Camparing Music

Rainer Maria Rilke

By

Michael McCann

Born in an Austrian-German household Rainer Maria Rilke was raised in Eastern Europe. Rilke was born on December 4, 1875 in Prague. Much like his poetry Rilke's life was constantly changing; his literature ranged anywhere from mystical examination or regarded material observation.

Rilke's mother Sophia Entz, often called "Phia" by friends, was the descendant of a prosperous and respected family in Prague. Rilke's mother hated her husband, Josef Rilke who did inspecting for the railroad and was otherwise considered "lower class".

A year before Rilke's birth, Josef and Sophia suffered the loss of their infant daughter. Crazed by her daughter's death Sophia dressed Rilke as a girl for the first seven years of his life. She gave Rilke the names Rene and Maria, and gave him dolls for toys. Rilke's poem "Insane" refers to his treatment as a child. Rilke Despised Sophia for his treatment as a child; this became subject in much of his writing. Josef and Sophia separated and 1885 when Rilke was ten years of age. Throughout his school career peers often jested and jeered, but his well-earned marks netted praise from his teachers. (Mean)

In 1886 Josef enrolled his son in the Junior Military Academy at St. Polten; Josef was a military officer before he became a railroad inspector. In 1890, Rilke moved on to the Senior Military Academy at Mahrisch-Weisskerchen, seven months later he left the academy for a school in Linz to study business. At Linz Rilke inaugurated an array of relationships with older women both serious and sexual, beginning with his school mistress at Linz. Rilke moved on to study art history at Universities in Prague, Munich and Berlin

Rilke's first published work was a collection of poetry, produced in 1894 when Rilke was only nineteen; his collection was titled "Life and Songs"; this collection was a series of love poems. As a young poet Rilke also wrote plays, mostly unnoticed, a more notable among these was a one-act show called "Now and at the Hour of Our Dying".

Rilke's "Chicory Flowers" was published in 1895, this pamphlet included a mission statement, he wished for the pamphlets to be circulated freely so that the poor would have the chance to read poetry. "Chicory Flowers," which also included works from Laska van Oesteren showed Rilke's admiration for the Marxist poet Karl Henkell. Shortly afterward, he left Prague for Munich, Germany where he met Louise von Salome. A writer and psychologist from St. Petersburg, Russia, who had worked with Sigmund Freud, and became Rilke's traveling companion. Rilke experienced what he considered his first surge in creativity. Rilke quickly fell in love with Russia and the experience made him deeply spiritual. Rilke's relationship with Louise quickly turned into an affair that lasted many years. Louise was married and fifteen years older than Rilke, it was Louise who convinced Rilke to change his name Rene to the more masculine name "Rainer" (Bangerter)

Louise promoted the idea of Rilke visiting Italy, and studying Renaissance