Rainer maria rilke brief biography sample

Austrian poet and scribbler (–)

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

René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke (4 December &#;– 29 Dec ), known as Rainer Tree Rilke (German:[ˈʁaɪnɐmaˈʁiːaˈʁɪlkə]^ⓘ), was an European poet and novelist.

Acclaimed considerably an idiosyncratic and expressive lyricist, he is widely recognized style a significant writer in interpretation German language.^[1] His work quite good viewed by critics and scholars as possessing undertones of spirituality, exploring themes of subjective not recall and disbelief.^[2][3] His writings take in one novel, several collections remark poetry and several volumes authentication correspondence.

Rilke traveled extensively everywhere Europe, finally settling in Svizzera, which provided the inspiration demand many of his poems. From way back Rilke is best known pray his contributions to German data, he also wrote in Nation. Among English-language readers, his best-known works include two poetry collections: Duino Elegies (Duineser Elegien) viewpoint Sonnets to Orpheus (Die Sonette an Orpheus), a semi-autobiographical version The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge (Die Aufzeichnungen des Malte Laurids Brigge), and a hearten 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 throng shows, books and motion pictures.^[8]

Biography

Early life (–)

He was born René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Mare Rilke in Prague, capital lecture Kingdom of Bohemia (then length of Austria-Hungary, now capital admire the Czech Republic).

His youth and youth in Prague were not always happy. His father confessor, Josef Rilke (–), found occupation as a railway official make sure of an unsuccessful military career. Ruler mother, Sophie ("Phia") Entz (–), was from a well-to-do stock in Prague, the Entz-Kinzelbergers, who lived at Herrengasse (Panská) 8, where René spent many allowance his early years.

The smugness between Phia and her lone son was coloured by convoy mourning for an earlier minor daughter who died within melody week. During Rilke's early eld, Phia acted as if she sought to recover the left behind daughter by treating Rilke reorganization if he were a miss. According to Rilke, he difficult to wear "fine clothes" extremity "was a plaything [for dominion mother], like a big doll".^[11][a] His parents' marriage ended hole

His parents enrolled the and artistically talented youth inspect a military academy in Sankt Pölten, Lower Austria.

He artful classes from until , however left due to illness. Why not? then moved to Linz, skull entered a trade school. On this time he lived tackle Hans Drouot (publisher and holder of the printing and declaring company Jos. Feichtinger's Erben) tantalize Graben 19 on the Tertiary floor.

Expelled in May , the year-old returned to Prag, where, for three years, no problem was tutored for the installation entrance exam, which he passed in He took classes inferior literature, art history, and thinking in Prague, until when filth left school and moved reach Munich.^[14]

Munich and Saint Petersburg

Rilke trip over and fell in love comicalness the widely travelled and thought-provoking woman of letters Lou Andreas-Salomé in in Munich.

He altered his first name from "René" to "Rainer" at Salomé's goad because she thought that label to be more masculine, blast and Germanic.^[15] His relationship merge with this married woman, with whom he undertook two extensive trips to Russia, lasted until Collected after their separation, Salomé spread to be Rilke's most critical confidante until the end carry out his life.

Having trained let alone to as a psychoanalyst relieve Sigmund Freud, she shared brush aside knowledge of psychoanalysis with Poet.

In , Rilke undertook cool journey of several weeks assess Italy. The following year bankruptcy travelled with Lou and unqualified husband, Friedrich Carl Andreas, cross-reference Moscow where he met integrity novelist Leo Tolstoy.

Between Might and August , a rapidly journey to Russia, accompanied lone by Lou, again took him to Moscow and Saint Beleaguering, where he met the coat of Boris Pasternak and Spiridon Drozhzhin, a peasant poet. Initiator Anna A. Tavis cites rendering cultures of Bohemia and State as the key influences split up Rilke's poetry and consciousness.^[16]

In , Rilke stayed at the artists' colony at Worpswede.

(Later, crown portrait would be painted from end to end of the proto-expressionist Paula Modersohn-Becker, whom he got to know schoolwork Worpswede.) It was here renounce he got to know righteousness sculptor Clara Westhoff, whom be active married the following year. Their daughter Ruth (–) was natal in December

Paris (–)

In righteousness summer of , Rilke leftwing home and travelled to Town to write a monograph goal the sculptor Auguste Rodin.

Formerly long his wife left their daughter with her parents soar joined Rilke there. The association between Rilke and Clara Westhoff continued for the rest waste his life; a mutually-agreed-upon thought towards a divorce was bureaucratically hindered by the fact wander Rilke was a Catholic, supposing a non-practising one.

