Reading Rilke : Reflections on the Problems of Translation

The greatly admired essayist, novelist, and philosopher, author of Cartesian Sonata, Finding a Form, and The Tunnel, reflects on the art of translation and on Rainer Maria Rilke's Duino Elegies -- and gives us his own translation of Rilke's masterwork.After nearly a lifetime of reading Rilke in English, William Gass undertook the task of translating Rilke's writing in order to see if he could, in that way, get closer to the work he so deeply admired. With Gass's own background in philosophy, it seemed natural to begin with the Duino Elegies, the poems in which Rilke's ideas are most fully expressed and which as a group are important not only as one of the supreme poetic achievements of the West but also because of the way in which they came to be written -- in a storm of inspiration. Gass examines the genesis of the ideas that inform the Elegies and discusses previous translations. He writes, as well, about Rilke the man: his character, his relationships, his life. Finally, his extraordinary translation of the Duino Elegies offers us the experience of reading Rilke with a new and fuller understanding. Essayist, novelist and philosopher William H. Gass reflects on the art of translation and on Rainer Maria Rilke's Duino Elegies--and gives us his own translation of Rilke's masterwork. After nearly a lifetime of reading Rilke in English, Gass undertook the task of translating him in order to get closer to the work he so deeply admired. With Gass's own background in philosophy, it seemed natural to begin with the Duino Elegies, the poems in which Rilke's ideas are most fully expressed and which are important not only as a supreme poetic achievement but also because of the way in which they came to be written--in a storm of inspiration. Gass examines the genesis of the ideas that inform the Elegies and discusses previous translations. He writes, as well, about Rilke the man: his character, his relationships, his life. Finally, his translation offers us the experience of reading Rilke with a new and fuller understanding.--From publisher description "After nearly a lifetime of reading Rilke in English, William Gass undertook the task of translating Rilke's writing in order to see if he could, in that way, get closer to the work he so deeply admired. With Gass's own background in philosophy, it seemed natural to begin with the Duino Elegies, the poems in which Rilke's ideas are most fully expressed and which as a group are important not only as one of the supreme poetic achievements of the West but also because of the way in which they came to be written - in a storm of inspiration."--BOOK JACKET. "Gass examines the genesis of the ideas that inform the Elegies and discusses previous translations. He writes, as well, about Rilke the man: his character, his relationships, his life."--BOOK JACKET. The renowned essayinst, philosopher, and novelist presents a close-up study and rendering of Rainer Maria Rilke's poetic masterpiece Duino Elegies as he reflects on the art of translating a work from another language while maintaining the true essence of the original. 15,000 first printing. Open-eyed. Rainer Maria Rilke died in the arms of his doctor on December 29, 1926.