I must admit that I never read poetry, so I don't know Rilke. But from what I read online at Project Gutenberg I must say that his poems are kind of weird and boring.LGTrotter wrote:i thought I would take advantage of the hiatus in this cultural thread to introduce a cultural concern of my own which I was originally going to address to Andre only. But on consideration I think I should throw it open to all comers.
How should I approach the poet Rilke?
I have an anthology, with translation by the rather pleasingly titled Michael Hamburger. However I find the poems rather soaring, almost with the nausea of motion and I distrust the translation.
Any advice?
If you don't like the translation you have, try to get another one. The German Wikipedia lists some:
„Larenopfer“, translated by Alfred de Zayas, Red Hen Press, Los Angeles, 2005
The Essential Rilke, selected poens translated by Galway Kinnell und Hannah Liebmann, The Ecco Press, Hopewell, New Jersey, 1999.
Rilke. Selected Poems translated by C.F. MacIntyre, University of California Press, Berkeley, 1940.
The Book of Images translated by Edward Snow, North Point Press, New York, 1991.
The best of Rilke translated by Walter Arndt, University Press of New England, Hanover, 1984, ISBN 0-87451-460-6 / ISBN 0-87451-461-4.
Selected Poems of Rainer Maria Rilke, translated by Robert Bly, Harper & Row, New York 1981.
But I doubt that other translations would improve your liking of Rilke much.