When and where was Rainer Maria Rilke born?
Rainer Maria Rilke was born on the 4th of December 1875 in Prague, then the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia under Austria-Hungary. His birth name was René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke.
Questions about Rainer Maria Rilke
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Why did Rainer Maria Rilke change his first name from René to Rainer?
Rilke changed his name at the urging of Lou Andreas-Salomé, a married woman with whom he fell in love in Munich in 1897. She believed "Rainer" sounded more masculine, forceful, and Germanic than "René".
What are Rainer Maria Rilke's most important works?
Rilke's most celebrated works are the Duino Elegies and the Sonnets to Orpheus, both completed in February 1922 at Château de Muzot in Switzerland. He also wrote the semi-autobiographical novel The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge and the poetry collection The Book of Hours, and his Letters to a Young Poet was published posthumously in 1929.
How did Rainer Maria Rilke die and where is he buried?
Rilke died on the 29th of December 1926 at the Valmont Sanatorium in Switzerland after being diagnosed with leukemia. He was buried on the 2nd of January 1927 in the Raron cemetery to the west of Visp.
What was the connection between Rainer Maria Rilke and the sculptor Auguste Rodin?
Rilke traveled to Paris in 1902 to write a monograph on Rodin and for a period served as Rodin's secretary. Rodin taught Rilke the value of objective observation, which transformed Rilke's poetic style and led directly to the New Poems (Neue Gedichte), published in 1907.
Who inspired Rainer Maria Rilke to write the Sonnets to Orpheus?
The Sonnets to Orpheus were inspired by news of the death of Wera Knoop, born in 1900 and dead by 1919, who had been a friend of Rilke's daughter Ruth. Rilke completed the cycle's 55 sonnets in early 1922 at Château de Muzot, describing Wera as the figure that governs the whole work.