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jayisreading's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
My German has deteriorated over the years, but I know enough that I was able to understand that Rilke has an incredible command of the language to create an enchanting rhythm and otherworldly impressions that hark back to the Orpheus myth. (That being said, I also see how he was definitely inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and, really, the way Ancient Greek and Roman poets called to the Muses.)
Considering that my German is not up to par, I have to rely on the English translation of the bilingual edition I read to get a better grasp of what was written. Unfortunately, I think the particular translation I read by Willis Barnstone was a bit of a miss. There were some interesting choices in interpretation when it came to words and how he decided to translate the sonnet form (i.e., definitely tried to remain faithful to the original). I’m likely going to have to revisit this collection and read a different translation, but I greatly appreciated that the edition I read provided the original and translation.
Favorite sonnets: Part I: III, VIII, XIV, XVI, XIX, XXV; Part II: I, X, XIII, XVI, XXI, XXVII, XXVIII, XXIX
Read for the Sealey Challenge.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
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