'Duino Elegies: The Fourth Elegy' by Rainer Maria Rilke
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O trees of life, oh, what when winter comes?
We are not of one mind. Are not like birds
in unison migrating. And overtaken,
overdue, we thrust ourselves into the wind
and fall to earth into indifferent ponds.
Blossoming and withering we comprehend as one.
And somewhere lions roam, quite unaware,
in their magnificence, of any weaknesss.
But we, while wholly concentrating on one thing,
already feel the pressure of another.
Hatred is our first response. And lovers,
are they not forever invading one another's
boundaries? -although they promised space,
hunting and homeland. Then, for a sketch
drawn at a moment's impulse, a ground of contrast
is prepared, painfully, so that we may see.
For they are most exact with us. We do not know
the contours of our feelings. We only know
what shapes them from the outside.
Who has not sat, afraid, before his own heart's
curtain? It lifted and displayed the scenery
of departure. Easy to understand. The well-known
garden swaying just a little. Then came the dancer.
Not he! Enough! However lightly he pretends to move:
he is just disguised, costumed, an ordinary man
who enters through the kitchen when coming home.
I will not have these half-filled human masks;
better the puppet. It at least is full.
I will endure this well-stuffed doll, the wire,
the face that is nothing but appearance. Here out front
I wait. Even if the lights go down and I am told:
"There's nothing more to come," -even if
the grayish drafts of emptiness come drifting down
from the deserted stage -even if not one
of my now silent forebears sist beside me
any longer, not a woman, not even a boy-
he with the brown and squinting eyes-:
I'll still remain. For one can always watch.
Am I not right? You, to whom life would taste
so bitter, Father, after you - for my sake -
slipped of mine, that first muddy infusion
of my necessity. You kept on tasting, Father,
as I kept on growing, troubled by the aftertaste
of my so strange a future as you kept searching
my unfocused gaze -you who, so often since
you died, have been afraid for my well-being,
within my deepest hope, relinquishing that calmness,
the realms of equanimity such as the dead possess
for my so small fate -Am I not right?
And you, my parents, am I not right? You who loved me
for that small beginning of my love for you
from which I always shyly turned away, because
the distance in your features grew, changed,
even while I loved it, into cosmic space
where you no longer were...: and when I feel
inclined to wait before the puppet stage, no,
rather to stare at is so intensely that in the end
to counter-balance my searching gaze, an angel
has to come as an actor, and begin manipulating
the lifeless bodies of the puppets to perform.
Angel and puppet! Now at last there is a play!
Then what we seperate can come together by our
very presence. And only then the entire cycle
of our own life-seasons is revealed and set in motion.
Above, beyond us, the angel plays. Look:
must not the dying notice how unreal, how full
of pretense is all that we accomplish here, where
nothing is to be itself. O hours of childhood,
when behind each shape more that the past lay hidden,
when that which lay before us was not the future.
We grew, of course, and sometimes were impatient
in growing up, half for the sake of pleasing those
with nothing left but their own grown-upness.
Yet, when alone, we entertained ourselves
with what alone endures, we would stand there
in the infinite space that spans the world and toys,
upon a place, which from the first beginnniing
had been prepared to serve a pure event.
Who shows a child just as it stands? Who places him
within his constellation, with the measuring-rod
of distance in his hand. Who makes his death
from gray bread that grows hard, -or leaves
it there inside his rounded mouth, jagged as the core
of a sweet apple?.......The minds of murderers
are easily comprehended. But this: to contain death,
the whole of death, even before life has begun,
to hold it all so gently within oneself,
and not be angry: that is indescribable.
Translated by Albert Ernest Flemming
Editor 1 Interpretation
Duino Elegies: The Fourth Elegy by Rainer Maria Rilke
This poem is one of the best examples of the power of words to convey deep human emotions. Rainer Maria Rilke's Duino Elegies: The Fourth Elegy is a masterpiece that delves into the human condition, exploring themes of love, loss, and mortality.
The Power of Imagery
One of the most striking features of this elegy is the power of its imagery. Rilke's use of vivid, evocative language brings the poem to life, allowing the reader to experience its emotions in a visceral way. For example, in the opening lines, Rilke writes:
O trees of life, oh, what when winter comes?
We are not of one mind. Are not like birds
In unison migrating. And overtaken,
In a single voice, by an early frost,
We perish utterly.
These lines are filled with images of life and death: the trees of life, the birds migrating, the early frost that overtakes them. The imagery is so powerful that we can almost feel the cold of the winter frost as it descends upon the birds.
