Rainer Maria Rilke : Catholic writing

The most important lyrical poet of 20th century Germany was paradoxically born in Prague.
And it was to the Slav world with its long Catholic tradition that the spirit of Rainer Maria Rilke was inevitably drawn . He was twenty- five when he declared after his first journey to Russia that he had there experienced, for the first time in his life, something of a feeling of being at home of belonging somewhere.

Rilke is a supremely spiritual poet and in poems of the Annunciation the treatment is highly original:

" The angels tremble in their choir,
grow pale, and separate : :
never were longing and desire so vague and yet so great .
Something perhaps is going to be
that you perceived in dream .
Hail to you ! For my soul can see
that you are ripe and teem ...".

A programme presented by Veronica Scarisbrick with selected readings from Rilke's writings ...

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