Analysis of Death

Rainer Maria Rilke 1875 (Prague) – 1926 (Montreux)



Come thou, thou last one, whom I recognize,
unbearable pain throughout this body's fabric:
as I in my spirit burned, see, I now burn in thee:
the wood that long resisted the advancing flames
which thou kept flaring, I now am nourishinig
and burn in thee.

My gentle and mild being through thy ruthless fury
has turned into a raging hell that is not from here.
Quite pure, quite free of future planning, I mounted
the tangled funeral pyre built for my suffering,
so sure of nothing more to buy for future needs,
while in my heart the stored reserves kept silent.

Is it still I, who there past all recognition burn?
Memories I do not seize and bring inside.
O life! O living! O to be outside!
And I in flames. And no one here who knows me.


Scheme XABXAB BXXXXX XCCB
Poetic Form
Metre 111111110 010010111010 1101101111101 011101000101 111101111 0101 1100110111010 1101010111111 111111010110 01010010111100 111101111101 10110101110 111111110101 10011110101 1111011111 01010111111
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 729
Words 141
Sentences 11
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 4
Lines Amount 16
Letters per line (avg) 36
Words per line (avg) 9
Letters per stanza (avg) 191
Words per stanza (avg) 46
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 20, 2023

42 sec read
289

Rainer Maria Rilke

René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke — better known as Rainer Maria Rilke — was a Bohemian-Austrian poet and novelist, "widely recognized as one of the most lyrically intense German-language poets", writing in both verse and highly lyrical prose. more…

All Rainer Maria Rilke poems | Rainer Maria Rilke Books

9 fans

Discuss this Rainer Maria Rilke poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Death" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 1 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/29649/death>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    30
    days
    17
    hours
    0
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Which of these poets did not use capital letters in his works?
    A E.E. Cummings
    B Sylvia Plath
    C Robert Frost
    D Robert Browning