The Search for Meaning
Throughout the elegy, Rilke explores the human search for meaning in a world that often seems chaotic and indifferent. He writes:
Who, if I cried out, would hear me among the ranks
Of angels? And even if one of them pressed me
Suddenly against his heart, I would be consumed
In that overwhelming existence. For beauty is nothing
But the beginning of terror, which we are still just able to endure,
And we are so awed because it serenely disdains
To annihilate us. Every angel is terrifying.
These lines are a powerful meditation on the nature of beauty and its relationship to meaning. Rilke suggests that beauty is something that we can barely endure, precisely because it hints at a deeper reality that we can never fully comprehend. The angels, as symbols of this deeper reality, are both awe-inspiring and terrifying.
The Transience of Life
Another major theme of the elegy is the transience of life. Rilke writes:
Who has twisted us around like this,
So that no matter what we do, we are
In the posture of someone going away?
Just as, upon the farthest hill,
Which shows him his whole valley one last time,
He turns, stops, lingers – so we live here,
Forever taking leave.
These lines are a poignant reminder of the fleeting nature of life. No matter what we do, we are always in the posture of someone going away. We are constantly taking leave of the world, even as we try to hold onto it.
The Role of the Poet
Finally, the elegy explores the role of the poet in a world that is often indifferent to beauty and meaning. Rilke writes:
For beauty is nothing
But the beginning of terror, which we are still just able to endure,
And we are so awed because it serenely disdains
To annihilate us. Every angel is terrifying.
These lines suggest that the poet's role is to help us endure the terror of beauty, to help us find meaning in a world that is often indifferent to our struggles. The poet, in other words, is a guide who helps us navigate the treacherous terrain of existence.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Duino Elegies: The Fourth Elegy is a powerful meditation on the human condition. Through its vivid imagery and poignant language, it explores some of the most fundamental themes of human existence, from the search for meaning to the transience of life. Ultimately, the elegy is a testament to the power of art and poetry to help us endure the challenges of existence, to find beauty and meaning amidst the chaos and uncertainty of the world.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Duino Elegies: The Fourth Elegy by Rainer Maria Rilke is a masterpiece of poetry that explores the themes of mortality, spirituality, and the human condition. This elegy is one of ten that Rilke wrote during his stay at the Duino Castle in Italy, and it is considered to be one of his most profound works. In this analysis, we will explore the themes and motifs of the Fourth Elegy and examine how Rilke uses language and imagery to convey his ideas.
The Fourth Elegy begins with a description of the human condition, which Rilke portrays as a state of constant longing and dissatisfaction. He writes, "We are not the same as those who know of happiness; we know it only after it has gone." This line sets the tone for the elegy, which is a meditation on the transience of life and the inevitability of death. Rilke suggests that human beings are always searching for something that they cannot find, and that this search is what gives life its meaning.
One of the central themes of the Fourth Elegy is the idea of transformation. Rilke writes, "For beauty is nothing but the beginning of terror, which we are still just able to endure, and we are so awed because it serenely disdains to annihilate us." Here, Rilke is suggesting that beauty is a transformative force that can both inspire and terrify us. He suggests that the experience of beauty is a kind of initiation, a moment of transcendence that can change us forever.
Rilke also explores the theme of spirituality in the Fourth Elegy. He writes, "But because truly being here is so much; because everything here apparently needs us, this fleeting world, which in some strange way keeps calling to us." Here, Rilke suggests that there is a spiritual dimension to life, a sense that we are connected to something greater than ourselves. He suggests that the world is constantly calling to us, and that it is our task to listen and respond.
Another important motif in the Fourth Elegy is the idea of the angel. Rilke writes, "Every angel is terrifying." Here, Rilke is suggesting that the experience of encountering an angel is both awe-inspiring and terrifying. He suggests that angels are messengers from the divine, and that their presence can be overwhelming. Rilke also suggests that the angel represents a kind of ideal, a vision of perfection that is both inspiring and unattainable.
Throughout the Fourth Elegy, Rilke uses language and imagery to create a sense of awe and wonder. He writes, "For beauty is nothing but the beginning of terror, which we are still just able to endure, and we are so awed because it serenely disdains to annihilate us." Here, Rilke is using language to create a sense of paradox, suggesting that beauty is both terrifying and awe-inspiring. He also uses imagery to create a sense of wonder, describing the world as a "fleeting" and "transitory" place that is constantly calling to us.
In conclusion, Duino Elegies: The Fourth Elegy by Rainer Maria Rilke is a profound meditation on the human condition, spirituality, and the inevitability of death. Through his use of language and imagery, Rilke creates a sense of awe and wonder that is both inspiring and humbling. He suggests that the experience of beauty is transformative, and that the encounter with the divine is both awe-inspiring and terrifying. Ultimately, Rilke suggests that the human task is to listen to the world and respond to its call, to embrace the transience of life and find meaning in the midst of it all.
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