Sonnets to Orpheus
Encyclopedia
The Sonnets to Orpheus are a cycle of sonnet
s written by German-language
poet
Rainer Maria Rilke
(1875–1926) in 1922. He dedicated them as a memorial (, literally "grave-marker") for Wera Ouckama Knoop (1900–1919), a playmate of Rilke's daughter Ruth.
All of the sonnets are composed of two quatrains followed by two triplets. Additionally, all of the sonnets have some rhyme scheme, generally ABAB CDCD or ABBA CDDC in the quartets, and EEF GGF, EFG EFG or EFG GFE in the triplets. The sonnets are also all metered, but their meters vary more greatly between poems; dactyl
ic and trochaic are the most common feet, with line length varying greatly, sometimes even within a particular sonnet.
. The rest of the poems were composed during the rest of the month of February. During this time, Rilke was also working on his masterpiece, the Duino Elegies
.
The content of the sonnets is, as is typical of Rilke, highly metaphorical. The character of Orpheus (whom Rilke refers to as the "god with the lyre") appears several times in the cycle, as do other mythical characters such as Daphne
. There are also biblical allusions, including a reference to Esau
. Other themes involve animals, peoples of different cultures, and time and death.
Although Rilke claimed that the entire cycle was inspired by Wera, she appears as a character in only one of the poems. He insisted, however, that "Wera's own figure [...] nevertheless governs and moves the course of the whole".
In May 1922, after deciding he could afford the cost of considerable necessary renovation, the Swiss philanthropist Werner Reinhart
bought Muzot so that Rilke could live there rent-free, and became Rilke's patron. He completed the Duino Elegies while Reinhart's tenant. During this time, Reinhart introduced Rilke to his protégée, the Australia
n violinist Alma Moodie
. Rilke was so impressed with her playing that he wrote in a letter: "What a sound, what richness, what determination. That and the Sonnets to Orpheus, those were two strings of the same voice. And she plays mostly Bach! Muzot has received its musical christening..."
Sonnet
A sonnet is one of several forms of poetry that originate in Europe, mainly Provence and Italy. A sonnet commonly has 14 lines. The term "sonnet" derives from the Occitan word sonet and the Italian word sonetto, both meaning "little song" or "little sound"...
s written by German-language
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
Rainer Maria Rilke
Rainer Maria Rilke
René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke , better known as Rainer Maria Rilke, was a Bohemian–Austrian poet. He is considered one of the most significant poets in the German language...
(1875–1926) in 1922. He dedicated them as a memorial (, literally "grave-marker") for Wera Ouckama Knoop (1900–1919), a playmate of Rilke's daughter Ruth.
Form and style
There are 55 sonnets in the sequence, divided into two sections: the first of 26 and the second of 29. The sonnets follow certain trends, but they include many different forms.All of the sonnets are composed of two quatrains followed by two triplets. Additionally, all of the sonnets have some rhyme scheme, generally ABAB CDCD or ABBA CDDC in the quartets, and EEF GGF, EFG EFG or EFG GFE in the triplets. The sonnets are also all metered, but their meters vary more greatly between poems; dactyl
Dactyl (poetry)
A dactyl is a foot in meter in poetry. In quantitative verse, such as Greek or Latin, a dactyl is a long syllable followed by two short syllables, as determined by syllable weight...
ic and trochaic are the most common feet, with line length varying greatly, sometimes even within a particular sonnet.
Composition
The vast majority of the sonnets were written in an extremely short period of time, from February 2-5, 1922, at the Château de Muzot in SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. The rest of the poems were composed during the rest of the month of February. During this time, Rilke was also working on his masterpiece, the Duino Elegies
Duino Elegies
The Duino Elegies are a set of ten elegies written in German by the poet Rainer Maria Rilke from 1912 to 1922. They are frequently referred to as Rilke's most acclaimed poetic work.-Presentation:...
.
The content of the sonnets is, as is typical of Rilke, highly metaphorical. The character of Orpheus (whom Rilke refers to as the "god with the lyre") appears several times in the cycle, as do other mythical characters such as Daphne
Daphne
Daphne was a female minor nature deity. Pursued by Apollo, she fled and was chased. Daphne begged the gods for help, who then transformed her into Laurel.-Overview:...
. There are also biblical allusions, including a reference to Esau
Esau
Esau , in the Hebrew Bible, is the oldest son of Isaac. He is mentioned in the Book of Genesis, and by the minor prophets, Obadiah and Malachi. The New Testament later references him in the Book of Romans and the Book of Hebrews....
. Other themes involve animals, peoples of different cultures, and time and death.
Although Rilke claimed that the entire cycle was inspired by Wera, she appears as a character in only one of the poems. He insisted, however, that "Wera's own figure [...] nevertheless governs and moves the course of the whole".
In May 1922, after deciding he could afford the cost of considerable necessary renovation, the Swiss philanthropist Werner Reinhart
Werner Reinhart
Werner Reinhart was a Swiss industrialist, philanthropist, amateur clarinetist, and patron of composers and writers, particularly Igor Stravinsky and Rainer Maria Rilke...
bought Muzot so that Rilke could live there rent-free, and became Rilke's patron. He completed the Duino Elegies while Reinhart's tenant. During this time, Reinhart introduced Rilke to his protégée, the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n violinist Alma Moodie
Alma Moodie
Alma Templeton Moodie was an Australian violinist who established an excellent reputation in Germany in the 1920s and 1930s. She was regarded as the foremost female violinist during the inter-war years, and she premiered violin concertos by Kurt Atterberg, Hans Pfitzner and Ernst Krenek...
. Rilke was so impressed with her playing that he wrote in a letter: "What a sound, what richness, what determination. That and the Sonnets to Orpheus, those were two strings of the same voice. And she plays mostly Bach! Muzot has received its musical christening..."
External links
- Online German version: Die Sonette an Orpheus
- English translation by Robert Hunter: The Sonnets to Orpheus
- German with English translation by Howard A. Landman: The Sonnets to Orpheus