Biography of Rainer Maria Rilke, Austrian Poet

Rainer Maria Rilke (December 4, 1875–December 29, 1926) was an Austrian poet and writer. Known for his lyrically potent work, he combined subjective mysticism with precise observation of the objective world. Although admired only by certain circles in his own life, Rilke achieved huge popularity around the world in later decades. Fast Facts: Rainer Maria Rilke Full Name: Renà © Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria RilkeKnown For: Acclaimed poet whose work, with its intense lyricality and mysticism, bridges the traditional and modernist eras.Born: December 4, 1875 in Prague, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary (now Czech Republic)Parents: Josef Rilke and Sophie EntzDied: December 29, 1926 in Montreux, Vaud, SwitzerlandEducation: Military academy, trade school, and finally a university degree in literature, philosophy, and art history from Charles University in PraguePublished Works: The Book of Hours (Das Stundenbuch, 1905); The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge (Die Aufzeichnungen des Malte Laurids Brigge, 1910); Duino Elegies (Duineser Elegien, 1922); Sonnets to Orpheus (Sonnette an Orpheus, 1922); Letters to a Young Poet (Briefe an einen jungen Dichter, 1929)Spouse: Clara WesthoffChildren: RuthNotable Quote: â€Å"Beauty is nothing but the beginning of terror.† Early Life and Education Early Work Life and Songs (Leben und Lieder, 1894)Laress Sacrifice (Larenopfer, 1895)Dream-Crowned (Traumgekrà ¶nt, 1897)Advent (Advent, 1898)Stories of God (Geschichten vom Lieben Gott, 1900) Renà © Maria Rilke was born in Prague, the capital of what was then Austria-Hungary. His father, Josef Rilke, was a railway official who had given up an unsuccessful military career, and his mother, Sophie (â€Å"Phia†) Entz, was from a wealthy Prague family. Their marriage was unhappy and was to fail in 1884, as his mother was socially ambitious and felt she had married beneath her. Rilke’s early life was marked by his mother’s mourning for her daughter, who had died after just one week. She treated him as if he were the girl she had lost, he said later on, dressing him up and handling him almost like a big doll. In an effort to ensure the social standing his father had failed to achieve, the young Rilke was sent to a rigorous military academy in 1886, at the age of 10. The poetic and sensitive boy spent five unhappy years there, and he left in 1891 due to illness. With the help of his uncle, who recognized the boy’s gifts, Rilke managed to secure a place at a German preparatory school, which he attended for only a year until he was expelled. He returned to Prague at 16 years old. From 1892 to 1895, he was tutored for the university entrance exam, which he passed, and spent a year studying literature, art history, and philosophy at Charles University in Prague. He was already certain he would start a literary career: by 1895 he had published, at his own expense, one volume of love poetry in the style of poet Heinrich Heine, called Life and Songs (Leben und Lieder), and would publish two more shortly thereafter. None of these early books has much in the way of the keen observation that was to mark his later works. It was studying in Munich in 1897 that Rilke met and fell in love with the 36-year-old woman of letters Lou Andreas-Salomà ©, who proved to be extremely influential on Rilke’s life. Salomà © was in a celibate and open marriage, and was a remarkable woman: widely-traveled, highly intelligent, and fiercely independent, she had refused proposals from men ranging from intellectual Paul Rà ©e to philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Her relationship with Rilke lasted until 1900, in which she brought about much of his à ©ducation sentimentale and acted almost as a mother to him. It was Salomà © who suggested that Renà © change his name to Rainer, which she found more Germanic and forceful. They would remain in touch until Rilke’s death. The daughter of a Russian general and a German mother, Salomà © also took him on two trips to Russia, where he met Leo Tolstoy and the family of Boris Pasternak. It was in Russia that he fell in love with a culture which, alongside Bohemia, was to become a huge and lasting influence on his work. There he encountered an almost religiously stirring affinity, where he felt his inner reality was reflected in the world around him. This experience solidified Rilke’s mystical, spiritual, and humanitarian leanings. In 1900, Rilke