For rilke, to observe a work of art is also to be observed by it, and that sense of mutual evaluation c. Archaic torso of apollo is a public domain poem written by rainer maria rilke and read by jessica schneider. In an age of media conglomerates, were something of an oddity. Rilke ends his sonnet, archaic torso of apollo saying you must change your life. In the poem, the speakers observations about an ancient sculpture spark reflections about existence. These angelic characters have an uncanny resemblance to the history and longing of the human condition and can be interpreted in many. As a modern poet rilke would see the world within and the world without as the same aspects of each other. Apr 12, 2014 the archaic torso of apollo by rainer maria rilke is a poem of great power. Apr 11, 2019 historically, conventional forms of art, as seen in robert haydens monets water lilies, and archaic torso of apollo by rilke, are central to traditional ekphrastic poetry. That is a dangerous business, putting your own words into the mouth of a great poet. Basically, the speaker observes a broken statue of the greek god apollo.
Archaic torso of apollo is a poem by rainer maria rilke famous for featuring the phrase du mu. It is also quoted by miriam, played by gena rowlands, in woody allens 1988 film another woman. A list of poems by rainer maria rilke born in prague on december 4, 1875, rainer maria rilke is recognized by many as a master of verse. Rilkes archaic torso of apollo leads us beyond our mundane and naturalistic concerns, beyond a thinking and doing that seeks to appropriate and masters a natural world. Archaic torso of apollo by rainer maria rilke poems.
Here is a link to the stephen mitchell translation, which i recommend you read before proceeding with the rest. Apollos archaic torso is by a young yorkshire writer, sarah stutt, who recently. Ensemble i daily blog cut the poem down to save for time and terrible german pronunciation, haha, but hopefully this will be done well. After reading rilkes archaic torso of apollo the sun. Even so his torso s lasting candelabraglow, in which his gaze, with light held back, instead holds fast and shines. How else could we be so blinded by the curvature of his chest. The poem is generally considered to be an example of ekphrasis. In a world of poetry filled with serious and brooding emotypes, rainer maria rilke stands as one of the emoiest. To faithfully follow its meandering thought means to be led to the very source from which springs narration and metaphor.
Else scarcely would the curve of chest bedazzle you, soft gasped meanwhile loins could not draw a breath to bring a smile. Its called a torso of apollo because its a fragment of a statue. And yet his torso is still suffused with brilliance from inside, like a lamp, in which his gaze, now turned to low, gleams in all its power. Ruth stone ends a moment saying you do not want to repeat my life.
Apollos archaic torso poem by leo yankevich poem hunter. We cannot know his legendary head with eyes like ripening fruit. Poems of rainer maria rilke 1918archaic torso of apollo. The first volume, released in 1907 begins with another apollo poem. In a hammock at william duffys farm in pine island, minnesota saying i have wasted my life. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The power of his glance abides, attenuated, in the torso. In some unshielded room a chair is sat upon, a tale is told, is told again.
A bronze exvoto dedicated to athena, it stands in the conventional pose of kouroi from the archaic period, but is distinguished from these by the soft contours of the back and the sharp, inorganic treatment of the hair. The academy of american poets is the largest membershipbased nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting american poets. Rainer maria rilke archaischer torso apollos lyrics. The poet rainer maria rilke offers stunning portrayals of angels in his series of poems entitled the duino elegies. Archaic torso of apollo, a poem written about an encounter with a sculpture, ought to exist itself for its reader like a piece of sculpture or a painting. We mean, who elses name was taken as a tribute by an emo band in the late 90s. Archaic torso of apollo we cannot know his legendary head wherein eyeapples ripened. Archaic torso of apollo by rainer maria rilke we cannot know his legendary head with eyes like ripening fruit. Posts about rainer marie rilke archaic torso of apollo. In each issue of the sun youll find some of the most radically intimate and socially conscious writing being published today. Otherwise the curved breast could not dazzle you so, nor could a smile run through the placid hips and thighs.
That is the creative agenda behind the poem archaic torso of apollo. This page was last edited on 15 december 2015, at 01. We will call him kit pronounced keet in the european way. Philip roth s 1972 novella the breast concludes with rilkes poem. Nov 15, 2010 this weeks poem is a new english translation of rainer maria rilkes sonnet archaischer torso apollos. However, in the last few decades, many reservations have been raised about the use of ekphrasis in poetry. Archaic torso of apollo we cannot know his legendary head with eyes like ripening fruit. Both the sculpture and the poem serve as models for the reader, defining how the reader might be or, in fact, ought to be. Neue gedichte is a twopart collection of poems written by bohemianaustrian poet and novelist rainer maria rilke 18751926. But his torso still glows like a candelabrum in which his gaze, only turned low, holds and gleams. Apr 15, 2015 archaic torso of apollo is a public domain poem written by rainer maria rilke and read by jessica schneider. Or else, his breasts would not bedazzle you, nor could his lumbar inflections spark with smiles that sink and crumble. The exhibit includes artists kathy liao, misha kligman, damon freed and stephanie pierce the title of the exhibit is taken from the.
