'The Sonnets To Orpheus: Book 2: XXIII' by Rainer Maria Rilke

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Call to me to the one among your moments
that stands against you, ineluctably:
intimate as a dog's imploring glance
but, again, forever, turned awaywhen you think you've captured it at last.
What seems so far from you is most your own.
We are already free, and were dismissed
where we thought we soon would be at home.Anxious, we keep longing for a foothold-
we, at times too young for what is old
and too old for what has never been;doing justice only where we praise,
because we are the branch, the iron blade,
and sweet danger, ripening from within.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Rainer Maria Rilke's Sonnets To Orpheus: Book 2: XXIII

Have you ever read a poem that made you feel like you were experiencing a deep, spiritual connection with the universe? That’s what Rainer Maria Rilke’s Sonnets To Orpheus: Book 2: XXIII does to me every time I read it. This poem is a masterpiece of language and imagery that captures the essence of life and death, love and loss, and the eternal cycle of existence.

The Poem

Let’s start by reading the poem itself:

Silent friend of many distances, feel
how your breath enlarges all of space.
Let your presence ring out like a bell
into the night. What feeds upon your face
grows mighty from the nourishment thus offered.
Move through transformation, out and in.
What is the deepest loss that you have suffered?
If drinking is bitter, change yourself to wine.
In this immeasurable darkness, be the power
that rounds your senses in their magic ring,
the sense of their mysterious encounter.
And if the earthly no longer knows your name,
whisper to the silent earth: I'm flowing.
To the flashing water say: I am.

This poem is addressed to someone, referred to as the “silent friend of many distances.” Who is this friend? Is it Orpheus himself? Is it a metaphor for the reader, or perhaps for all of humanity? The ambiguity of this opening line is deliberate, as Rilke wants the reader to feel as if they themselves are being addressed.

The poem moves on to describe how the breath of this “silent friend” enlarges all of space, implying a connection to something greater than oneself. The friend is then urged to let their presence ring out like a bell into the night, to nourish whatever feeds upon their face. This could be interpreted as a call to live life to the fullest, to be present in the moment and to give of oneself freely.

The poem takes a turn with the line “Move through transformation, out and in,” which could be interpreted as a call to embrace change and to be open to new experiences. The friend is then asked what the deepest loss they have suffered is, and if drinking is bitter, to change themselves to wine. Here, Rilke is using wine as a metaphor for transformation – something bitter can be transformed into something beautiful and intoxicating.

The final stanza of the poem is perhaps the most beautiful:

In this immeasurable darkness, be the power
that rounds your senses in their magic ring,
the sense of their mysterious encounter.
And if the earthly no longer knows your name,
whisper to the silent earth: I'm flowing.
To the flashing water say: I am.

Here, Rilke is urging the friend to be the power that rounds their senses in their magic ring – to be present in every moment and to embrace life fully. The sense of mysterious encounter could be interpreted as a connection to something greater than oneself, whether it be the universe, God, or some other spiritual force.

The final lines of the poem are particularly poignant. The friend is encouraged to whisper to the silent earth: “I’m flowing,” and to the flashing water: “I am.” These lines evoke a sense of being one with nature, of being part of the eternal cycle of life and death. It’s a beautiful and powerful way to end the poem.

Interpretation

So, what does it all mean? As with any great work of literature, the interpretation of Rilke’s Sonnets To Orpheus: Book 2: XXIII is open to interpretation. Here are a few possible interpretations:

Embracing life fully

One possible interpretation of this poem is that it’s a call to embrace life fully. The friend is urged to be present in every moment, to nourish whatever feeds upon their face, and to be the power that rounds their senses in their magic ring. The lines “If drinking is bitter, change yourself to wine” and “To the flashing water say: I am” could be interpreted as a call to transform oneself and to be open to new experiences.

Connection to something greater

Another possible interpretation of this poem is that it’s a call to connect with something greater than oneself. The lines “Silent friend of many distances, feel / how your breath enlarges all of space” and “the sense of their mysterious encounter” could be interpreted as a connection to the universe, God, or some other spiritual force. The friend is urged to whisper to the silent earth: “I’m flowing,” and to the flashing water: “I am,” which could be interpreted as a call to be one with nature and to recognize one’s place in the eternal cycle of life and death.

Beauty in transformation

Finally, this poem could be interpreted as a celebration of transformation and the beauty that can be found in change. The lines “Move through transformation, out and in” and “If drinking is bitter, change yourself to wine” both evoke a sense of transformation and growth. The final stanza of the poem, with its emphasis on being present in the moment and embracing life fully, could be seen as a celebration of the beauty that can be found in change and transformation.

Conclusion

Rainer Maria Rilke’s Sonnets To Orpheus: Book 2: XXIII is a masterpiece of language and imagery that captures the essence of life and death, love and loss, and the eternal cycle of existence. Its ambiguity and open-endedness invite multiple interpretations, and its beautiful language and imagery make it a joy to read and interpret. Whether you interpret it as a call to embrace life fully, a connection to something greater, or a celebration of transformation, this poem is sure to leave a lasting impression on any reader.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

The Sonnets to Orpheus: Book 2: XXIII by Rainer Maria Rilke is a classic piece of poetry that has stood the test of time. This poem is a part of a larger collection of sonnets that Rilke wrote in memory of his friend, the artist Paula Modersohn-Becker. The poem is a beautiful tribute to the power of art and the human spirit.

The poem begins with the lines, "Call to me to the one among your moments / That stands against you, ineluctably: / Intimate as a dog's imploring glance / But, again, forever, turned away." These lines set the tone for the rest of the poem, which is a meditation on the fleeting nature of life and the power of art to transcend it.

Rilke uses the metaphor of the dog's imploring glance to describe the moment that stands against us. This moment is intimate and personal, but it is also fleeting and elusive. The dog's gaze is a powerful symbol of the human desire for connection and understanding, but it is also a reminder of the transience of life.

The poem then moves on to describe the power of art to transcend the limitations of time and space. Rilke writes, "And you, who are all the gardens I have ever / Scanned with my narrow searching gaze, / The unexpected, the unknown, the wild, / You are the constant tree, the rising sun." Here, Rilke is describing the power of art to transport us to new and unexpected places, to expand our horizons and challenge our perceptions.

The poem then takes a darker turn, as Rilke describes the inevitability of death. He writes, "And death, who has often walked towards you, / Reaches you with his tree-root hands, / And his face, like a mask, turns towards you." This is a powerful image of death as a force that is both natural and inevitable, but also terrifying and unknown.

Despite this darkness, the poem ends on a note of hope and transcendence. Rilke writes, "But you, beloved, who are all the same / As a creation that has never existed, / Drawn by your own drawn-out destiny, / You are the seamless fabric of belief." Here, Rilke is describing the power of the human spirit to transcend the limitations of the physical world, to create something new and beautiful that has never existed before.

Overall, The Sonnets to Orpheus: Book 2: XXIII is a powerful meditation on the power of art and the human spirit. Rilke uses powerful metaphors and imagery to explore the themes of life, death, and transcendence, and the result is a poem that is both beautiful and thought-provoking. Whether you are a lover of poetry or simply someone who appreciates the power of language, this poem is a must-read.

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