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"But because truly being here is so much..."

Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2018

I am absolutely in love with the Duino Elegies. The gravity in this poetry brings me home. I continue to return to these poems whenever I need to reconnect to my own beautiful, terrifying, internal infinity in all its glory.

These aren't feel-good poems in any lighthearted sense; they feel good because they remind us we're not alone in feeling our weight, our mortality, our transience.

We're lucky, in fact, to feel all those things. Even the angels envy us...

24 people found this helpful

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Sushan

translations don't capture RIlke's language

Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2012

When I read the glowing descriptions of Mitchell's translations in the first few reviews on this site, I expected translations that captured the meaning and pace of the poems AND Rilke's actual meanings. These translations definitely don't do the latter, and often don't do the former either. I majored in German in college so I'm somewhat familiar with the language, but wanted the English translations as aids where I didn't know the vocabulary; however, these translations are just irritating.

7 people found this helpful

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Jaclyn

"But because truly being here is so much..."

Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2018

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24 people found this helpful

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Eric H

Awesome book for people who like Rilke

Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2020

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This book contains a lot of Rilke's poetry and notes. If you already love Rilke's works then this is almost like an encyclopedia of his life and work in my opinion. For someone not familiar with Rilke, or someone who doesn't want to delve too deeply into his work, then this book might be a bit too much. But for people like me, just having this book in my personal library, I know it will be there when I need it. I love to read, but due to some health issues it's hard for me to read much. But little by little I'm reading more, so having great books that lift my spirit and connect me to my humanity makes reading very nice indeed. And lastly, (I almost forgot) Stephen Mitchell is extraordinary at translating and understanding the poetry. I can't say enough about how wonderful his work is.

7 people found this helpful

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Honest Kind Critic

Great translation of one of the finest poets of the late 19th century and early 20th century.

Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2015

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Great translation of one of the finest poets of the late 19th century and early 20th century. Outside of Germany and Europe, the great symbolist poet, who worked with Rodin while in Paris, is not read nearly enough in my view considering his immense talent and influence on later poets. The translator, like all who undertake the thankless task, takes chances but is rewarded by managing to bring Rilke's vivid images to light along with his subtle philosophical and often almost mystical spirit. No doubt one should always read a poet in the original language to capture nuances of sound and language, but if you do not read German (and the book offers the German original if you are curious), this is as a very successful translation of one of the great symbolist poets I have read, and includes most of his major poems, poetic prose, and the famous notebooks. If you have not read Rilke, and love poetry, you are in for a treat. I am on my second copy as it has been read so much. Perhaps time for the Kindle version, though poetry should be touched, I believe.

24 people found this helpful

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Luap

A unique read

Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2019

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French children learn German and German children learn French. They live across the street from each other and then grow-up and go to war. This poet is from that period and his work is worthy of your time.

8 people found this helpful

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Leah

This collection is a dear friend of mine.

Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2017

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I've read other translated versions of Rilke's poems, but I keep coming back to Stephen Mitchell's interpretations. They are beautiful and really resonate in my heart. This collection is a dear friend of mine.

15 people found this helpful

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Owl

Touched by an Angel

Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2013

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"Oh gather it, Angel, that small-flowered herb of healing,
Create a vase and preserve it. Set it among the joys
not yet open to us; on that lovely urn
praise it with the ornately flowing inscription:
"Subrisio Saltat."

Rainier Maria Rilke surely was touched by an angel, and through his magnificent poems, so are we. Stephen Mitchell seems to have been touched also by these great spirits when he translated and interpreted almost 300 pages of Rilke's poems and other writings. This generous-hearted book includes selections from Rilke's major works: The Book of Hours; The Book of Pictures; New Poems; Requiem; Uncollected Poems (1913-1918); The Duimo Elegies; The Sonnets to Orpheus; Uncollected Poems (1923-1926);and The Notebooks of Malte Lauris Brigge (prose).

Gloriously, all of the Elegies are given. ("Oh gather it, Angel" is from the Fifth Elegy, dedicated to Frau Hertha Koenig.) One can hardly read these, particularly the selections from the "Sonnets to Orpheus," suffused with Rilke's feelings associated with the too-early death of a young girl, without trembling.

