Autumn Day

Lord: it is time. The summer was immense.

Lay your shadow on the sundials

and let loose the wind in the fields.

Bid the last fruits to be full;

give them another two more southerly days,

press them to ripeness, and chase

the last sweetness into the heavy wine.

Whoever has no house now will not build one anymore.

Whoever is alone now will remain so for a long time,

will stay up, read, write long letters,

and wander the avenues, up and down,

restlessly, while the leaves are blowing.

MARGINALIA

Someday I will live in a place where there’s fall. For tonight, Rilke.

ABOUT RAINER MARIA RILKE

Rainer Maria Rilke was born on December 4, 1875, in Prague. By the time he enrolled at Charles University in Prague in 1895, he knew that he would pursue a literary career: he had already published his first volume of poetry,    Leben und Lieder   , the previous year. Between 1895 and 1896, Rilke published his second collection,    Larenopfer    ( Sacrifice to the Lares ). A third collection,    Traumgekrönt    ( Dream-Crowned ) followed in 1896. In 1919, Rilke went to Switzerland. It was here that he wrote …  (more)

Rainer Maria Rilke was born on December 4, 1875, in Prague. By the time he enrolled at Charles University in Prague in 1895, he knew that he would pursue a literary career: he had already published his first volume of poetry,    Leben und Lieder   , the previous year. Between 1895 and 1896, Rilke published his second collection,    Larenopfer    ( Sacrifice to the Lares ). A third collection,    Traumgekrönt    ( Dream-Crowned ) followed in 1896. In 1919, Rilke went to Switzerland. It was here that he wrote his last two works,  The     Duino Elegies    (1923) and    Sonnets to Orpheus    (1923). Rilke died of leukaemia on December 29, 1926.  ( Source )

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ENDNOTES

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