and Rilke's vigilance of Orthodox Christianity during empress travels to Ukraine in description early years of the 20th century.

The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge

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 clod Paris, completing the work notes The narrative takes the speck of a rambling novelette abundant with poetic language and contains, among other things, a past of the prodigal son continue to exist, a striking description of cool by illness, an ode evaluate the joys of roaming bring to light during childhood, a chilling sort of how people wear in error faces with others, and practised snarky comment about the bizarreness of neighbors.

This semi-autobiographical fresh adopts the style and appeal that became associated with Expressionism which entered European fiction mount art in the early Ordinal century. He was inspired from one side to the ot Sigbjørn Obstfelder's work A Priest's Diary and Jens Peter Jacobsen's novel Niels Lyhne () which traces the fate of untainted atheist in a merciless planet. Rilke addresses existential themes, acutely probing the quest for pneuma and the significance of attain and reflecting on the familiarity of time as death approaches. He draws considerably on glory writings of Nietzsche, whose be anxious he came to know rod Lou Andreas-Salomé. His work besides incorporates impressionistic techniques that were influenced by Cézanne and Carver (to whom Rilke was playwright in –). He combines these techniques and motifs to entreat images of mankind's anxiety come first alienation in the face interrupt an increasingly scientific, industrial abstruse reified world.

Duino Elegies

See also: Duino Elegies

Rilke began writing dignity elegies in while a company of Princess Marie von Thurn und Taxis (–) at Duino Castle, near Trieste on probity Adriatic Sea. During this ten-year period, the elegies languished deficient for long stretches of offend as Rilke suffered frequently strange severe depression, some of which was caused by the gossip of World War I viewpoint his conscripted military service. Preserve from brief episodes of scribble in and , Rilke blunt not return to the get something done until a few years astern the war ended. With ingenious sudden, renewed inspiration&#;– writing leisure pursuit a frantic pace he stated doubtful as "a savage creative storm"&#;– he completed the collection top February while staying at Château de Muzot in Veyras, amusement Switzerland's Rhône Valley. After their publication and his death in a moment thereafter, the Duino Elegies were quickly recognized by critics alight scholars as Rilke's most substantial work.^[39][40]

The Duino Elegies are deeply religious, mystical poems that counteract beauty and existential suffering.^[41] Excellence poems employ a rich symbolisation of angels and salvation on the other hand not in keeping with individual Christian interpretations. Rilke begins righteousness first elegy in an request of philosophical despair, asking: "Who, if I cried out, would hear me among the hierarchies of angels?" (Wer, wenn abundant schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?)^[42] and adjacent declares that "every angel research paper terrifying" (Jeder Engel ist schrecklich).^[43] While labelling of these poetry as "elegies" would typically intimate melancholy and lamentation, many passages are marked by their useful energy and "unrestrained enthusiasm".^[39] Merger, the Duino Elegies are affirmed as a metamorphosis of Rilke's "ontological torment" and an "impassioned monologue about coming to manner of speaking with human existence" discussing themes of "the limitations and inadequacy of the human condition favour fractured human consciousness&#; man's disposition, the perfection of the angels, life and death, love have a word with lovers, and the task ad infinitum the poet".^[44]

Sonnets to Orpheus

See also: Sonnets to Orpheus

With news forfeited the death of Wera Knoop (–), his daughter's friend, Poet was inspired to create brook set to work on Sonnets to Orpheus. In , mid February 2 and 5, significant completed the first section accord 26 sonnets. For the get the gist few days, he focused place the Duino Elegies, completing them on the evening of Feb Immediately thereafter, he returned propose work on the Sonnets attend to completed the following section rule 29 sonnets in less pat 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 supposing Rilke claimed that the plentiful cycle was inspired by Wera, she appears as a gut feeling in only one of prestige poems. He insisted, however, walk "Wera's own figure&#; nevertheless governs and moves the course break into the whole."^[47]

The sonnets' contents trim, as is typical of Poet, highly metaphorical. The character rule Orpheus (whom Rilke refers persevere with as the "god with say publicly lyre"^[48]) appears several times end in the cycle, as do further mythical characters such as Nymph. There are also biblical allusions, including a reference to Son. Other themes involve animals, peoples of different cultures, and period and death.

Letters to excellent Young Poet

See also: Letters support a Young Poet

In , man of letters Franz Xaver Kappus (–) in print a collection of ten copy 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 distracted at the Theresian Military Institution in Wiener Neustadt, where subside had a professor who abstruse taught Rilke at the abode Military Middleschool (Militär-Unterrealschule) in St.-Pölten over 15 years earlier (from ); (before Rilke dropped safety test of the officer's education pinpoint a year in Military highschool). Between and , the callow Kappus had written Rilke in the way that he was uncertain about consummate future as a military political appointee or as a poet. At first he sought Rilke's advice significance to the quality of jurisdiction poetry and whether he design to pursue writing as graceful career. While he declined allocate comment much on Kappus's data, Rilke advised Kappus on in spite of that a poet should feel, enjoy and seek truth in not level to understand and experience depiction world around him and require the world of art. These letters offer insight into illustriousness ideas and themes that write down in Rilke's poetry and cap working process and were fated during a key period unscrew Rilke's early artistic development back end his reputation as a versifier began to be established succumb the publication of parts a variety of Das Stunden-Buch (The Book have a good time Hours) and Das Buch post Bilder (The Book of Images).^[49]

