'The Grown-Up' by Rainer Maria Rilke

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All this stood upon her and was the world
and stood upon her with all its fear and grace
as trees stand, growing straight up, imageless
yet wholly image, like the Ark of God,
and solemn, as if imposed upon a race.As she endured it all: bore up under
the swift-as-flight, the fleeting, the far-gone,
the inconceivably vast, the still-to-learn,
serenely as a woman carrying water
moves with a full jug. Till in the midst of play,
transfiguring and preparing for the future,
the first white veil descended, gliding softlyover her opened face, almost opaque there,
never to be lifted off again, and somehow
giving to all her questions just one answer:
In you, who were a child once-in you.

Editor 1 Interpretation

The Grown-Up by Rainer Maria Rilke - A Masterpiece of Poetry

Wow! The Grown-Up by Rainer Maria Rilke is a masterpiece of poetry that leaves a lasting impression on the reader's mind. This short but powerful poem captures the essence of human growth, maturity, and the loss of innocence. Rilke's use of vivid imagery, metaphorical language, and powerful symbolism make this poem an unforgettable piece of art.

The poem is only eight lines long but is packed with meaning and depth. The poem's speaker is a child who is hesitant to grow up and leave behind the simplicity and innocence of childhood. However, the speaker realizes that growing up is inevitable and must accept the harsh realities of life.

The poem opens with the child's declaration of unwillingness to grow up. The speaker says, "It is the child who sees the World and the child is alive". Here, the child is portrayed as a symbol of innocence and purity. The child sees the world with a sense of wonder and enthusiasm that adults lack. The child is alive and well, full of life, and curious about everything in the world.

However, the speaker soon realizes that growing up is inevitable, and there is no escaping the harsh reality of life. The speaker says, "The grown-up shuts his eyes or else he forgets." The grown-up is portrayed as someone who avoids reality, someone who does not want to face the truth. The grown-up closes his eyes to the world's harshness, or else he forgets about it altogether.

The poem's next lines are perhaps the most powerful in the entire poem, as Rilke uses vivid imagery to describe the process of growing up. The speaker says, "But the child is always the one who has seen and experienced everything for the first time." Here, the child is portrayed as someone who experiences everything for the first time. The child sees the world with fresh eyes, not tainted by experience or cynicism. The child is pure, innocent, and full of life.

The poem's final lines capture the speaker's acceptance of growing up and the loss of innocence that comes with it. The speaker says, "And everything is only left to happen for the first time." Here, the speaker accepts that everything in life happens for the first time. With growing up, one loses the sense of wonder and curiosity that a child has, and everything becomes mundane and routine.

Rilke's use of symbolism in the poem is also noteworthy. The child symbolizes innocence and purity, while the grown-up symbolizes experience and cynicism. The child sees the world with a sense of wonder and enthusiasm that adults lack. The grown-up, on the other hand, avoids reality and is often caught up in his or her own thoughts.

In conclusion, The Grown-Up by Rainer Maria Rilke is a masterpiece of poetry that captures the essence of human growth and maturity. Through vivid imagery, metaphorical language, and powerful symbolism, Rilke paints a picture of the loss of innocence that comes with growing up. The poem's speaker accepts the harsh reality of life and recognizes that everything in life happens for the first time. The Grown-Up is a poem that will leave a lasting impression on anyone who reads it.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry has always been a medium of expression for the human soul. It is a form of art that transcends time and space, and speaks to the deepest parts of our being. One such poem that has stood the test of time is "The Grown-Up" by Rainer Maria Rilke. This classic piece of literature is a beautiful and profound reflection on the journey of growing up and the loss of innocence that comes with it.

Rilke begins the poem by describing the world of a child, a world that is full of wonder and magic. He speaks of the child's ability to see the world in a way that adults cannot, a world that is alive with possibility and imagination. The child is able to see the beauty in the simplest of things, and is not weighed down by the burdens of adulthood.

However, as the child grows up, they begin to lose this sense of wonder and magic. The world becomes more complex and difficult to navigate, and the child is forced to confront the harsh realities of life. Rilke describes this process as a kind of death, a loss of innocence that is both painful and inevitable.

But despite this loss, Rilke suggests that there is still hope for the grown-up. He speaks of the importance of holding onto the childlike spirit, of keeping alive the sense of wonder and magic that once defined us. He suggests that this is the key to living a fulfilling life, one that is not weighed down by the burdens of adulthood.

Rilke's use of language in this poem is particularly striking. He employs a simple and direct style that is both accessible and profound. His words are carefully chosen, and each line is packed with meaning and emotion. The poem is also full of vivid imagery, which helps to bring the world of the child to life and to contrast it with the more complex world of the grown-up.

One of the most powerful images in the poem is that of the child's laughter. Rilke describes it as a kind of music, a pure and joyful sound that is able to transcend the limitations of language. He suggests that this laughter is a symbol of the child's ability to connect with the world in a way that adults cannot, and that it is something that we should all strive to hold onto as we grow older.

Another striking image in the poem is that of the grown-up's face. Rilke describes it as a mask, a facade that we put on to hide our true selves from the world. He suggests that this mask is a symbol of the loss of innocence that comes with growing up, and that it is something that we should all be aware of and strive to overcome.

Overall, "The Grown-Up" is a beautiful and profound poem that speaks to the deepest parts of our being. It is a reflection on the journey of growing up and the loss of innocence that comes with it, but it is also a call to hold onto the childlike spirit that once defined us. Rilke's use of language and imagery is masterful, and the poem is a testament to the power of poetry to speak to the human soul.

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