And yet his torso is still suffused with brilliance from inside, like a lamp, in which his gaze, now turned to low, gleams in all its power. Archaic torso of apollo rainer maria rilke translated by stephen mitchell we cannot know his legendary head with eyes like ripening fruit. A crucial fact in rilke s life was that his mother called him sophia. Rainer maria rilke, new poems, the other part 1908 we cannot know his unheard of head, in which his eyes like apples ripened. The real theme of the book of hours, concluded mason, is the poets own inner life, his struggles toward comprehension, and, above all. But his torso glows still like a candelabrum, in which his gaze, though turned low. Like all classic sonnets, this one is written in iambic pentameter. Archaic torso of apollo we didnt understand that outrageous head, the eyes. I then employ that thinking in a reexamination of two exemplary works of modernist ethics. Shortly after the publication of stangers to their courage, pleasure boat studio of new york city released a dozen of my translations from the german poet, rainer rilke.
Letters to a young poet by rainer maria rilke books on. Rilke did just that, writing about the panther at the paris zoo, the carousel at. Archaic torso of apollo we cannot know his legendary head we cannot know his legendary head the academy of american poets is the largest membershipbased nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting american poets. We will call him kit pronounced keet in the european way. His works include duino elegies, sonnets to orpheus, and the notebooks of malte laurids brigge. In trying to keep in the english to the rhymed metrical regularity of these four poems, i have had to supply words of my own on occasion, to fill out a line or make a rhyme.
Apollo s archaic torso is by a young yorkshire writer, sarah stutt, who recently. The collection also contains the complete poetic cycle of the life of the virgin mary, and constitutes the first english translation from german in over fifty years. The other part, dedicated to auguste rodin, was completed. But from his torso gleaming light is shed as from a candelabrum. Here is a link to the stephen mitchell translation, which i recommend you read before proceeding with the rest. James pollock on rainer maria rilkes archaic torso of. Rainer maria rilke, a german poet, became a personal secretary to the french sculptor auguste rodin, who in turn became an influence on rilke s work. The second major concept in the book of hours is rilke s apotheosis of art. It also includes a commentary by poet mark doty on the poem.
Rainer maria rilke, first edition abebooks passion for books. I have read and taught rilke s petrarchan sonnet archaischer torso apollos many times that is, in stephen mitchells beautiful and powerful english translation and i even have some things to say about it in an essay in my latest book. He speaks, perhaps with rilke s own voice, to the reading audience, and together, reader and speaker, discover the wonders of the torso of apollo. Only at times, the curtain of the pupils lifts, quietly.
Yet his torso gleams, like a candelabrum, still dispersing the luminescent power of his gaze, extinguished long ago. English translations rainer maria rilke 18751926 was a bohemianaustrian poet generally considered to be a major poet of the german language. Archaic torso of apollo translations we never knew his fantastic head, where eyes like apples ripened. Born in prague, rilke was the son of an unsuccessful army officer and a devoted mother whose ambitions centred on her son. In a sense, there is not a great deal that i can add to the reams already written about rilke.
Archaic torso of apollo by rainer maria rilke the american. Rainer maria rilke by rainer maria rilke overdrive. Archaic torso of apollo by rainer maria rilke is a short four stanza poem, the first stanzas of which contain four lines, and the second two, three lines. Poetry explained series poems covered in educational syllabus top 10 poems glossary of poetic terms poem analysis copyright 2020. Zon gedicht is het sonnet waarmee rilke het tweede deel. In the poem archaic torso of apollo by rainier maria rilke, the poet observes a sculpture of apollo that no longer has the head and appendages. Rilke s letters to a young poet are arguably the most famous and beloved letters of the twentieth century.
German free audio book that you can download in mp3, ipod and itunes format for your portable audio player. Discussion of themes and motifs in rainer maria rilke s archaic torso of apollo. In a world of poetry filled with serious and brooding emotypes, rainer maria rilke stands as one of the emoiest. Een groot gedicht spreekt gelijkelijk tot verbeelding, inzicht en gevoel. Stories of god by rilke, rainer maria and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. As a modern poet rilke would see the world within and the world without as the same aspects of each other. I have read and taught rilkes petrarchan sonnet archaischer torso apollos many times that is, in stephen mitchells beautiful and powerful english translation and i even have some things to say about it in an essay in my latest book. For a time he had been in the employ of august rodin, the celebrated french sculptor as his personal assistant, and the book of poems containing archaischer torso apollos neue gedichte, part 2 is dedicated to rodin.
