English Purpose of this subforum

I do like to exchange thoughts about writers and poets

Hi Yoli,
I've been thinking about what you wrote in the literature section about Rilke's advice to the young poet. You said you'd feel uncomforable using your language to talk about him because it wouldn't just "feel or sound right".

I'd tell two things apart: 1. As we all know, language keeps developing and, thus, changing, which means that no one needs to apologise for, or feel bad about their own repertoire and their ability to express themselves. 2. You also said that Rilke's language would sound kind of "old-fashioned, dramatic, brutal, partly self-pitying, melancholic, sad, solitary, and quiet" to us. I'd agree except that he doesn't sound dated to me at all.
Would you have any examples of what makes him sound dated?

He is certainly quite direct, you call it brutal, and he sounds sort of wordly-wise and seems to be without any illusions. Hardly surprising after all he'd been through. However, he's not the only one, as we know, who had been trying to make ends meet as a writer. Just think of all the other poets who were struggling to make a living. What he describes is that he is one of those who seem to feel this calling to be a poet and a writer which makes them accept almost any conditions of life as long as those don't prevent them from writing.

We can only admire how seemingly uncompromising those writers are. And yet we also notice that they keep trying to have it both ways ,i.e., to improve their living conditions and to seek recognition and attention. And some succeed in getting both, admittedly, often toward the end of their lives, yet some manage to get it earlier.
You are saying that Rilke moves you, that he makes you think about the sense of life, about why you are doing what you do. And then you say "in times when a person's value is based on what he does, his income and social status".
That makes me wonder whether it has ever been different? Has it? If so, when was that?

I'd better stop here for now although there would be other issues to be raised.
Fedi

PS: Will you be having internet access while in Andalusia? Sounds to me as though you will cut yourself off as you did in the past. Right?

Hi Fedi

There is such a lot to answer.
First of all I have to put something straight
The article about Rilke and that nice letter to Xaver Kappus I copied all in all from
www.papiersinfonie.de/3ste7.htm
I understand Rilke because he treats human’s souls carefully along with their feelings.

Edgar Allan Poe is a different character. Fascinating > mysterious…> a little frightening (for me). In his short life he has had great downs a few ups and some luck.
I keep trying to read and understand his Eureka.
He was a day dreamer.
He wrote
Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night
Now about the Alan Parsons Project.

Yes I have listened to the Raven many times.
Woolfson and Parson were a good team. Through Woolfson I started to want to know why he was that much fascinated by Edgar Allan Poe. That is how I came to start to read him.

PS: Will you be having internet access while in Andalusia? Sounds to me as though you will cut yourself off as you did in the past. Right?

asked Fedi

well yes and no
We have one Wifi and that will be in use by Emil my husband mostly.
I will get a chance once in a while (and I want to) to have a look into here the English part of the Forum. The rest will have to wait but there are enough writers in the Lyrik part without me. IN December we will be back for 3 weeks. Afterwards in Morocco we will not always be online. And you know what...hihihi...life goes on

First of all I have to put something straight
The article about Rilke and that nice letter to Xaver Kappus I copied all in all from
www.papiersinfonie.de/3ste7.htm

Yoli, for me there's nothing to be put straight because there has never been a misunderstanding. You clearly quoted your source. What's a feather in your cap is that you did not only post parts of the letter but that you added your ideas and comments as well. That's what I liked.

thats nice of you to say so Fedi. By the way about that Hungarian chap who lives on Tenerifa...smile...he is called Thomas and I know him and his wife. A sailor through and through and clever at that in many ways.
When reading "there" again have a look for a landi. That is my second part of my Name Yo..landa. My father called me Landi.

Hallo Fedi,
From central Europe PNG is not the nearest place to live. But I think that is nothing that should be to impressing, especially because I could not do anything about that.
Why my parents came back? The main reason was that they wanted a good school education for us kids, at least they believed that. Staying at PNG at that time would have meant at least for me going on to a boarding school in Australia. I suppose that my parents didn´t want that and I think there are more reasons they did not talk to with us kids, so I only can guess. I was 12 when the decision was made and was simply brought to my knowledge without any explanation. I even wad not allowed to protest. And I did not want to come to Germany.
I think it wasn´t a good Idea not raising me bilingual. That was at that time not so unusual. Surely things would have gone easier for me and I perhaps had not that lot of difficulties getting integrated here. And I guess I still have some of them as I still do not feel like a German native.
BTW the other two languages were Chinese and Pidgin. First one is forgotten except for a few words and Pidgin I´ll probably understands most of it, vocabulary is missing but that’s only a matter of exercise. I started reading reports and stories I find in www.
And now I can pick up my new mosaic tong, and work is a lot easier and no blistering any more (at less I hope so). And I´ll certainly enjoy the sun and on the road anyway I´ll drive to my favorite ice cream parlor. Plain chocolate ice cream is my absolute favorite.

bukamary

Hi Hildegard,

You seem to be good with your hands and work creatively. What exactly do you produce? Is it just for yourself or are these things for sale as well?

I also had chocolate ice cream yesterday while listening to a sound check of a singer ready to peform in the evening. It's true, Hildegard, each time I think I should have an ice cream I curiously check what's on offer although I know I'll end up having a chololate one anyway.
Fedi

IN December we will be back for 3 weeks. Afterwards in Morocco we will not always be online. And you know what...hihihi...life goes on

Hi Yoli,

Well, it certainly will. The question is how.
Thinking about you leaving for Andalusia soon, I was just wondering: is this a kind of escapism?

I visualize you strolling absentmindedly through an ancient Arcadia (which you can imagine having been moved from Greece to Spain) just rejoicing the scenery and life as such, leaving the ghastly Swiss weather behind, enjoying the sun and the pleasant weather which make the summer stretch longer while having a sundowner. Good gracious, a lot of wonderful pictures are emerging before the mind's eye.

Is this your intention to be spending the winter in warmer regions only coming home for longer in summer? If so, I can't do likewise but I have to cope with the nasty German winter and unpleasant, bothersome labour. Anyway, I wish you a pleasant stay right now and I'm sure you'll make the most of it.

Fedi

Greetings to you all lovely People here

We have lovely weather (still) they promise rain for later. The nature will be thankful for it.
We had lovely motorbike tours anjoying the nature the countryside and all the lovely flowers put in their gardens and window boxes.
You can imagine >> Yoli sitting on the back with a happy grin on her face!
Only 3 more weeks and we are off to Spain.
Fedi NO we have made no plans. I ought to roughly have alook what we could see and do in those over 8 weeks.
To be honest I will but as always in the last Moment.
It is now the 6th year that we move around with the camper to a place that is warmer than good old Switzerland. 3 times we have been to Morocco and will go again this year. That is what modern gypsies do they tell us.

Lets hear what else is happening here.
Love Yoli

Well Fedi,
I had my 3 balls of ice-cream on Friday. 2 of them were of course plain chocolate and the 3rd ball was yogurt-peach-orange ice cream. That was so tasty and refreshing, simply an unbelievable combination.

You really want to know what I produce? I´m just making a tabletop (it`s the 6th one), quite a few tessellated balls are around in different places, I decorate stones with a mosaic. Think I´ll decorate a mirror and I´ve got the idea to place a mosaic in my bathroom. The most things are a birthday or Christmas present or for a friend from whom I got quite a few tiles and I partly used them for the table. Somebody suggested I should produce more and sell them. But I think I´ll just do some things when somebody asks.
The new tong was a good investment- breaking the tiles into small pieces is a lot easier.

bukamary