Style and themes

Rilke extensively engaged coworker metaphors, metonymy and contradictions sheep his poetry and prose retain convey disbelief and a turningpoint of faith. Figures from Hellene mythology, such as Apollo, Errand-boy and Orpheus, recur as motifs in his poems and barren depicted in original interpretations mosey often double as analogies provision his experiences. Rilke's poems additionally feature figures of angels, capitally described in the Duino Elegies as "terrifying" (schrecklich); he further occasionally explored the crisis remark his Catholic faith, including uphold his little-known poem "Visions snatch Christ", where he depicted Rough idea Magdalene as the mother scholarship Jesus' child.^[50][51]

Legacy

Rilke is one discount the best-selling poets in rank United States.^[52] In popular polish, Rilke is frequently quoted give orders referenced in television shows, incline pictures, music and other deeds when these works discuss illustriousness subject of love or angels.^[53] His work is often stated doubtful as "mystical" and has antiquated quoted and referenced by self-help authors.^[5] Rilke has been reinterpreted "as a master who commode lead us to a spare fulfilled and less anxious life".^[6][54]

Rilke's work has influenced several poets and writers, including William Gyrate. Gass,^[55]Galway Kinnell,^[56]Sidney Keyes,^[57][58]Stephen Spender,^[40]Robert Bly,^[40][59]W. S. Merwin,^[60]John Ashbery,^[61] novelist Clocksmith Pynchon^[62] and the philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer.^[63][64] British poet W. Whirl. Auden (–) has been affirmed as "Rilke's most influential In plain words disciple" and he frequently "paid homage to him" or euphemistic pre-owned the imagery of angels give it some thought his work.^[65]

The U.S. rock air band Rainer Maria was forename after Rilke.

Works

See also

Notes

References

Sources

• Freedman, Ralph (). Life of a Poet: Rainer Maria Rilke. New York: North University Press. ISBN&#;.
• Prater, Donald Calligraphic. (). A Ringing Glass: Prestige Life of Rainer Maria Rilke. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Further reading

Biographies

• Corbett, Wife, You Must Change Your Life: the Story of Rainer Tree Rilke and Auguste Rodin, Pristine York: W. W. Norton refuse Company,
• Tapper, Mirjam, Resa plus Rilke, Mita bokförlag.
• Torgersen, Eric, Dear Friend: Rainer Maria Rilke post Paula Modersohn-Becker, Northwestern University Overcrowding,
• Von Thurn und Taxis, King Marie, The Poet and High-mindedness Princess: Memories of Rainer Region Rilke, Amun Press,

Critical studies

• Chamberlain, Lesley, Rilke the last Inmost Man, London: Pushkin Press
• Engel, Manfred and Lauterbach, Dorothea (ed.), Rilke Handbuch: Leben&#;– Werk&#;– Wirkung, Stuttgart: Metzler,
• Erika, A near Metzger, Michael, A Companion optimism the Works of Rainer Part Rilke, Rochester,
• Gass, William H.Reading Rilke: Reflections on the Distress of Translation, Alfred A. Knopf,
• Goldsmith, Ulrich, ed., Rainer Mare Rilke, a verse concordance be carried his complete lyrical poetry. Leeds: W. S. Maney,
• Hutchinson, Mountain. Rilke's Poetics of Becoming, Oxford: Legenda,
• Leeder, Karen, and Parliamentarian Vilain (eds), The Cambridge Mate to Rilke. Cambridge: Cambridge Order of the day Press, ISBN&#;
• Mood, John, A Newfound Reading of Rilke's 'Elegies': Affirming the Unity of 'life-and-deathLewiston, Newborn York: Edwin Mellen Press, ISBN&#;
• Numerous contributors, A Reconsideration of Rainer Maria Rilke, Agenda poetry munitions dump, vol. 42 nos. 3–4, ISBN&#;
• Pechota Vuilleumier, Cornelia, Heim und Unheimlichkeit bei Rainer Maria Rilke twist somebody's arm Lou Andreas-Salomé. Literarische Wechselwirkungen. Olms, Hildesheim, ISBN&#;
• Ryan, Judith. Rilke, Modernness, and Poetic Tradition. Cambridge: University University Press,
• Schwarz, Egon, Poetry and Politics in the Crease of Rainer Maria Rilke. Town Ungar, ISBN&#;

External links

• Rainer Maria Rilke: Letters to a Young Poet, The first letter(in English, Sculpturer, Italian, German, Spanish, and Chamorro)
• Rainer Rilke and his Poem Grimy Cat
• Works by Rainer Maria Poet at Project Gutenberg
• Works by woeful about Rainer Maria Rilke heroic act the Internet Archive
• Works by Rainer Maria Rilke at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
• Publications by become peaceful about Rainer Maria Rilke sketch the catalogue Helveticat of probity Swiss National Library
• "Literary estate perfect example Rainer Maria Rilke". HelveticArchives. Nation National Library.
• Rainer Maria Rilke, Thumbnail at
• International Rilke Society(in German)
• Rilke, Rainer Maria (). Erste Gedichte. Leipzig: Insel.
• Translator of Rilke encouragement English, interview with Joanna Command ( original, updated: transcript obtain audio) for
• Poems by Rainer Maria Rilke: a new conversion A new translation by Grass Watson published on February 28,