stayed at the artists’ colony at Worpswede, where he began working on his poetry with renewed vigor, publishing a handful of lesser known works. It was there that he met a former pupil of Auguste Rodin, the sculptor Clara Westhoff, whom he married the following year. Their daughter Ruth was born in December of 1901. Their marriage was failed from the start; although they never divorced due to Rilke’s official status as a Catholic (though he was non-practicing), the two agreed to a separation. Rilke and Salomà © in Russia, 1900. Heritage Images / Getty Images   Mysticism and Objectivity (1902-1910) Poetry and Prose Auguste Rodin (Auguste Rodin, 1903)The Book of Hours (Das Studenbuch, 1905)New Poems (Neue Gedichte, 1907)The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge (Die Aufzeichnungen des Malte Laurids Brigge, 1910) In the summer of 1902 Rilke moved to Paris, where his wife and daughter later followed, to write a book about the sculptor Auguste Rodin and, soon thereafter, to become the sculptor’s secretary and friend. Of all the living artists, Rodin was the one that he admired the most arduously. While Rilke’s only novel, The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge, echoes some of the difficulties he faced in his early days in Paris, it was during this time period he enjoyed some of his most poetically productive years. One of his great works, The Book of Hours, appeared in 1905 and was followed by 1907’s New Poems and, published in 1910, The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge. The Book of Hours was largely developed at the artist’s colony at Worpswede, but finished in Paris. It displays the turn towards mystical religiosity that was developing in the poet, in contrast to the naturalism popular at the time, after the religious inspiration he experienced in Russia. Soon thereafter, however, Rilke developed a highly practical approach to writing, encouraged by Rodin’s emphasis on objective observation. This rejuvenated inspiration resulted in a profound transformation of style, from the subjective and mystical incantations to his famous Ding-Gedichte, or thing-poems, that were published in the New Poems. Book cover of Rilkes Book of Hours, 1920 edition. Imagno / Getty Images Poetic Silence (1911-1919) Rilke soon entered a period of inner restlessness and anguish and traveled widely within North Africa and Europe. Although none of these travels was to reignite his inspiration, when Princess Marie of Thurn und Taxis offered him hospitality at Castle Duino, near Trieste on the Dalmatian Coast, he gladly accepted. It was staying there that he began the Duino Elegies, although the book would remain unfinished for years. When World War I broke out, Rilke was staying in Germany and was barred from returning to his home in Paris, where his property was confiscated. Instead, he had to spend much of the war in Munich, where his initial patriotism and solidarity with his countrymen turned into deep opposition to the German war effort. Rilke admitted his views were far to the left and supported the 1917 Russian Revolution and the 1919 Bavarian Soviet Republic. Eventually, presumably in fear for his safety, he became quieter on the topic during fascism’s rise in Europe, although at the end of his life he once praised Mussolini in a letter and called fascism a healing agent. In any case, Rilke was certainly not cut out for war, and despaired when he was called to undergo military training. He spent six months in Vienna, but influential friends intervened for him and he was discharged and returned to Munich. The time spent in the military, however, reduced him as a poet almost entirely to silence. Duino Elegies and Sonnets to Orpheus (1919-1926) Final Works Duino Elegies (Duineser Elegien, 1922)Sonnets to Orpheus (Sonette an Orpheus, 1922) When Rilke was asked to give a lecture in Switzerland, he ended up moving to the country to escape the post-war chaos. He roamed around in search of a place to stay to finally finish the book of poems that he had started a decade before. He found a permanent residence at the Chà ¢teau de Muzot, a medieval tower that was falling apart and barely inhabitable. His patron, Werner Reinhart, paid to fix it up, and Rilke entered a period of intense creative productivity. Although he was normally extremely critical of his own work, he produced within weeks at the Chà ¢teau de Muzot what even he recognized as a masterpiece. He dedicated it to his hostess Princess Marie and called it the Duino