Duino Elegies

Wehaveamarvelous,almostlegendary,imageofthecircumstancesinwhichthecompositionofthisgreatpoembegan.Rilkewasstayingatacastle(Duino)ontheseanearTrieste.Onemorninghewalkedoutonthebattlementsandclimbeddowntowheretherocksdroppedsharplytothesea.Fromoutofthewind,whichwasblowingwithgreatforce,Rilkeseemedtohearavoice:Wer,wennichschriee,hortemichdennausderEngelOrdnungen?(IfIcriedout,whowouldhearmeupthere,amongtheangelicorders?).Hewrotethesewords,theopeningofthefirstDuinoElegy,inhisnotebook,thenwentinsidetocontinuewhatwastobehismajorworkandoneoftheliterarymasterpiecesofthecentury.