Lettere intorno a un giardino

by Rainer Maria Rilke, Roberto Salvadori (Translator)

Solo e sofferente, Rilke confida residue gioie ed estremi tormenti alla giovane istitutrice ginevrina Antoinette de Bonstetten affidandosi al "ritmo libero delle intermittenze epistolari". La prima lettera risale al 7 marzo 1924, l'ultima è del 27 ottobre 1926 - scritta due mesi prima di spegnersi per leucemia nella clinica elvetica di Valmont. Collocati fra "Les roses" (1924) e i "Vergers" (1926), questi "fiori" si rivelano preziosi per illuminare la conclusiva maturazione del grande poeta. Quella che lo condurrà ai versi definitivi scolpiti sulla propria lapide: "Rosa, oh pura contraddizione, gioia / d'essere il sonno di nessuno, sotto tante / palpebre".

Genres: Poetry, German Literature

54 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

A mystic lyricism and precise imagery often marked verse of German poet Rainer Maria Rilke, whose collections profoundly influenced 20th-century German literature and include The Book of Hours (1905) and The Duino Elegies (1923).

People consider him of the greatest 20th century users of the language.

His haunting images tend to focus on the difficulty of communion with the ineffable in an age of disbelief, solitude, and profound anxiety — themes that tend to position him as a transitional figure between the traditional and the modernist poets.

His two most famous sequences include the Sonnets to Orpheus , and his most famous prose works include the Letters to a Young Poet and the semi-autobiographical The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge .

He also wrote more than four hundred poems in French, dedicated to the canton of Valais in Switzerland, his homeland of choice.

Reviews

[Steven R. Kraaijeveld · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Before a house massive and severe as a canon of the Middle Ages, the garden really must extent like the opened pages of a beautiful illuminated antiphony. It must dare over five lines to propose a precise music. Until now, from my poor disoriented terrace only scattered notes have emanated, where the melody only makes itself known by the caprice of indifferent and distracted chance. Ah, come, dear Mademoiselle, lend my flowers some ideas." (52)

Displaced and wandering poet Rainer Maria Rilke finally found a place to settle down in July 1921, when he moved into the chateau of Muzot, a thirteenth-century medieval tower surrounded by vineyards above the town of Sierre in the Canton Valais, Switzerland. Here, in the final years of his life, he would complete the Duino Elegies and compose the Sonnets to Orpheus. The Letters around a Garden include twenty-two letters that were written from Muzot and the sanatorium at Val-Mont in a one-sided exchange from 1924 to 1926 between Rilke (whose letters alone we read) with a young aristocratic Swiss woman named Antoinette de Bonstetten—a passionate horticulturist to whom Rilke turned for advice regarding the design and upkeep of the Muzot rose garden (whose letters are lost).

The letters frequently allude to Rilke's desire to finally meet the elusive Mademoiselle Bonstetten. Rilke's plans for his garden, his observations and lamentations about the plants and nature more generally, his comments about Paul Valéry, loneliness/solitariness, and his declining health, all make the letters interesting to read. There is a kind of sweetness to the correspondence between the physically deteriorating Rilke and his more youthful correspondent. They are not quite letters of love, but they are loving—filled with the sort of affection that a person might have for their small garden in a remote corner of the world and for the person who is uniquely able to appreciate and help you tend to it.

"We need art (and still!) or all the resources and expectations of childhood, and the constant contribution of so many things to support ourselves, alone. A willing house; a garden innocent and giving; the curve of birds in the air; the winds, the rains, memories and the calm of a starry firmament stretching to the infinite: all this just so a human being can settle with his heart!" (19)

[Jojo Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We need art (and still!) or all the resources and expectations of childhood, and the constant contribution of so many things to support ourselves, alone. A willing house; a garden innocent and giving; the curve of birds in the air; the winds, the rains, memories and the calm of a starry firmament stretching to the infinite: all this just so a human being can settle with his heart!”

“It’s almost inconspicuous, these purest opportunities for a happiness, which is so natural that most people pass it by without even being aware”

[anagord · Rating 3 out of 5]

this one is for Rilke completists plus you get wonderful introduction about Rilke's final years of life and context for writing Elegies and Sonnets to Orpheus

any Rilke's text will be great in my books, but this one just fades away in comparison to his well regarded works (especially better known letters as Dark Interval and Letters to Young Poet), still treat for the mind

"We need art (and still!) or all the resources and expectations of childhood, and the constant contribution of so many things to support ourselves, alone. A willing house; a garden innocent and giving; the curve of birds in the air; the winds, the rains, memories and the calm of a starry firmament stretching to the infinite: all this just so a human being can settle with his heart!"

[Molsa Roja(s) · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the ultimate fan this ensemble of letters might still be somewhat interesting, quite more as a document on the last practical thoughts of Rilke -regarding his tower and its garden and his various trips- than anything resembling a true poetic intention, even though his prose is entirely so. Do not expect much from this, sadly.

[Pierce Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

By no means essential, but still a charming read since Rilke’s authorial voice is so warm, wise, and kind.

[Micaela *CLONAZINE* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rilke had such a way with words, it's a pleasure to read him. I loved reading this collection of letters of himself. He writes of a time when he wasn't feeling his best and as readers we are able to relate to him and his pain. He also mentions important characters (poets, critics,) of the time period.

[miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

👏🏼👏🏼🌷🌸🌻🦋💐🐜🐰💌

[Maria Hammon · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Letters around a Garden" by Rainer Maria Rilke, skillfully translated into English by Will Stone, offers a collection of insightful letters written by Rilke during his time in exile. I have long been a fan of Rilke’s letters, so this new collection made my day!

In these letters, Rilke explores the beauty of nature, the creative process, and the human experience with poetic depth and introspection. Through vivid descriptions and profound reflections, he invites readers into a world where the garden becomes a metaphor for life itself. With its lyrical prose and timeless wisdom, "Letters around a Garden" is a captivating read for anyone seeking inspiration and a deeper connection to the natural world. And a must-read if you are a Rilke fan.

[Journey · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Before a house massive and severe as a canon of the Middle Ages, the garden really must extend like the opened pages of a beautiful illuminated antiphony. It must dare over five lines to propose a precise music. Until now, from my poor disorientated terrace only scattered notes have emanated, where the melody only makes itself known by the caprice of indifferent and distracted chance. Ah, come, dear Mademoiselle, lend my flowers some ideas. It has always seemed to me that they ponder the void through lack of education." -R.M. Rilke, April 20, 1926.

A wonderful quote and curious. 22 letters written by Rilke (1875-1926) to Antoinette de Bonstetten, horticulturalist, concerning the rehabilitation of his garden at Muzot written during the last years and months of his life. Thus, letters around a garden. This is a small and curious volume which will be of interest to readers of Rilke's poetry and his letters, providing a glimpse into his life and writing during his final years. It is fortunate that we have this translation from the French. Rilke is primarily known as a German poet and writer, but during the last several years of his life, and I believe, particularly after WWI, he made the decision to write exclusively in French.

(Original Review 6/24/2024, updated 9/2/2024)

[Erica Corrin McBride · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hyperfixation is a real thing. Of my list of hyperfixations, the Rainer Maria Rilke and garden planning placements are strong, so this book seemed to be an easy purchase.

They are letters with strong warmth and intimacy. These were written at the end of his life and give the landscape (pun intended) for his writing of “Elegies” and “Sonnets to Orpheus”. It is quick reading and simply lovely.