Studies In German Literature Linguistics and Culture: Young Rilke and His Time

Vally, Hidigeigei, and others -- Larenopfer: a commentary -- Three diaries, 1898-1900 -- Lou Andreas-Salmoné's Russian diary, 1900 -- Rilke's diary from Westerwede and Paris, 1902 -- Rilke as reviewer of German-language literature -- Rilke as reviewer of Scandinavian literature -- Poems A look at neglected aspects of the early career of one of the premier poets of the German language.Although Rainer Maria Rilke and his work have been much studied and written about over the past century -- as befits the perhaps most important German-language poet of modern times -- certain aspects of his early life and career have been neglected or are in need of a fresh look. Accordingly, this book investigates Rilke's life and career from adolescence until the verge of thirty. Here the reader finds the hysterical, harried tutee clinging to Valerie vonRhonfeld; the clever, supercilious, and anxious stroller through Prague of Larenopfer; the narcissistic diarist preening for Lou Andreas-Salomé in Italy and elsewhere; the priggishly high-minded but lethal reviewer of German-language literature; the devoted but delusional presenter of Nordic letters. A final section focuses on thirteen poems or poem clusters composed between 1892 and 1900 and mostly left untouched by Rilke scholarship. While depending heavily on the evidence of the texts themselves, the present author allows himself to conjecture about, for instance, the traces left by the boy's hasty training in Latin; his knowledge -- or ignorance -- of Czech national opera and popular literature; the genesis of some willfully'decadent'poems; his odd literary likes and dislikes; and so on. From this'Wirrnis'(confusion, muddle; one of his favorite words), the young Rilke emerges as a dogged self-educator, and, for all his laments and insecurities and languorous poses, a figure of distinction, gifted with an almost preternatural verbal inventiveness and recondite energy. George C. Schoolfield is Emeritus Professor of German and Scandinavian Literature at Yale. Although Rainer Maria Rilke and his work have been much studied and written about over the past century -- as befits the perhaps most important German-language poet of modern times -- certain aspects of his early life and career have been neglected or are in need of a fresh look. Accordingly, this book investigates Rilke's life and career from adolescence until the verge of thirty. Here the reader finds the hysterical, harried tutee clinging to Valerie vonRhonfeld; the clever, supercilious, and anxious stroller through Prague of Larenopfer; the narcissistic diarist preening for Lou Andreas-Salomé in Italy and elsewhere; the priggishly high-minded but lethal reviewer of German-language literature; the devoted but delusional presenter of Nordic letters. A final section focuses on thirteen poems or poem clusters composed between 1892 and 1900 and mostly left untouched by Rilke scholarship. While depending heavily on the evidence of the texts themselves, the present author allows himself to conjecture about, for instance, the traces left by the boy's hasty training in Latin; his knowledge -- or ignorance -- of Czech national opera and popular literature; the genesis of some willfully "decadent" poems; his odd literary likes and dislikes; and so on. From this "Wirrnis" (confusion, muddle; one of his favorite words), the young Rilke emerges as a dogged self-educator, and, for all his laments and insecurities and languorous poses, a figure of distinction, gifted with an almost preternatural verbal inventiveness and recondite energy.

George C. Schoolfield is Emeritus Professor of German and Scandinavian Literature at Yale. Although Rainer Maria Rilke and his work have been much studied and written about over the past century - as befits the perhaps most important German-language poet of modern times - certain aspects of his early life and career have been neglected or are in need of a fresh look. Accordingly, this book investigates Rilke's life and career from adolescence until the verge of thirty. Here the reader finds the hysterical, harried tutee clinging to Valerie von Rhonfeld; the clever, supercilious, and anxious stroller through Prague of 'Larenopfer;' the narcissistic diarist preening for Lou Andreas-Salomé in Italy and elsewhere; the priggishly high-minded but lethal reviewer of German-language literature; the devoted but delusional presenter of Nordic letters. A final section focuses on thirteen poems or poem clusters composed between 1892 and 1900 and mostly left untouched by Rilke scholarship. While depending heavily on the evidence of the texts themselves, the present author allows himself to conjecture about, for instance, the traces left by the boy's hasty training in Latin; his knowledge - or ignorance - of Czech national opera and popular literature; the genesis of some willfully 'decadent' poems; his odd literary likes and dislikes; and so on. From this 'Wirrnis' (confusion, muddle; one of his favorite words), the young Rilke emerges as a dogged self-educator, and, for all his laments and insecurities and languorous poses, a figure of distinction, gifted with an almost preternatural verbal inventiveness and recondite energy. George C. Schoolfield is emeritus professor of German and Scandinavian Literature at Yale Frontcover......Page 1 CONTENTS ......Page 10 PREFACE......Page 12 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 16 ABBREVIATIONS......Page 18 CHRONOLOGY......Page 22 I. Prague......Page 32 1: Vally, Hidigeigei, and Others......Page 34 2: Larenopfer: A Commentary......Page 80 II. Diaries......Page 122 3: Three Diaries, 1898–1900......Page 124 4: Lou Andreas-Salomé’s Russian Diary, 1900......Page 153 5: Rilke’s Diary from Westerwede and Paris, 1902......Page 165 III. Rilke as Literary Critic......Page 180 6: Rilke as Reviewer of German-Language Literature......Page 182 7: Rilke as Reviewer of Scandinavian Literature......Page 230 IV. Poems......Page 266 8: “Der alte Invalid”......Page 268 9: “Auswandrerschiff”......Page 280 10: “An den Grafen von Platen”......Page 291 11: “Die Liese wird heute just sechzehn Jahr”......Page 306 12: “Venedig”......Page 312 13: “Weißes Glück”......Page 325 14: “Aus einem Bauernsommer” and “Vom Tode”......Page 334 15: “Intérieur”......Page 349 16: “In der Certosa”......Page 357 17: “Die Heiligen Drei Könige”......Page 369 18: “Aus dem hohen Jubelklanggedränge” and “Im Musiksaal”......Page 381 19: “Karl der Zwölfte von Schweden reitet in der Ukraine”......Page 393 20: “Sturm”......Page 419 SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 428 INDEX ......Page 430 Backcover ......Page 465