Elegies. Published in 1923, it marked the high point of his literary career. Immediately thereafter he also finished the joyful Sonnets to Orpheus, another one of his most lauded works. Rilke painted by Helmut Westhoff in 1901. Apic / Getty Images Death From 1923 on, Rilke began to experience health problems, causing him to spend many long stays at a sanatorium in the mountains near Lake Geneva. Developing sores in his mouth and pain in his stomach, he struggled with depression. He did not stop working, however; during this time, he began translating French poetry, including Andrà © Gide and Paul Valà ©ry, which resulted in an abundance of his own poetry in French. He died of leukemia on December 29, 1926 in a sanatorium in Montreux at the age of 51, and was buried in a cemetery near the Swiss town of Visp. Literary Style and Themes Rilke’s work was from the very beginning highly emotive in character. Some critics have even called his early work â€Å"unbearably sentimental,† but luckily Rilke was to grow immensely in sophistication over the years, keeping poetic pace with his own spiritual development. One of his earlier masterworks, The Book of Hours, is a three-part cycle of poems that maps the three phases of his religious development. Later on, the collection New Poems demonstrates his newfound interest in the spiritual power of the objective world. His Ding-Gedichte, or thing poems, focus intensely on an object in a distanced, sometimes unrecognizable, way, in an attempt to allow the object to express its inner being using its own language. Frequently this object would be a sculpture, such as Rilke’s famous poem â€Å"Archaic Torso of Apollo† (â€Å"Archaischer Torso Apollos†). His later work, especially the Duino Elegies, center around the great themes of man’s loneliness, life and death, love, and the task of artists. The Sonnets to Orpheus, written almost at the same time, marks the other great themes of Rilke’s work, including his sense of joy, praise, and delight. Rilke draws on characters from Greek mythology that he refigures in his own interpretations. He is also known for his use of angel imagery; it has been suggested that Rilke’s admiration for painter El Greco influenced this interest in angels, particularly once he saw some of Greco’s work while traveling in Italy. Although Rilke was mainly a poet, he did produce one well-received novel, The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge. Another beloved prose work of Rilke’s is his Letters to a Young Poet. In 1902 the 19-year-old poet Franz Xaver Kappus was a student at Theresian Military Academy and read Rilke’s work. When he learned that the older poet had studied in his own adolescence at the academy’s lower school, he reached out to him, seeking his opinion on his own work and and in deciding whether or not he should pursue a life in the Austro-Hungarian military or as a poet. In the collection of letters, which Kappus published in 1929, three years after Rilke’s death, Rilke offers his wisdom and advice in his typically lyrical, moving style. While telling the young poet to ignore criticism and not to seek fame, he writes, â€Å"Nobody can advise you and nobody can help you. Nobody. There is only one way—go into yourself.† Letters to a Young Poet remains one o f his most popular works of today. Legacy At the time of his death, Rilke’s work was incredibly admired by certain circles of European artists, but mostly unknown to the general public. Since then, his popularity has grown steadily. In the United States he has become one of the best-selling poets today, certainly one of the most popular German-language poets ever, and is often quoted in popular culture. His work is admired for its almost healing vision of the world, and has been used by the New Age community for its mystical insight. Literarily, he has exerted an extensive influence, from poet W.H. Auden to postmodern novelist Thomas Pynchon and philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. Sources â€Å"Rainer Maria Rilke.† Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/rainer-maria-rilke. Accessed 12 September 2019.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Rainer Maria Rilke.† Poets.org, Academy of American Poets, https://poets.org/poet/rainer-maria-rilke. Accessed 12 September 2019.Freedman, Ralph, Life of a poet: a biography of Rainer Maria Rilke, New York: Farrar, Straus Giroux, 1995.Tavis, Anna A., Rilkes Russia: a cultural encounter, Evanston, Ill.: Northwestern University Press, 1994.

