Rainer Maria Rilke

Rainer Maria Rilke “Rose, o pure contradiction, desire to be no one’s sleep beneath so many lids.” This was Rainer Maria Rilke’s self-composed epitaph, written before leukemia took his life on December 29, 1926. The rose was a symbol of love, beauty, and devotion in many of Rilke’s writings.With quotes such as this Rilke became known as one of the best poets of the 20th century. Rainer Maria Rilke was born on December 4, 1875 …

…poetry. These works gathered his dominant themes of love and the idolization of women, life and death, God and religion, into something all encompassing, a unity. Rilke died at the age of 51 from leukemia. In his relatively short life Rilke produced a body of poetry and writings unsurpassed in its genius of emotion, insight, and sensuality. Rilke’s poetry has attracted many people, especially in America where translations of his works and biographies are abounding.