Analysis of The Song Of The Blindman

Rainer Maria Rilke 1875 (Prague) – 1926 (Montreux)



I am blind, you out there -- that is a curse,
against one's will, a contradiction,
a heavy daily burden.
I lay my hand on the arm of my wife,
my grey hand upon her greyer grey,
as she guides me through empty spaces.

You move about and stir, and imagine
your sounds differing from stone to stone.
But you are mistaken: I alone
live and suffer and complain, for
in me is an endless crying,
and I do not know whether it is
my heart that cries or my bowels.

Do you recognize these songs? You never sang them,
not quite with this intonation.
For you every morning brings its new light
warm through your open windows.
And you have the feeling from face to face
that tempts you to be indulgent.

Translated by Albert Ernest Flemming


Scheme XAAXXX ABBXCXX XAXXXX C
Poetic Form Etheree  (30%)
Tetractys  (20%)
Metre 1111111101 01110010 0101010 1111101111 11101011 111111010 1101010010 111001111 111010101 10100011 01111010 011111011 11111110 11101111011 11110010 11100101111 1111010 0110101111 11111010 0101101010
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 713
Words 140
Sentences 9
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 6, 7, 6, 1
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 28
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 141
Words per stanza (avg) 35
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

42 sec read
154

Rainer Maria Rilke

René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke — better known as Rainer Maria Rilke — was a Bohemian-Austrian poet and novelist, "widely recognized as one of the most lyrically intense German-language poets", writing in both verse and highly lyrical prose. more…

All Rainer Maria Rilke poems | Rainer Maria Rilke Books

9 fans

Discuss this Rainer Maria Rilke poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Song Of The Blindman" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 3 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/29728/the-song-of-the-blindman>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    More poems by

    Rainer Maria Rilke

    »

    June 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    27
    days
    11
    hours
    56
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who wrote the poem One Art?
    A Elizabeth Barrett Browning
    B Sylvia Plath
    C E. E. Cummings
    D Elizabeth Bishop