The Effect of Caesar and Cleopatras Affair on Calpurnia

Isra Mahmood BA English Hons II – B 599 Paper IV Project The Effects of the Affair of Caesar and Cleopatra on Calpurnia ------------------------------------------------- Introduction After Hatshepsut, Cleopatra was the only Queen of Egypt who was seriously referred to as â€Å"Pharaoh†. The torrid love affair between one of the highest regarded Queens in history and that of the phenomenal Julius Caesar is considered to be one of the most romantic and grand ones in the world. Cecil B. Demille seems to agree in the trailer to his 1934 film Cleopatra. Maybe this notion is true after all, but when falling head over heels with the idea of this romance, one tends to overlook many disreputable components of the affair. One of those elements if†¦show more content†¦An 1898 performance of Julius Caesar at Her Majesty’s Theatre was reviewed by Percy Simpson who described Calpurnia as a tragic character in her own right, a Cassandra-like figure who clearly foresees approaching disaster, but is powerless to prevent it.(2) Simpson further described her performance; To her horror, Caesar demands his robe, Calpurnia kneels protesting, but to no avail. For the remainder of the scene she sits in the chair at LC, a terrified witness to her husbands folly.(3) Once again, Calpurnia is portrayed as a woman who experiences an inner languish caused by being a witness to the torment her husband is made to go through. Adrien Bonjour in his book The Structure of Julius Caesar, gives credit to Calpurnia for her skill in not only trying to save Caesar, but in stopping him from losing his respect in from of his fellow senators. Bonjour writes, Caesar has declared himself immovable. But Calpurnia, knowing her lord, offers him a way out: call it my fear that keeps you in this house, suggests the tactful wife, and Caesar complies immediately.(4) This is evidence of Calpurnia’s willing submission of insult being caused to her own reputation in order to preserve that of her husband. ------------------------------------------------- It is sometimes disputed that the way Cleopatra’s attraction towards Caesar was fueled by self-beneficiary andShow MoreRelated Cleopatra: The Natural Nemesis of Rome Essay2709 Words   |  11 PagesCleopatra: The Natural Nemesis of Rome Abstract Cleopatra is most often remembered as the lover of two Roman consuls, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, thereby forever connecting the Egyptian queen to the history of Rome. The stories of her relationships with the two men do not always paint a flattering picture of Cleopatra, as her reported promiscuity and presumption give her a colorful reputation. Cleopatra is also sometimes seen as a misunderstood woman, someone who was never given a fair

School farewell free essay sample

Here I compiled the reviews of some experts about preparation of CA Final from our ever best website caclubindia. You can find reviews in 3 different fonts in all subjects represent the experts view. Chartered Accountancy course is treated as one of the toughest course because 3 d is required. Dedication, Devotion and Determination. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS Many members of CCI do ask me what is the perfect time to start with preparations or what is the minimum time required for finals preparations. Or something like, how much months’ leave they should get and they can prepare to clear the finals. But friends, the fact is that there is NO RIGID METHOD of preparing for the exams, and it can never be. Because the moment you consider any rigid method for studies, that very moment you assure blockage of your mind. There are many circumstances, which can affect your preparations, not just one. So never try to prepare any hard fast study plans. We will write a custom essay sample on School farewell or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Rather prepare, flexible plans, so that you should not face any problem at last moment. The most important factor at FINALS level is conceptual clarity. At CPT/PCC/IPCC levels, we used to solve more and more sums to get practice in practical subjects. While in theory subjects, we used to learn or remember the answers and solve more of case studies in AUDIT and LAW. But at FINALS, this is not the criteria to deal with the subject. You may solve 100 sums of CONSOLIDATION in accounts at final stage; you’ll find 101st type of sum in your accounts exam. So here what matters is your own intellectual and interest in subject. Because at the end, vital is your thorough knowledge regarding subject, which you need to obtain after proper understanding every topic in detail. After all it’s not the la-la land but kind of battle ground. So if any of you consider that practicing more sums in any practical subject assures good attempt in exam, forget it. Its ICAI, nothing is impossible here. TIME ALLOCATION Generally, I believe, 5-6 months time is sufficient for any average student as well to prepare for FINALS exams, without any previous coaching. Mind it, I’m suggesting 5-6 months of complete hardcore studies, no laziness is allowed. [I’ll suggest how to utilize these 5-6 months completely after a while in this article only]. Now, many students also find it tedious job to study for 5-6 months