Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- List of Abbreviations
- Chronology
- I Prague
- II Diaries
- III Rilke as Literary Critic
- IV Poems
- 8 “Der alte Invalid”
- 9 “Auswandrerschiff”
- 10 “An den Grafen von Platen”
- 11 “Die Liese wird heute just sechzehn Jahr”
- 12 “Venedig”
- 13 “Weißes Glück”
- 14 “Aus einem Bauernsommer” and “Vom Tode”
- 15 “Intérieur”
- 16 “In der Certosa”
- 17 “Die Heiligen Drei Könige”
- 18 “Aus dem hohen Jubelklanggedränge” and “Im Musiksaal”
- 19 “Karl der Zwölfte von Schweden reitet in der Ukraine”
- 20 “Sturm”
- Select Bibliography
- Index
11 - “Die Liese wird heute just sechzehn Jahr”
from IV - Poems
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 February 2013
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- List of Abbreviations
- Chronology
- I Prague
- II Diaries
- III Rilke as Literary Critic
- IV Poems
- 8 “Der alte Invalid”
- 9 “Auswandrerschiff”
- 10 “An den Grafen von Platen”
- 11 “Die Liese wird heute just sechzehn Jahr”
- 12 “Venedig”
- 13 “Weißes Glück”
- 14 “Aus einem Bauernsommer” and “Vom Tode”
- 15 “Intérieur”
- 16 “In der Certosa”
- 17 “Die Heiligen Drei Könige”
- 18 “Aus dem hohen Jubelklanggedränge” and “Im Musiksaal”
- 19 “Karl der Zwölfte von Schweden reitet in der Ukraine”
- 20 “Sturm”
- Select Bibliography
- Index
Summary
The painful elements in Traumgekrönt, the successor to Larenopfer, are legion. Divided into “Träumen” (Dreaming) and “Lieben” (Loving), it has patches of extreme sentimentality: “Nur heute sind es Tränen, — / und gestern war es Tau” (SW 1:77; Only today it is tears, — / and yesterday it was dew); cuteness: “mäuschenstille Plätze” (85; places still as a little mouse) and “ihr Händchen, elfenschlank” (91; her little hand, elfin-slender); and hints at sexual involvement ending badly. The lover has been given his walking papers and feels
Als ob ich tot wär und im Hirne
mir dennoch wühlte wilde Qual,
weil mir vom Hügel eine Dirne
die letzte, blasse Rose stahl …
(SW 1:86)[As if I were dead and in my brain
wild torment nonetheless did writhe,
since from the hill a strumpet
stole my last, pale rose …]
In his announcement of Traumgekrönt René talked of confessions and dreams. The language is studded with post-positive adjectives: “Die Welt, die laute, kranke” (79; the world, the loud [and] sickly), “das Volk, das drohnenträge” (79; The people, dronelike-sluggish); with overwhelming alliterations: “und nur ein ewig wildes Weh wacht” (82; and only an eternally wild woe watches), “Weltenweiter Wandrer, / walle fort in Ruh” (82; worldwide wanderer, / wend your way in peace); mosaic rhymes: “lallt es” / “jahrhundertaltes” (82; it babbles, / century-old), “beisammen sein” / “Flammenreihn” (88; to be together / rows of flames); and huge composite nouns, among them “Götterbildermarmorweiße” (87; divine-imagesmarble-whiteness), which takes the cake.
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- Young Rilke and his Time , pp. 275 - 280Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2008