Rainer Maria Rilke; A New Comeback!

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What does Orpheus actually do when he is not singing that higher powers suggest to him? When the German Literature Archive Marbach presented its spectacular new addition on Thursday, the estate of the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, acquired from the private collection of the great-granddaughters, the longer the event lasted, the more clearly this question was raised. Rilke himself, with the “Sonnets to Orpheus” and his own statements about the creative frenzy in which the “Duino Elegies” were dictated to him by an inner voice, ensured that the formula “modern Orpheus” could be attached to him. Modern society is a working society, and the modern culture and literature business is a Perpetuum mobile of written production. SZ

As I know, there are many poets or poem lovers in my friend circle. Therefore, I thought I might share this with you in your interest:

Some days ago, I heard in the Geman news that more than 10,000 handwritten pages with drafts and notes by Rilke, testimonies to ever new attempts and constant self-revisions, go into the Marbach archive, well, in addition, he wrote 2,500 letters himself, and 6,300 letters addressed him.One hundred thirty-one previously unknown drawings, including children’s illustrations by the four-year-old. Much has been mocked about Rilke’s social existence as the guest of aristocrats and castles. His correspondence is already a focal point of the Rilke holdings in the Marbach Archive, which were considered even before this purchase; letters from and to Max Brod, Ellen Key, Anette Kolb, Karl Kraus and so on are now being added. Indeed, it is a valuable find, and I am sure that they are in good hands.

The Dark Hours of My Being

I love the dark hours of my being.
My mind deepens into them.
There I can find, as in old letters,
the days of my life, already lived,
and held like a legend, and understood.

Then the knowing comes: I can open
to another life that’s wide and timeless.

So I am sometimes like a tree
rustling over a gravesite
and making real the dream
of the one its living roots
embrace:

a dream once lost
among sorrows and songs.

Rainer Maria Rilke

I am circling around God, around the ancient tower, And i have been circling for a thousand years, and I still don’t know if I am a falcon, or a storm, or a great song__ -Rilke

11 thoughts on “Rainer Maria Rilke; A New Comeback!

  1. The poem is exquisite! I love it! Thank you so much for sharing this post, Aladin. It reminds me of my poetry and how all my poems, apart from those I destroyed or threw away, have been kept since I was a teenager. And in doing so, whenever I need to look back in life I can.

    I imagine others do this with their artwork or their diaries. I didn’t know how important it was to keep records, even as a teenager, until I reached mid-life. Lots to muse on here, many thanks dear friend. Love and light, Deborah.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Wow. Rilke is truly a sublime poet and his work has stood the test of time. I put him in the same category as Rumi; we’re lucky to be the recipients of such thoughts and daydreams. Have a great day, Aladin!

    Liked by 1 person

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