A ringing glass : the life of Rainer Maria Rilke
by Prater, Donald A., 1918-
Publication date 1986
Topics Rilke, Rainer Maria, 1875-1926, Authors, German -- 20th century -- Biography, Poetry in German Rilke, Rainer Maria - Biographies, Authors, German
Publisher Oxford [
Contributor Internet Archive
Language English
Item Size 1.3G
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Donald A. PraterDonald A. Prater
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A Ringing Glass: The Life of Rainer Maria Rilke Hardcover – June 15, 1986
by Donald A. Prater (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars (10)
3.9 on Goodreads
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Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) is widely regarded as the greatest lyric poet of this century. His major achievements--the New poems, the Sonnets to Orpheus, and the incomparable Duino Elegies--had a powerful impact on European literature and have been the subject of intense scrutiny and increasing acclaim since the poet's death. Only in recent years, however, with the emergence of key documentary material, has it become possible to present the full story of Rilke's life. In A Ringing Glass, Donald Prater's aim is not to add another stone to the mounting edifice of critical interpretation, but to provide a portrait of the man hmself, and to show the background in which Rilke's extraordinary vision developed.
And it is an extraordinary background. Rilke's nomadic existence led him from his birthplace in Prague through Germany, Russian, Spain, Italy, France, and finally Switzerland, He visited Tolstoy at Yasnaya Polyana, acted for a time as secretary to Rodin, and was friend of Ramain Rolland, Leonid Pasternak, and Walter Rathenau. He was the protege of Princess Marie von Thurn und Taxis and the lover Lou Andreas-Salome and Baladine Klossawska (of whose son, the painter Balthus, he was an early patron). Financially and emotionally, Rilke needed these associations; yet he dedicated himself fully to his art and remained single-minded in his search for the solitude it required. In his correspondence, from which Prater draws extensively, Rilke reveals the tragic conflict between his needs as a man and his goals as a poet. "This above all," he wrote a younger colleague, "ask yourself...must I write? Delve into yourself for a deep answer. And if this should be affirmative...then build your life according to this necessity."
With this comprehensive biography, readers can themselves delve deeply into the life Rilke built, a life as courageous and rare as the poetry it left behind.
About the Author:
Donald Prater is the author of European of Yesterday, a biography of Stefan Zweig, and his edition of the Rilke-Zweig correspondence will appear shortly in Germany.
Aa major new biography of the century's greatest lyric poet
BLDraws extensively on Rilke's letters to present an intimate portrait
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Print length
488 pages
Language
English
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Rilke wanted to live for his writing alone; he felt that the means to create ita decent income, pleasant surroundingsshould be given to him. Lucky breaks and sporadic patronage enabled him to survive on his own terms, renounce his wife and chlid and do nothing but write. Prater maintains that Rilke's poetry is essentially narcissistic and personal despite its cosmic allusionsa welcome corrective view that will be shared by many. According to Prater, Rilke hid behind an ideal self; the women who loved and mothered him, the friends so eager to help him, were far from knowing the real man. This lively yet somehow impersonal biography contains no literary criticism. Instead, it focuses on Rilke's constant existential crises, his relationship with the women whom he tended to idealize, his wanderings through Europe and search for fame, all of which are refracted through previously unpublished letters as well as testimonials. As the somber story of a poet who ultimately found no relationship with the outside world, this demythologizing biography is revealing, but one puts it down feeling that a large part of the picture is missing.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) ranks among the greatest lyric poets of our century. Prater's study is a major contribution to our understanding of the man who stands behind such extraordinary poetic achievements as the New Poems , Sonnets to Orpheus , and Duino Elegies. Quoting extensively from letters and memoirs published in recent years, Prater unfolds before us the portrait of a man whose daily struggles revolved singularly around the creation of his art. This well-documented, eloquently written, and beautifully presented biography should be of great interest to lay reader and specialist alike. Essential for college and public libraries. Ulrike S. Rettig, German Dept., Harvard Univ.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product details
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Publication date : June 15, 1986
Edition : First Edition
Language : English
Print length : 488 pages
ISBN-10 : 019815755X
ISBN-13 : 978-0198157557
Item Weight : 1.81 pounds
Dimensions : 6.38 x 1.19 x 9.5 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #2,763,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)#2,053 in Author Biographies
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4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars (10)
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Duane M. Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars Behold, the man!
Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2006
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Of the three Rilke biographies that I have read (Ralph Freedman and Wolfgang Leppman being the others), this one was the most consistently satisfying. Prater purports to concentrate more on the personal aspects of the poet's life, and, comparatively speaking, I think that he succeeds.
There is less of the not always helpful literary commentary in which, for example, Freedman indulges, and by comparison the Leppmann book has more of that snapshot quality about it that seems to be such a tendency now in biographies written by German authors--as examples I am thinking here of Gregor Martin-Dellin's book on Wagner, and Rüdiger Safranski's books on Nietzsche and Heidegger.
In this book there is a greater sense of continuity with regard to the inner workings of Rilke's personality and emotional life. And we know that the evidence for that inner life is most rich, and like any other writer dealing with this poet, Prater does not always take everything at face value because of what he describes as Rilke's continuous habit of "self-stylization". If you wish to read and own a single Rilke biography, this is really the one!
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5.0 out of 5 stars terrific.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 8, 2020
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great service. book in excellent condition as promised. very good price.
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