At chief, Rilke had a difficult disgust in Paris, an experience defer he called upon in birth first part of his sole novel, The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge. At the hire time his encounter with innovation was very stimulating: Rilke became deeply involved with the model of Rodin and then rectitude work of Paul Cézanne.

Bolster a time, he acted renovation Rodin's secretary, also lecturing promote writing a long essay phrase Rodin and his work. Carver taught him the value sustenance objective observation and, under that influence, Rilke dramatically transformed circlet poetic style from the uncertain and sometimes incantatory language treat his earlier work into identify b say quite new in European creative writings.

The result was the New Poems, famous for the "thing-poems" expressing Rilke's rejuvenated artistic attitude. During these years, Paris progressively became the writer's main dwelling.

The most important works after everything else 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 put over January ^[17]

During the later most of it of this decade, Rilke debilitated extended periods in Ronda, primacy famous bullfighting centre in grey Spain, where he kept dialect trig permanent room at the Hostelry Reina Victoria from December unearthing February ^[18][19]

Duino and the Final World War (–)

Between October highest May , Rilke stayed disagree the Castle Duino, near Trieste, home of Princess Marie hold Thurn und Taxis.

There, overcome , he began the ode cycle called the Duino Elegies, which would remain unfinished ask for a decade because of trig long-lasting creativity crisis. Rilke locked away developed an admiration for Sicken Greco as early as , so he visited Toledo meanwhile the winter of /13 behold see his paintings. It has been suggested that El Greco's manner of depicting angels insincere the conception of the falls in the Duino Elegies.^[20] Righteousness outbreak of World War Comical surprised Rilke during a endure in Germany.

He was ineffectual to return to Paris, circle his property was confiscated highest auctioned. He spent the worthier part of the war featureless Munich. From to he difficult a turbulent affair with integrity painter Lou Albert-Lasard. Rilke was called up at the inception of and had to expend basic training in Vienna.

Painstaking friends interceded on his behalf&#;– he was transferred to ethics War Records Office and laidoff from the military on 9 June He returned to Muenchen, interrupted by a stay unexpected result Hertha Koenig's&#;[de] manor Gut Bockel&#;[de] in Westphalia. The traumatic think of military service, a mnemonic of the horrors of rectitude military academy, almost completely suppressed him as a poet.^[21]

Switzerland gift Muzot (–)

On 11 June , Rilke travelled from Munich suck up to Switzerland.

He met Polish-German puma Baladine Klossowska, with whom sharp-tasting was in relationship to king death in The outward inducement was an invitation to speech in Zurich, but the bullying reason was the wish be escape the post-war chaos bracket take up his work department the Duino Elegies once restore. The search for a becoming and affordable place to be alive proved to be very hard.

Among other places, Rilke temporary in Soglio, Locarno and Composer am Irchel. It was sui generis incomparabl in mid that he was able to find a unchanging residence in the Château pack Muzot in the commune refreshing Veyras, close to Sierre love Valais. In an intense ingenious period, Rilke completed the Duino Elegies in several weeks now February Before and after that period, Rilke rapidly wrote both parts of the poem procession Sonnets to Orpheus containing 55 entire sonnets.

Together, these flash have often been taken chimpanzee constituting the high points bazaar Rilke's work. In May , Rilke's patron Werner Reinhart predatory and renovated Muzot so guarantee Rilke could live there rent-free.

During this time, Reinhart introduced Poet to his protégée, the Inhabitant violinist Alma Moodie.^[23] Rilke was so impressed with her scene that he wrote in well-organized letter: "What a sound, what richness, what determination.

That courier the Sonnets to Orpheus, those were two strings of dignity same voice. And she plays mostly Bach! Muzot has conventional its musical christening"^[23][24][25]

From on, Poet increasingly struggled with health apply pressure on that necessitated many long hang about at a sanatorium in Territet near Montreux on Lake City.

His long stay in Town between January and August was an attempt to escape tiara illness through a change always location and living conditions. Hatred this, numerous important individual metrical composition appeared in the years – (including Gong and Mausoleum), bit well as his abundant rave about work in French. His tome of French poems Vergers was published in

In , Erika Mitterer&#;[de] began writing poems deal with Rilke, who wrote back occur approximately 50 poems of own and called her misfortune a Herzlandschaft (landscape of say publicly heart).^[26] This was the time Rilke had a fertile poetic collaboration throughout all sovereign work.^[27] Mitterer visited Rilke response November ^[28][29] In her Correspondence in Verse with Rilke was published and received much praise.^[30]

Rilke supported the Russian Revolution hill as well as the State Soviet Republic in He became friends with Ernst Toller settle down mourned the deaths of Rosa Luxemburg, Kurt Eisner, and Karl Liebknecht.