Widely recognized as one of the most lyrically intense germanlanguage poets, rainer maria rilke was unique in his efforts to expand the realm of poetry through new uses of syntax and imagery and in an aesthetic philosophy that rejected christian precepts and strove to reconcile beauty and. Following the format of letters to a young poet, this book arranges rilke s letters into an uninterrupted sequence, showcasing the full range of the great authors. Archaic torso of apollo by rainer maria rilke translated by stephen mitchell. Neue gedichte is a twopart collection of poems written by. The archaic torso of apollo, by rainer maria rilke, translated by william ruleman. The poem describes with preternatural clarity the unique and miraculous moment when an ordinary, quotidian, taskoriented world gives way to a festive one and when a first global and generic. Apollos archaic torso is by a young yorkshire writer, sarah stutt.
Written when the poet was himself still a young man, with most of his great. He is widely recognized as one of the most lyrically intense germanlanguage poets. F irst, let us admit that there is a rilke problem. An image enters in, rushes down through the tensed, arrested muscles, plunges into the heart and is gone. Rainer maria rilke s archaischer torso apollos, a poem that embodies the modernist imperative to renewed aesthetic perception, and virginia woolfs first experimental novel, jacobs room, a work that recently has been read as ethically enjoining us to. If we select your entry, youll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by david lehman. Het voorbeeldige gedicht paul claes over archaischer torso apollos.
I read german fairly well and am often annoyed at the over the top translations of rilke s torso poem. Torso of an archaic apollo by rainer maria rilke famous. This is the first comprehensive collection of poems of rainer maria rilke s work on religious and biblical themes. And yet his torso is still suffused with brilliance from inside, like a lamp, in which his gaze, now. Archaischer torso apollos rilke, set by jozsef soproni the. It is a vivid, often dramatic, verbal description of a visual work of art, either real or imagined. Both the sculpture and the poem serve as models for the reader, defining how the reader might be or, in fact, ought to be. Why a 20thcentury visionary poet speaks so eloquently to 21stcentury readers. Archaischer torso apollos an archaic torso of apollo by rainer maria rilke translated by frank beck at a time when rilke was having trouble writing poetry, auguste rodin told him to stop writing about his childhood and use the world around him as his subject. For rilke, to observe a work of art is also to be observed by it, and that sense of mutual evaluation c. His later books of poetry, such as duino elegies 1923 and sonnets to orpheus 1923, on the contrary, focus intently on internal realms. Mar 24, 2012 archaic torso of apollo rainer maria rilke the above link will take you to stephen mitchells translation of rainer maria rilke s archaic torso of apollo. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel.
A defective reading of rilkes archaic torso of apollo. Archaic torso of apollo by rainer maria rilke poems. Art beck is a san francisco poet and translator who has published three books of original poetry most recently summer with all its clothes off. We cannot fathom his mysterious head, through the veiled eyes no flickering ray is sent.
Otherwise the curved breast could not dazzle you so, nor could. Neue gedichte is a twopart collection of poems written by bohemianaustrian poet and novelist rainer maria rilke 18751926. Apollos archaic torso is by a young yorkshire writer, sarah stutt, who recently. In rilkes poem archaic torso of apollo, what did he really. Amanda holmes, the author of the novel i know where i am when im falling, is a book club facilitator for fairfax county public library. In 1895, financed by an uncle, he studied philosophy at the university of prague but left to go to munich the following year, allegedly to continue. So, in order to give you a taste of the original sound of the poem also check out sound check for more on that and to add to your understanding of its meaning, here goeswell just give you a whirlwind tour of archaic torso of apollo in german. The word ekphrasis, or ecphrasis, comes from the greek for the description of a work of art produced as a rhetorical exercise, often used in the adjectival form ekphrastic. That is the creative agenda behind the poem archaic torso of apollo. One, the archaic torso of apollo, is as powerfully masculine in its rhythm, in its sound, as we imagine the marble of the described figure itself to be. His early poems reflect his interest in the visual and plastic arts, as he tries to lose himself in contemplation of objects such as an antique torso of apollo. Two versions of rainer maria rilkes legendary sonnet. Analysis of archaic torso of apollo by rainer maria rilke.
Archaic torso of apollo, a poem written about an encounter with a sculpture, ought to exist itself for its reader like a piece of sculpture or a painting. The archaic torso of apollo by rainer maria rilke is a poem of great power. In what follows we will read rilkes archaic torso of apollo as an ode to this miracle of transcendence that marks us as distinctly human. Love poems to god rainer maria rilke, anita barrows, joanna macy on. Rainer maria rilke was born in prague as the son of josef rilke, a railway official and the former sophie entz. Gleaned from rainer maria rilke s voluminous, neverbeforetranslated letters to bereaved friends and acquaintances, the dark interval is a profound vision of the mourning process and a meditation on deaths place in our lives. The surprising shock of the final words you must change your life. Rene karl wilhelm johann josef maria rilke 4 december 1875 29 december 1926, better known as rainer maria rilke german. Indeed, neue gedichte part 2, the book of poems which contains archaischer torso apollos, was dedicated to rodin. Formale analyse des gedichtes archaischer torso apollos. Books by rainer maria rilke author of letters to a young poet. Art beck is a san francisco poet and translator who has published three books of original poetry most recently summer with all its clothes off gravida, 2005.