This book offers riches upon riches:

--A wise, informative introductory essay, "Looking for Rilke," by Robert Hass
--The poems themselves, in German and English on facing pages
--45 pages of notes with many translations of Rilke's letters about the poems
--a title & first line index in German and another title & first line index in English

The poetry is of profound beauty in both languages. Some believe Rilke may have been the greatest of poets writing in German. Reading the poems aloud in German can help convey one aspect---the play of sound on/in the ear---even if we're not fluent in Rilke's first language. (Later, he wrote in French.) However, Mitchell's wonderful poems in English capture Rilke's voice, the complexity and humanity of his thoughts, and his amazing images. Mitchell gives us the cadence, the style (including Rilke's own changes over the years), and the darkness, angers, longings, questionings, depths & heights of Rilke's feelings.

Reader alert: Could other translations be made? Sure, but perhaps not as true to the beauty and power of Rilke, so splendid is Mitchell's achievement. Yet this is a 1982 book, reprinted in 1989 by Vintage International. There are later translations and what some future poet/translator may achieve, who can say? In some places---a very few, in my opinion---perhaps the English word-net has not quite caught the nuances of Rilke's thought. Other reviewers might see more instances, still others none.

A reminder too that these are selections from Rilke: parts, not the whole of his work. Some readers may find their favorites missing.

For me, Stephen Mitchell's "The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke" is a treasure almost beyond measure----and at used book prices, an outstanding value.

Most highly recommended.

20 people found this helpful

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W Perry Hall

Splendor in the English translation of one of the Greats

Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2013

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If you are on the precipice of purchasing this translation, you are probably moved along that path by the excellent reviews. I cannot add more than to say that I am so grateful to have had a chance to read the Rilke poetry in poetic English, which I am assured by the scholars is as close as one could imagine to what Rilke would have himself written in our language. To read him in this book of his poetry is enchanting and I find something wonderfully new each time through.

18 people found this helpful

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Eli Alexander

I love you, Rilke

Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2020

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I believe this was used. I won't review Rilke work, because many have flattered and praised him, as he deserves. I speak only of this s seller and the condition of this book. It was perfect. I'd but from this seller many times over.

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Wayne Scott

Too splendid for words ...

Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2001

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"You are not my favorite poet. That implies comparison. You are poetry itself." in a letter from Marina Tseteyeva to Rilke.
Since I do not speak German, I can speak neither to the accuracy of translation nor interpretation (realizing that they are separate concepts). But I can tell you that this keeps me coming back for more (so much so I have 2 copies, plus a hardback, which differs slightly in content). It's the sort of book that if I loan it, I'm astonished to get it back. And don't really mind.
Mitchell has included in his notes excerpts from diaries and letters which I otherwise would never have had the joy of knowing, nor insght into not only the heart of the poet, but the heart of God as well.
Mitchell also has the integrity to refrain from attempting to translate some works which, I believe, he would have otherwise loved to share. His rationale, from the intro to the "Notes" section, follows:
"Translating poems into equivalent formal patterns is to some extent a matter of luck, or grace, and this is especially true of rhymed poems. Rilke called rhyme "a goddess of secret and ancient coincidences" and said that "she is very capricious; one cannot summon or foresee her; she comes as happiness comes, hands filled with the achievement that is already in flower." Some of my favorite poems never got beyond a rough draft, because that sweet goddess refused to make even the briefest appearance."
This poetry is a love letter to life, no matter what an acedemic might say about the relative merits of the translation/ interpretation. Reading Rilke, I understand why Jung (I think it was Jung) said, "Everywhere I go, I find the poet is there before me." (or words to that effect) Enjoy.

78 people found this helpful

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dream factory

Weldshmertz

Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2011

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We were first introduce to this volume by the director of "Wings of Desire".
It's hard to search and find new poetry which speaks to you in the amazon collection. In a bookstore one can browse the various collections and see which is appealing. But there the choices are limited. On the other hand on amazon the choices are infinite.

We cannot speak to the translation of this volume. But what we can add to all of these reviews is this: deep dark poetry which speaks to a sad transfixed existence. A squeezing oxygenless entropic genre. Isolated souls arguing and colliding in looped baneworlds. Weldshmertz at it's multidimensional best. Enigmatic poems of deep sadness.

If that's what you want out of poetry, then this collection shall be satisfying.

Update 9/15/2012: reading poetry daily one reads alot of poetry. Other poets not withstanding Rilke IS poetry. Of the four Rilke poetry collection in my possession this collection would prove to be the best. Best in it's scope of his output, and best in translation.

4 people found this helpful

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