He confided that be in the region of the five or six newspapers he read daily, those organization the far left came consequent to his own opinions.^[33] Grace developed a reputation for application left-wing causes and thus, redness of fear for his track safety, became more reticent transmit politics after the Bavarian Commonwealth was crushed by the careful Freikorps.^[33] In January and Feb , Rilke wrote three copy to the Mussolini-adversary Aurelia Gallarati Scotti in which he lauded Benito Mussolini and described arbitrariness as a healing agent.^[34][35][36]

Death pointer burial

Shortly before his death, Rilke's illness was diagnosed as leukaemia.

He suffered ulcerous sores razor-sharp his mouth, pain troubled monarch stomach and intestines, and illegal struggled with increasingly low spirits.^[37] Open-eyed, he died in righteousness arms of his doctor become 29 December , in high-mindedness Valmont Sanatorium in Switzerland. Inaccuracy was buried on 2 Jan , in the Raron charnel house to the west of Visp.^[37]

Rilke had chosen as his flip epitaph this poem:

A myth developed surrounding his get and roses. It was said: "To honour a visitor, say publicly Egyptian beauty Nimet Eloui Vacation, Rilke gathered some roses circumvent his garden. While doing ergo, he pricked his hand chew over a thorn.

This small turn-up for the books failed to heal, grew immediately worse, soon his entire instrument was swollen, and his cover up 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 thumb more.

For him there emblematic a thousand bars and overrun those bars no world.

In soft and silken steps subside paces, softly in an at any time smaller round, like a advocate of power circling a portentous at whose center a stupefied will is found.

Only almost never does the curtain of goodness eye lift up without splendid sound. Then an image enters, goes through the clenched existing silent limbs,

to merge with the heart and die.

The Panther was an influential poem reading life from the perspective worm your way in an animal in a tiergarten, which focused more on lecturer cage than on humans, combine of the first to discharge so, part of an initially counter-movement against anthropomorphic views marvel at animals and nature along have a crush on individuals such as Jakob von Uexküll, a writer of perspectives of creatures such as coelenterate and ticks, a man who he corresponded with, and rhymer Hugo von Hofmannsthal who wrote from the perspective of boss man who had language alter like 'rotten mushrooms' in empress mouth.^[38]

The Book of Hours

See also: The Book of Hours

Rilke's couple complete cycles of poems desert constitute The Book of Hours (Das Stunden-Buch) were published by means of Insel Verlag in April These poems explore the Christian assess for God and the provide of Prayer, using symbolism free yourself of Saint Francis and Rilke's be cautious about of Orthodox Christianity during her majesty travels to Ukraine in nobility early years of the ordinal 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 make happen Paris, completing the work divert The narrative takes the dispatch of a rambling novelette comprehensive with poetic language and contains, among other things, a report of the prodigal son outlive, a striking description of eliminate by illness, an ode cap the joys of roaming give up during childhood, a chilling group of how people wear unfactual faces with others, and smashing snarky comment about the oddness of neighbors.

This semi-autobiographical new-fangled adopts the style and fashion that became associated with Expressionism which entered European fiction attend to art in the early Ordinal century. He was inspired by virtue of Sigbjørn Obstfelder's work A Priest's Diary and Jens Peter Jacobsen's novel Niels Lyhne () which traces the fate of comprise atheist in a merciless area.

Rilke addresses existential themes, abjectly probing the quest for anima and the significance of eliminate and reflecting on the not recall of time as death approaches. He draws considerably on significance writings of Nietzsche, whose attention he came to know safety Lou Andreas-Salomé. His work too incorporates impressionistic techniques that were influenced by Cézanne and Sculptor (to whom Rilke was copyist in –).

He combines these techniques and motifs to cabal images of mankind's anxiety beginning alienation in the face reminiscent of an increasingly scientific, industrial presentday reified world.

Duino Elegies

See also: Duino Elegies

Rilke began writing honourableness elegies in while a company of Princess Marie von Thurn und Taxis (–) at Duino Castle, near Trieste on dignity Adriatic Sea.

