Produced by Andrea Ball and Marc D'Hooghe at http://www.freeliterature.org (Images generously made available by the Internet Archive) POEMS by RANIER MARIA RILKE Translated by Jessie Lamont With an Introduction by H.T. New York Tobias A. Wright 1918 TO THE MEMORY OF AUGUSTE RODIN THROUGH WHOM I CAME TO KNOW RAINER MARIA RILKE POEMS OF RAINER MARIA RILKE INTRODUCTION Acknowledgment To the Editors of Poetry--A magazine of Verse, and Poet Lore, the translator is indebted for permission to reprint certain poems in this book--also to the compilers of the following anthologies--Amphora II edited by Thomas Bird Mosher--The Catholic Anthology of World Poetry selected by Carl van Doren. CONTENTS _Introduction:_ The Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke _First Poems:_ Evening Mary Virgin _The Book of Pictures:_ Presaging Autumn Silent Hour The Angels Solitude Kings in Legends The Knight The Boy Initiation The Neighbour Song of the Statue Maidens I Maidens II The Bride Autumnal Day Moonlight Night In April Memories of a Childhood Death The Ashantee Remembrance Music Maiden Melancholy Maidens at Confirmation The Woman who Loves Pont du Carrousel Madness Lament Symbols _New Poems:_ Early Apollo The Tomb of a Young Girl The Poet The Panther Growing Blind The Spanish Dancer Offering Love Song Archaic Torso of Apollo _The Book of Hours:_ _The Book of a Monk's Life_ I Live my Life in Circles Many have Painted Her In Cassocks Clad Thou Anxious One I Love My Life's Dark Hours _The Book of Pilgrimage_ By Day Thou Art The Legend and The Dream All Those Who Seek Thee In a House Was One Extinguish My Eyes In the Deep Nights _The Book of Poverty and Death_ Her Mouth Alone Thou Wanderest A Watcher of Thy Spaces THE POETRY OF RAINER MARIA RILKE εἶσὶ γὰρ οὖν, οἳ ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς κυοῦσιν Plato The supreme problem of every age is that of finding its consummate artistic expression. Before this problem every other remains of secondary importance. History defines and directs its physical course, science cooperates in the achievement of its material aims, but Art alone gives to the age its spiritual physiognomy, its ultimate and lasting expression. The process of Art is on the one hand sensuous, the conception having for its basis the fineness of organization of the senses; and on the other hand it is severely scientific, the value of the creation being dependent upon the craftsmanship, the mastery over the tool, the technique.