at a stretch. So for them, I suggest, they should start preparing theory subjects after their PCC/IPCC results. That means, they should contribute 2 hours daily towards theory subjects along with their articleship. In this case, I believe students will be able to do with AUDIT LAW atleast, before they go on leave for FINALS exams. So that means, in their leave period, they need to prepare for only 6 remaining subjects. I would still prefer that 5-6 months preparations, as I can concentrate in that method only. In that case, one should study for just 6 hours daily for first month, then 7-8 hours in the second and third month. Finally should sit for even 10 hours a day in last two months. â€Å"Sixth month should be the revision month, and trust me, proper revision is a must required or else you’ll end up messing your preparations†. Anyways, let’s switch over to individual subjects and see how they are to be dealt. Hereby, I’ll be considering as 5 months of studies and 1 month for revision. So that means in all 6 months of study plans. And I personally feel, 5 months are more than enough, and especially all the time allocations mentioned below are really sufficient for every subject. Second Group (2. 5 months, i. e. approx. 75 Days) Costing – 25 Days ISCA/MICS – 10 Days DT – 25 Days IDT – 15 Days And if at all, anyone feels that he/she should take two subjects a day and don’t want to go with above strategy of finishing off one subject first and considering other later. Then in that case, go by HOUR-SYSTEM. For e. g. , in group I, audit and law takes in all 30 days. So u can finish off these both subjects in just one month on hourly basis, i. e. divide your every day in 3 parts on hourly basis and allot one part to audit and 2 parts to law. Like if you studying 6 hours a day, then study audit for two hours and law for remaining four hours, and accordingly finish both the subjects within one month. Anyways, let us concentrate on group wise preparations. Paper-5 ACCOUNTING FOR COST MANAGEMENT. first read theory than solve problems (30-35 marks que. ) take QT part select sample topics say assignment, Learning Curve, Transportation, simulation, CPM LPP formulation and diagram (25-30 marks que. ) take costing transfer pricing, pricing decision budgetary control, service costing last marginal costing and standard costing- many topics are based on cost concepts and marginal concep

Poor infrastructure Essay Example

Poor infrastructure Essay Mozambique is still relatively poor as a country in economic terms, although it is rich in others such as copious fishing waters that are underused in the global markets due to poor infrastructure. Mozambique was lead by the Portuguese government who were ill equipped to compete adequately on an international and global level. When globalisation took off in other African states, Mozambique was left behind, and never had an industrial revolution. This meant that although there was plenty of opportunity to further develop the country and equip it with the ability to trade on global levels, other capitalist states and markets were far more advanced, with a good infrastructure that opened them up to the markets. The people of Mozambique were poorly educated, many of them illiterate, and because of this they were exploited by other nations. Many of the countries inhabitants are rough peasants and this exploitation led to a fascist dictatorship. They did not have the opportunities like other countries such as Ghana under the leadership of Nkrumah. Places like this could colonise as the leaders had skewed their colonies and economies and bequeathed more education to its inhabitants. Mozambique was never going to be able to match the massive trading powers of France and Britain, as Portugal had never prepared it to do so. Portugal had exploited it but not developed it. The idea behind neocolonisation was to allow maintenance of economic control but allowing it no input. There were no representatives around the table to help with the management of decolonisation. We will write a custom essay sample on Poor infrastructure specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Poor infrastructure specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Poor infrastructure specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The only way that Portugal could decolonise Mozambique was through a bloody battle, often in a very vicious manner. The advancing system of France meant also meant that their military were stretched to the limits in trying to protect its country, but stood no chance and were often abandoned, as happened in the civil war. Prior to all this all decisions about the country had gone through the president in Paris, who operated in a Masonic way. Post-modern ideas of independence for Mozambique were hindered by the failure of the Westminster model of government, due to incompatibilities and ill equipped governments. There were often visible aspects of leaders becoming economy holders of the empire of entrepreneurship. Mozambiques problems were confounded and exacerbated by the civil aid programmes that supposedly came to help them. The growth centred approach to poverty only compounded this further. Targeted intervention was of no use as the poverty was so widespread. The average wage was well