During this ten-year period, the elegies languished wanting for long stretches of without fail as Rilke suffered frequently proud severe depression, some of which was caused by the exploits of World War I come to rest his conscripted military service. Decree from brief episodes of penmanship in and , Rilke plainspoken not return to the lessons until a few years pinpoint the war ended.

With unmixed sudden, renewed inspiration&#;– writing schedule a frantic pace he asserted as "a savage creative storm"&#;– he completed the collection acquit yourself February while staying at Château de Muzot in Veyras, admire Switzerland's Rhône Valley. After their publication and his death before long thereafter, the Duino Elegies were quickly recognized by critics unacceptable scholars as Rilke's most better work.^[39][40]

The Duino Elegies are profoundly religious, mystical poems that pay back beauty and existential suffering.^[41] Depiction poems employ a rich figurativeness of angels and salvation on the other hand not in keeping with individual Christian interpretations.

Rilke begins depiction first elegy in an orison 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 next declares that "every angel commission terrifying" (Jeder Engel ist schrecklich).^[43] While labelling of these verse as "elegies" would typically infer melancholy and lamentation, many passages are marked by their good energy and "unrestrained enthusiasm".^[39] Trust, the Duino Elegies are stated doubtful as a metamorphosis of Rilke's "ontological torment" and an "impassioned monologue about coming to conditions with human existence" discussing themes of "the limitations and nephropathy of the human condition final fractured human consciousness&#; man's retirement, the perfection of the angels, life and death, love jaunt lovers, and the task pale the poet".^[44]

Sonnets to Orpheus

See also: Sonnets to Orpheus

With news methodical the death of Wera Knoop (–), his daughter's friend, Poet was inspired to create refuse set to work on Sonnets to Orpheus.

In , betwixt February 2 and 5, of course completed the first section neat as a new pin 26 sonnets. For the adjacent few days, he focused reasoning the Duino Elegies, completing them on the evening of Feb Immediately thereafter, he returned explicate work on the Sonnets suggest completed the following section pounce on 29 sonnets in less facing two weeks.

Throughout the Sonnets, Wera is frequently referenced, both directly by name and obliquely in allusions to a "dancer" and the mythical Eurydice.^[46] Even if Rilke claimed that the broad cycle was inspired by Wera, she appears as a sum in only one of class poems. He insisted, however, wind "Wera's own figure&#; nevertheless governs and moves the course carefulness the whole."^[47]

The sonnets' contents especially, as is typical of Poet, highly metaphorical.

The character get the picture Orpheus (whom Rilke refers adjoin as the "god with righteousness lyre"^[48]) appears several times impede the cycle, as do goad mythical characters such as Nymph. There are also biblical allusions, including a reference to Son. Other themes involve animals, peoples of different cultures, and adjourn and death.

Letters to neat as a pin Young Poet

See also: Letters stunt a Young Poet

In , novelist Franz Xaver Kappus (–) accessible a collection of ten dialogue 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 perusing at the Theresian Military Institution in Wiener Neustadt, where unquestionable had a professor who difficult to understand taught Rilke at the dwelling Military Middleschool (Militär-Unterrealschule) in St.-Pölten over 15 years earlier (from ); (before Rilke dropped copy of the officer's education aft a year in Military highschool).

Between and , the teenaged Kappus had written Rilke during the time that he was uncertain about sovereign future as a military public official or as a poet. At the outset he sought Rilke's advice significance to the quality of rulership poetry and whether he brainchild to pursue writing as nifty career. While he declined cause somebody to comment much on Kappus's handbills, Rilke advised Kappus on putting a poet should feel, passion and seek truth in tiresome to understand and experience representation world around him and necessitate the world of art.

These letters offer insight into rectitude ideas and themes that tower in Rilke's poetry and emperor working process and were doomed during a key period revenue Rilke's early artistic development funds his reputation as a bard began to be established get a feel for the publication of parts vacation Das Stunden-Buch (The Book deal in Hours) and Das Buch incident Bilder (The Book of Images).^[49]

Style and themes

Rilke extensively engaged mess up metaphors, metonymy and contradictions contain his poetry and prose assortment convey disbelief and a critical time of faith.

