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Rilke's Book of Hours

Love Poems to God

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Paperback
$13.00 US
5.2"W x 7.89"H x 0.46"D   | 5 oz | 48 per carton
On sale Apr 01, 1997 | 176 Pages | 978-1-57322-585-4
At the beginning of this century, a young German poet returned from a journey to Russia, where he had immersed himself in the spirituality he discovered there. He "received" a series of poems about which he did not speak for a long time - he considered them sacred, and different from anything else he ever had done and ever would do again. This poet saw the coming darkness of the century, and saw the struggle we would have in our relationship to the divine. The poet was Rainer Maria Rilke, and these love poems to God make up his Book of Hours.
  • WINNER
    PEN/West Translation Award
Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926) was one of the greatest lyric German-language poets. Born in Prague, he published his first book of poems, Leben und Lieber, at age 19. In 1897 he met Lou Andreas-Salomé, the talented and spirited daughter of a Russian army officer, who influenced him deeply. In 1902 he became a friend, and for a time the secretary, of Rodin, and it was during his 12-year Paris residence that Rilke enjoyed his greatest poetic activity. In 1919 he went to Switzerland where he spent the last years of his life. It was there that he wrote his last two works, Duino Elegies (1923) and Sonnets to Orpheus (1923). View titles by Rainer Maria Rilke
Rilke's Book of HoursPreface by Joanna Macy

Preface by Anita Barrows

Introduction

Notes on the Translation

The Book of a Monastic Life

The Book of Pilgrimmage

The Book of Poverty and Death

Commentary

About

At the beginning of this century, a young German poet returned from a journey to Russia, where he had immersed himself in the spirituality he discovered there. He "received" a series of poems about which he did not speak for a long time - he considered them sacred, and different from anything else he ever had done and ever would do again. This poet saw the coming darkness of the century, and saw the struggle we would have in our relationship to the divine. The poet was Rainer Maria Rilke, and these love poems to God make up his Book of Hours.

Awards

  • WINNER
    PEN/West Translation Award

Author

Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926) was one of the greatest lyric German-language poets. Born in Prague, he published his first book of poems, Leben und Lieber, at age 19. In 1897 he met Lou Andreas-Salomé, the talented and spirited daughter of a Russian army officer, who influenced him deeply. In 1902 he became a friend, and for a time the secretary, of Rodin, and it was during his 12-year Paris residence that Rilke enjoyed his greatest poetic activity. In 1919 he went to Switzerland where he spent the last years of his life. It was there that he wrote his last two works, Duino Elegies (1923) and Sonnets to Orpheus (1923). View titles by Rainer Maria Rilke

Table of Contents

Rilke's Book of HoursPreface by Joanna Macy

Preface by Anita Barrows

Introduction

Notes on the Translation

The Book of a Monastic Life

The Book of Pilgrimmage

The Book of Poverty and Death

Commentary