Rilke Book Of Hours Analysis

Rainer Maria Rilke masterfully used language throughout his volume, “The Book of Hours,” to draw on many existential questions pertinent not only to his time, but they are still relevant today. Some of the major themes of his work include questioning the concepts of God and death. Rilke is writing close to the beginning of World War 1, a time which F. Scott Fitzgerald claims consists of “a new generation dedicated more than the last to the fear of poverty and the worship of success; grown up to find all Gods dead, all wars fought, all faiths in man shaken.” Although this quote came after World War 1 and “The Book of Hours” was published prior, this illustrates the type of generation that Rilke is growing with, and the influence of these dilemmas are central to Rilke’s works. I believe this idea is central to discovering the meaning behind …show more content…
/ Nearby is that country / known as Life.” I think this further supports a philosophy of living life to the fullest. At first glance, it seems as though it is a continuation of the conversation with God prior to an earthly existence, but I would suggest that there is more to it than that. I concede that the meaning that is directly stated would be enough to further this idea, but I think there is a keyword that suggests a further idea. The term “country” is defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary as “the people of a state or district,” as opposed to simply the place of birth. Thinking of a country as a community of people, these lines suggests another meaning of life, which is to become part of a community throughout one’s life. Therefore, fusing the hieroglyphic and hieratic uses of language here shows a unique meaning behind the lines. Hieroglyphically, the lines state to not let go of God when entering the world of the living. However, hieratically the lines suggest to be tempted to replace God with worldly