Rainer Maria Rilke

Rainer Maria Rilke

POET SPOTLIGHT:

About Rainer Maria Rilke

"Autumn"

Video

"Sonnet 6"

"Again and again"

Rainer Maria Rilke was an Austrian poet and writer. During his lifetime, he wrote a novel and several collections of poetry. During his life, he traveled all throughout Europe and ended up living in Switzerland. Rilke’s poetry is often described as “mystical” and many find his poetry soothing and comforting.

“Autumn”

By Rainer Maria Rilke

The leaves fall, fall as from far,

Like distant gardens withered in the heavens;

They fall with slow and lingering descent.

And in the nights the heavy Earth, too, falls

From out the stars into the Solitude.

Thus all doth fall. This hand of mine must fall

And lo! the other one:—it is the law.

But there is One who holds this falling

Infinitely softly in His hands.

“Again and again”

By Rainer Maria Rilke

Again and again, even though we know love’s landscape
and the little churchyard with its lamenting names
and the terrible reticent gorge in which the others
end: again and again the two of us walk out together
under the ancient trees, lay ourselves down again and again
among the flowers, and look up into the sky.

“Sonnet 6”

By Rainer Maria Rilke

Is he native to this realm? No,

his wide nature grew out of both worlds.

They more adeptly bend the willow's branches

who have experience of the willow's roots.

When you go to bed, don't leave bread or milk

on the table: it attracts the dead—

But may he, this quiet conjurer, may he

beneath the mildness of the eyelid

mix their bright traces into every seen thing;

and may the magic of earthsmoke and rue

be as real for him as the clearest connection.

Nothing can mar for him the authentic image;

whether he wanders through houses or graves,

let him praise signet ring, gold necklace, jar.