below the poverty line and there was an even harder exertion for the women to secure rewards that were commensurate with their contributions to the independence struggle. They were often given the opportunity to go to the markets with their produce but were then taxed heavily, and losing out on any sort of profit they may have made, basically a form of legalised extortion. Problems with landmines meant that the land was very dangerous to work on, with a high risk of injury or death. These also helped to slow down economic redevelopment. Many of us will remember the campaigns that were led by Princess Diana showing the terrible injuries that people had suffered through landmines detonating as they worked. There was a plea for international aid to be brought in to clear away the landmines and to give the people a fair chance to improve themselves and their towns. By implementing harsh and complicated economic pressures on its people, this is difficult enough in a wealthy modern state, the picture is even worse when we talk about African countries. The problems with a rapidly collapsing infrastructure, or as in the case of Mozambique, a non existent infrastructure, alongside its entrenched parastatal sector hostile to any change, which may threaten its interests, the problems not only escalate but become utterly formidable. In addition to this, the private sector becomes a strange amalgamation of disparate unrelated components. It consists of large multinationals, medium local sized organisations usually run by Asians, and a huge informal sector that largely comprises of peasant farmers. This means that the private sector is unbalanced and isolated to some extent. Considering all these points it is clear that there should be no rush for the imposition of multi party democracies and an unfettered market economy, even if it was possible to do so for Mozambique. Surely any change should be done gradually, with long term strategies that work alongside and slowly change the present systems. To sum up, arguments for structural adjustment policies of the International Monetary Fund, and lately on an increasing level in the World Bank, only focus on the microeconomic structures, and not the macroeconomic structures of all African countries including Mozambique. One must recognise the role played by recession in the West, due to declining terms of trade for primary products and the oil crisises. Those who believe in structural adjustment believe that the majority of african states share a common state corporatism that is economically corrosive and unproductive. Originally the motivation behind these programmes was to liberalise trade, reduce the role of government and parastate industries in the economy, and to end various subsidies to various sections of the population. It was believed that this would end the balance of payment crises and therefore promote economic growth. By the early 1990s it had been shown that this was not actually the case and that policy based lending had not acheived the intended goals. A new policy was now required to correct this, and the International Monetary Fund now decided that they needed to create a series of rational law based societies throughout sub-Saharan africa. This policy would need to make it clear that investment decisions were to be made on economic grounds, rather than on politically motivated grounds. This plainly put any emphasis of blame, due to previous policy failure, about the economic crisis in Mozambique and esoecially in Mozambique, was laregely a creation of the individual african states themselves. This removed any liability and responsibility on the west, protecting its own interests again. If there is no benefit to themselves there is a reluctance to become involved in the countries problems. The retention of these types of attitudes mean that Mozambiques problems are unlikely to see any significant change in the near future. There will be change but only very slowly as discussed earlier. In my beleif I think the Mozambique people have always been given a rough deal, and cannot see that it will change quickly, as the people who hold the power and capability to enforce change are fearful that they may lose some independance, i. e. the middle class bourguoise. The fear of a lack of control for those in the city, means that the poorer members of society are repressed continually, and because they do not have the capability or knowledge to do something about it, it is unlikely that it will change. I agree that the support given through international aid is necessary, but it should be helping the peasant farmers and the poorer members of society, not just the big boys in the city. This only extenuates the gap between the haves and have nots. Bibliography Tordoff W. Government and politics in Africa. (3rd ed) 1997. Macmillan press. London Clapham. C. Third World politics: an introduction. 1985. Croom Helm. London Chabal. P. Political Domination in Africa. Reflections on the limits of power. 1986. Canbridge University Press. London Cammack P. Capitalism and democracy in the Third . World. 1997. Leicester University Press. Leicester.. McLean. I. Concise dictionary of politics. 1996. Oxford University Press. Oxford. Webliography  https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office