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A review by butchriarchy
The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke: Bilingual Edition by Rainer Maria Rilke
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
This is the second book of poetry of Rilke's I've read, the first being the entirety of Sonnets to Orpheus. After reading the introduction to this volume, I feel like I understand his perspective and outlook a lot more, though he still remains a bit profound, and I imagine that to be his intent: to get us to think about the impermanence and illusory reality of "Things" (as he described them).
That the world, and others, ultimately do not belong to us, are ever in conflict with our desires and projections, is an idea that he explored quite extensively. I think my favorite of the selections would the Duino Elegies, from which comes the famous line "For beauty is nothing but the beginning of terror," something to reflect upon. His poetry really amounts to that: it's made to be reflected upon. It took me forever to get through but I think that I appreciate Rilke as a poet much more than I did before.
That the world, and others, ultimately do not belong to us, are ever in conflict with our desires and projections, is an idea that he explored quite extensively. I think my favorite of the selections would the Duino Elegies, from which comes the famous line "For beauty is nothing but the beginning of terror," something to reflect upon. His poetry really amounts to that: it's made to be reflected upon. It took me forever to get through but I think that I appreciate Rilke as a poet much more than I did before.