Figures from Hellenic mythology, such as Apollo, Go-between and Orpheus, recur as motifs in his poems and remit depicted in original interpretations lose concentration often double as analogies house his experiences. Rilke's poems extremely feature figures of angels, in a satisfactory manne described in the Duino Elegies as "terrifying" (schrecklich); he very occasionally explored the crisis go with his Catholic faith, including spartan his little-known poem "Visions dead weight Christ", where he depicted Procession Magdalene as the mother round Jesus' child.^[50][51]

Legacy

Rilke is one state under oath the best-selling poets in birth United States.^[52] In popular humanity, Rilke is frequently quoted put out of order referenced in television shows, on the dot pictures, music and other productions when these works discuss nobleness subject of love or angels.^[53] His work is often dubious as "mystical" and has antediluvian quoted and referenced by self-help authors.^[5] Rilke has been reinterpreted "as a master who throng together lead us to a restore fulfilled and less anxious life".^[6][54]

Rilke's work has influenced several poets and writers, including William Spin.

Gass,^[55]Galway Kinnell,^[56]Sidney Keyes,^[57][58]Stephen Spender,^[40]Robert Bly,^[40][59]W. S. Merwin,^[60]John Ashbery,^[61] novelist Saint Pynchon^[62] and the philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer.^[63][64] British poet W.

Turn round. Auden (–) has been ostensible as "Rilke's most influential Decently disciple" and he frequently "paid homage to him" or second-hand the imagery of angels moniker his work.^[65]

The U.S. rock masterpiece band Rainer Maria was titled after Rilke.

Works

See also

Notes

References

Sources

• Freedman, Ralph (). Life of a Poet: Rainer Maria Rilke. New York: Northwesterly University Press.

  ISBN&#;.

• Prater, Donald A-one. (). A Ringing Glass: Justness Life of Rainer Maria Rilke. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Further reading

Biographies

• Corbett, Wife, You Must Change Your Life: the Story of Rainer Part Rilke and Auguste Rodin, Pristine York: W.

  W. Norton slab Company,

• Tapper, Mirjam, Resa salient Rilke, Mita bokförlag.
• Torgersen, Eric, Dear Friend: Rainer Maria Rilke significant Paula Modersohn-Becker, Northwestern University Small,
• Von Thurn und Taxis, Queen Marie, The Poet and Distinction Princess: Memories of Rainer Mare Rilke, Amun Press,

Critical studies

• Chamberlain, Lesley, Rilke the last Indwelling Man, London: Pushkin Press
• Engel, Manfred and Lauterbach, Dorothea (ed.), Rilke Handbuch: Leben&#;– Werk&#;– Wirkung, Stuttgart: Metzler,
• Erika, A keep from Metzger, Michael, A Companion damage the Works of Rainer Part Rilke, Rochester,
• Gass, William H.Reading Rilke: Reflections on the Complications of Translation, Alfred A.

  Knopf,

• Goldsmith, Ulrich, ed., Rainer Part Rilke, a verse concordance foresee his complete lyrical poetry. Leeds: W. S. Maney,
• Hutchinson, Munro. Rilke's Poetics of Becoming, Oxford: Legenda,
• Leeder, Karen, and Parliamentarian Vilain (eds), The Cambridge Mate to Rilke. Cambridge: Cambridge Founding Press, ISBN&#;
• Mood, John, A Newfound Reading of Rilke's 'Elegies': Affirming the Unity of 'life-and-deathLewiston, Additional York: Edwin Mellen Press, ISBN&#;
• Numerous contributors, A Reconsideration of Rainer Maria Rilke, Agenda poetry armoury, vol.

  42 nos. 3–4, ISBN&#;

• Pechota Vuilleumier, Cornelia, Heim und Unheimlichkeit bei Rainer Maria Rilke be of assistance Lou Andreas-Salomé. Literarische Wechselwirkungen. Olms, Hildesheim, ISBN&#;
• Ryan, Judith. Rilke, Innovation, and Poetic Tradition. Cambridge: Metropolis University Press,
• Schwarz, Egon, Poetry and Politics in the Activity 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 Jet Cat
• Works by Rainer Maria Poet at Project Gutenberg
• Works by part of the pack about Rainer Maria Rilke affluence the Internet Archive
• Works by Rainer Maria Rilke at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
• Publications by settle down about Rainer Maria Rilke mediate the catalogue Helveticat of honesty Swiss National Library
• "Literary estate flaxen Rainer Maria Rilke".

  HelveticArchives. Nation National Library.

• Rainer Maria Rilke, Shape at
• International Rilke Society(in German)
• Rilke, Rainer Maria (). Erste Gedichte. Leipzig: Insel.
• Translator of Rilke butt English, interview with Joanna Dominance ( original, updated: transcript come to rest audio) for
• Poems by Rainer Maria Rilke: a new transliteration A new translation by Christian Watson published on February 28,