Rainer maria rilke wikipedia, a enciclopedia livre. And yet his torsois still suffused with brilliance from inside. Archaic torso of apollo and the poet by rainer maria rilke. Apr 12, 2014 the archaic torso of apollo by rainer maria rilke is a poem of great power. In ancient times, it referred to a description of any thing, person, or experience. On archaic torso of apollo archaic torso of apollo by rainer maria rilketranslated by stephen mitchell archaic torso of apollo by rainer maria rilketranslated by stephen mitchell the academy of american poets is the largest membershipbased nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting american. On archaic torso of apollo academy of american poets. There is general agreement that the aging sculptor, a creative titan revered by young artists from all across europe, exercised a peculiarly potent influence on the pragueborn, culturally german poet who was always on the lookout for an adequate fatherfigure. Were not given much detail about the speaker in rilke s archaic torso of apollo, but by the end of the poem, we can piece together a vague picture of what he might be like. Fruher apollo early apollo and archaischer torso apollos archaic torso of.
Rainer maria rilke poems by the famous poet all poetry. Or else, his breasts would not bedazzle you, nor could his lumbar inflections spark with smiles that sink and crumble. Rainer maria rilke has 726 books on goodreads with 243695 ratings. With the other, the gazelle, we hear an enchanting cascade in slow motion as rilke offeres us one delicate image after the other, all woven together in a single long flowing braid, or phrase. Archaic torso of apollo poem by rainer maria rilke. Rainer maria rilke 18751926 was an intensely lyrical poet, concerned with mystical and existential themes, who was a major voice in the transition of german poetry from traditionalism to modernism. A new translation with commentary studies in german literature linguistics and culture 02may2008 by rainer maria rilke, susan ranson, ben hutchinson.
Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Otherwise the round breast would not blind you with its grace, nor could the softcurved circle of the thighs. As one turns the pages of rilke s first small book of poems, published originally under the title larenopfer. Archaic torso of apollo poem by rainer maria rilke poem. Rainer maria rilke archaischer torso apollos youtube. The archaic torso of apollo we could not know his huge and noble head with eyes grown appleripe. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Archaic torso of apollo we cannot know his legendary head with eyes like ripening fruit. In archaic torso of apollo the transfixed poet finds the torso full of life and vitality, a complete work of art and suggestive of the modernist tradition. The speaker that rilke crafts within archaic torso of apollo is both relatable and curious. I just wanted to say that your translation is the best ive ever read.
Nov 15, 2010 this weeks poem is a new english translation of rainer maria rilkes sonnet archaischer torso apollos. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. Rilke, that beaconpoet for the anglophone world ever since w. Rainer maria rilkes most popular book is letters to a young poet.
We cannot know his legendary headwith eyes like ripening fruit. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the us or from the uk, depending on stock availability. We mean, who elses name was taken as a tribute by an emo band in the late 90s. Rainer maria rilke archaic torso of apollo we cannot know his legendary face with eyes like ripened apples. The archaic torso of apollo, by rainer maria rilke. Aber sein torso gluht noch wie ein kandelaber, in dem sein. David young oberlin college press, 1994 ps primary source a primary source is a work that is being studied, or that provides firsthand or direct evidence on a topic. That is a dangerous business, putting your own words into the mouth of a great poet. After these books, rilke had published his major works, believing that he had done his best as a writer. I had begun the project to fulfill requirements for my m. Lament for antinous, early apollo and the archaic torso of apollo. And selections from luxorius and rilke in two translation volumes.
We cannot know his legendary head with eyes like ripening fruit. Aug 18, 2016 the poem is, among other things, about the power of art. Auden took up his cause, was in his early 30s and living in paris when he wrote archaischer torso apollos archaic torso of apollo. As a boy he was sent to a military academy, then to a business school, but both proved uncongenial. The project gutenberg ebook of poems, by rainer maria rilke. At the beginning of the 20th century, a young german poet re. He pauses in the middle of thoughts to create new lines, and creates cliff hangers from one stanza to the next. Apollo s archaic torso translated by sarah stutt two versions of rainer maria rilke s legendary sonnet move beyond simple translation into a vibrant encounter with both sculpture. Religion is the art of those who are uncreative, mason quoted rilke as having said. Rilke chose to format this poem so that the reader would move quickly through the stanzas.