So towers are reflected in bedrock, willows doubled by their roots. If we back away a bit and put archaic torso into its publication context, maybe the translation choice can be clarified. In rilkes poem archaic torso of apollo, what did he really. The borders of itself is an exhibit i put together for the campanella gallery at park university in kansas city. I have seen, during the frenzy of seasons, almostperceptible figures moving on the other side of weather. Dec 15, 2015 poems of rainer maria rilke 1918archaic torso of apollo. The poem is, among other things, about the power of art. Of course, not all reactions to works of art are so.
Archaic torso of apollo poem by rainer maria rilke poem hunter. Archaic torso of apollo the art and popular culture. It is from this same source that springs a human world. In rilkes poem archaic torso of apollo, what did he. In archaic torso of apollo the transfixed poet finds the torso full of life and vitality, a complete work of art and suggestive of the modernist tradition. This torso was created at the turning point between the archaic and classical periods, and testifies to the radical shift in representation of the male nude that had taken place by the early fifth century bc. Archaic torso of apollo poem by rainer maria rilke poem. Archaic torso of apollo museum of art and archaeology. And yet his torso is still suffused with brilliance f. Yet his torso gleams, like a candelabrum, still dispersing the luminescent power of his gaze, extinguished long ago. The shoulders are like the capital of a pillar in a ruined temple, thats lost.
We cannot know his incredible head, where the eyes ripened like apples, yet his torso still glows like a candelabrum, from which his gaze, however dimmed, still persists and gleams. Archaic torso of apollo we cannot know his legendary head we cannot know his legendary head the academy of american poets is the largest membershipbased nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting american poets. In 1902, rainer maria rilkethen a struggling poet in ger. Archaic torso of apollo by rainer maria rilke i have read and taught rilkes petrarchan sonnet archaischer torso apollos many times that is, in stephen mitchells beautiful and powerful english translation and i even have some things to say about it in an essay in my latest book. Like the archaic kouros, the figure is presented frontally, nude, and in a standing position, the left leg advanced. In trying to keep in the english to the rhymed metrical regularity of these four poems, i have had to supply words of my own on occasion, to fill out a line or make a rhyme. On archaic torso of apollo academy of american poets. Selected poetry and prose of rainer maria rilke translated by stephen mitchell modern library 1995 download a pdf here. Archaic torso of apollo is a sonnet divided into four stanzas, the first two stanzas containing four lines each, the last two containing three each. James pollock on rainer maria rilkes archaic torso of apollo. A defective reading of rilkes archaic torso of apollo.
If this were not so, the bow of his breast could not blind you, nor could a smile, steered by the gentle curve. Archaic torso of apollo summary events are kind of a nonissue here. Otherwise the round breast would not blind you with its grace, nor could the softcurved circle of the thighs. Posts about archaic torso of apollo written by chris. Historically, conventional forms of art, as seen in robert haydens monets water lilies, and archaic torso of apollo by rilke, are central to traditional ekphrastic poetry. Winters last storm moves in and does not move, buries the year inside hours. This weeks poem is a new english translation of rainer maria rilkes sonnet archaischer torso apollos. Archaic torso of apollo we cannot know his legendary face with eyes like ripened apples. Archaic torso of apollo translations we never knew his fantastic head, where eyes like apples ripened.
And yet his torso is still suffused with brilliance from inside, like a lamp, in which his gaze, now. We cannot know his legendary face with eyes like ripened apples. Aber sein torso gluht noch wie ein kandelaber, in dem sein. Archaic torso of apollo by rainer maria rilke translated by stephen mitchell. Archaic torso is the first piece in the second volume or as titled another part of new poems. Pdf a brief look at archaic torso of apollo temiz frekans. Since its discovery in 1832 in a wreck off the coast of piombino, this statue of apollo has continued to divide the experts.
He describes the dramatic power the ancient statues headless torso has, even though its only a fragment, and feels oddly as though the statue is the one looking at him. You must change your life was the injunction that the greek torso issued to the poet rainer maria rilke. Apollo s archaic torso is by a young yorkshire writer, sarah stutt, who recently. Archaic torso of apollo poem by rainer maria rilke. Archaic torso of apollo by rainer maria rilketranslated by stephen mitchell the academy of american poets is the largest membershipbased nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting american poets. Archaic torso of apollo we will never know his astounding head. But from his torso gleaming light is shed as from a candelabrum.
The poet rilke also was struck by apollos prominent eyes with their quality of seeing deeply. Archaic torso of apollo rainer maria rilke translated by stephen mitchell we cannot know his legendary head with eyes like ripening fruit. Discussion of themes and motifs in rainer maria rilkes archaic torso of apollo. The archaic torso of apollo by rainer maria rilke is a poem of great power. Archaic torso of apollo analysis rainer maria rilke. I am not exaggerating when i say that reading this book led me to something like the final words of rilkes archaic torso of apollo. The surprising shock of the final words you must change your life. Archaic torso of apollo we cannot fathom his mysterious head, through the veiled eyes no flickering ray is sent. James pollock on rainer maria rilkes archaic torso of. Analysis of archaic torso of apollo by rainer maria rilke. The shoulders are like the capital of a pillar in a ruined temple, thats lost the architrave it used to hold up. Aug 18, 2016 the poem is, among other things, about the power of art.
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