Put Out My Eyes

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



Put out my eyes, and I can see you still,
Slam my ears to, and I can hear you yet;
And without any feet can go to you;
And tongueless, I can conjure you at will.
Break off my arms, I shall take hold of you
And grasp you with my heart as with a hand;
Arrest my heart, my brain will beat as true;
And if you set this brain of mine afire,
Then on my blood-stream I yet will carry you.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 03, 2023

25 sec read
929

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCACDCEC
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 381
Words 85
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 9

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

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1 Comment
  • 4zebra2u
    ghastly and beautiful
    LikeReply3 years ago

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"Put Out My Eyes" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/29704/put-out-my-eyes>.

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