Rilke - Duino Elegies 1 & 2 Critical Reading Series

Please join me for a deep dive into the Duino Elegies by Rainer Maria Rilke. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of the poet and the time is very ripe to revisit what is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest pieces of writing to come from Europe. For it is very Continental and is a crowning glory of what is best in Western intellectual and artistic quest of the past 3000 years or so. Together with the Ancients, Dante, Milton, and Shakespeare, Rilke is the fulcrum on which so much of modern writing turns and pivots.

For the first Duino meeting, we are going to read Elegy 1 & 2. I am relying primarily on David Young translation, because it is admirably sensitive to the modern Anglo linguistic demand. For the backup, I recommend the Mitchell translation - this is more 19th century informed. We are going to read out of the Young during the meeting and reference Mitchell only if needed.

We are going to live read the text line by line from start to finish and dive into conversation about what the poet is expressing. Do research, read before the meeting, and so on.

Duino Elgies is a demanding read. It is one of those unequalled flights of poetic fancy: inspired, wise, archaic, genuine, and mysterious. Proceed accordingly.

We will read all the Elegies over 5 meetings.