Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Rainer Maria Rilke

Quote by Rainer Maria Rilke

“We are not permitted to linger, even with what is most intimate. From images that are full, the spirit plunges on to others that suddenly must be filled; there are no lakes till eternity. Here, falling is best. To fall from the mastered emotion into the guessed-at, and onward.”

Quote by Rainer Maria Rilke

Book:The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke
Create image

Work

The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke

This volume brings together a selection of poems by Rainer Maria Rilke, a major figure in early 20th-century European literature. The collection spans his career, including pieces from his early, middle, and late periods, reflecting his evolving style from impressionistic and religious themes to more existential and modernist concerns. Known for his intense imagery and meditative tone, Rilke's poetry often explores solitude, love, death, and the search for transcendence. The selection typically includes well-known works such as those from 'The Book of Hours,' 'New Poems,' and the 'Duino Elegies,' offering readers an entry into his profound and influential poetic voice. more

Author

Rainer Maria Rilke
Rainer Maria Rilke

German poet known for his profound poetry and epistolary works. Rainer Maria Rilke's poetry style is unique, often exploring themes such as loneliness, love, and religious faith. more

You May Also Like

“I think of published poets that you could know of...I think [Rainer Maria Rilke] probably has the most great published poems of any poet [...] but Rilke himself was an asshole. If you look at his biography, he was probably misogynist; he was a liar, a cheat; he was a terrible father; he was selfish; he put people down; he had no consideration for anyone [...] yet, he transcends that in his greatest poems. There's that ineffable, spiritual quality - that he himself couldn't reach! But somewhere underneath that reptilian exterior, that asshole exterior of Rainer Maria Rilke, there was some good that came through – like these little sunbursts coming through clouds – that had that moment. And he'd write the Duino Elegies, he'd write the New Poems, and somewhere, that came through. And that's an amazing thing: you can have a lot of great people who are great individuals, who are loving and caring – and they can't do that. And that's not to say that their lives are meaningless, but they will never be able to affect anyone past the propinquity of their existence. They are never going to be able to affect someone in China; they are never going to be able to affect someone in 2132 the way Rilke can. And that specialness needs to be acknowledged; that specialness needs to be upheld; it needs to be rewarded, and people need to say, 'Goddamn – that's a good thing! It's a good thing that people make art!”

InspirationalArtEmotionKindnessPowerGeniusPosterityTimelessnessRainer Maria Rilke
Author:Dan Schneider
Create image