Rilke extensively engaged with metaphors, metonymy and contradictions in his poetry and prose to convey disbelief and a crisis of faith. Figures from Greek mythology, such as Apollo, Hermes and Orpheus, recur as motifs in his poems and are depicted in original interpretations that often double as analogies for his experiences. Rilke's poems also feature figures of angels, famously described in the Duino Elegies as "terrifying" (schrecklich); he also occasionally explored the crisis of his Catholic faith, including in his little-known 1898 poem "Visions of Christ", where he depicted Mary Magdalene as the mother of Jesus' child.[50][51]
Legacy
A portrait of Rilke painted two years after his death by Leonid PasternakRilke is one of the best-selling poets in the United States.[52] In popular culture, Rilke is frequently quoted or referenced in television shows, motion pictures, music and other works when these works discuss the subject of love or angels.[53] His work is often described as "mystical" and has been quoted and referenced by self-help authors.[5] Rilke has been reinterpreted "as a master who can lead us to a more fulfilled and less anxious life".[6][54]
Rilke's work has influenced several poets and writers, including William H. Gass,[55] Galway Kinnell,[56] Sidney Keyes,[57][58] Stephen Spender,[40] Robert Bly,[40][59] W. S. Merwin,[60] John Ashbery,[61] novelist Thomas Pynchon[62] and the philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer.[63][64] British poet W. H. Auden (1907–1973) has been described as "Rilke's most influential English disciple" and he frequently "paid homage to him" or used the imagery of angels in his work.[65]
The U.S. rock music band Rainer Maria was named after Rilke.
