You Must Change Your Life: why Rilke matters

About this course

The course places Rainer Maria Rilke’s poetry within the context of his life and the spiritual conditions of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Participants read selections from New Poems, the Duino Elegies and the Sonnets to Orpheus, alongside extracts from The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge and Letters to a Young Poet. Texts are studied in English translation, with German originals available for comparison. Seminar discussions also consider different translations of shorter poems, examining how wording shapes meaning and the distinctive qualities of Rilke’s writing.

What you'll learn

• Relate Rilke’s writing to the spiritual conditions of his historical period.
• Interpret selected poems and prose passages through close reading and discussion.
• Compare translations of shorter poems and consider how variations in wording affect meaning.

Is this course right for you?

Listed as suitable for all levels, the course requires no particular skills according to the provider. It is intended for people interested in modern poetry and involves seminar-style discussion with the whole group, supported by reading in advance.

• Participants are expected to prepare by reading materials supplied before the sessions.
• Teaching involves discussion led by the tutor with contributions from all students.

Before you go

• Course materials are provided electronically beforehand and on paper for each session.
• A pen is helpful.