This poem discusses a woman's life and how it alternates between feeling bound and immeasurable. The sky darkens as ancient trees hold the darkness. As the speaker watches, the landscape grows more distant, with one part journeying to heaven and one falling. The speaker leaves the woman feeling not at home in either place, neither as still and dark as darkened houses nor calling out to eternity with passion. The woman is left to unravel her immense and fearful life that is sometimes stone within her and sometimes a star.

1. PoetryAnalysis Rainer Maria Rilke Kimberley Harrison ENGIV-HON/P2

2. The sky puts on the darkening blue coatheld for it by a row of ancient trees;you watch: and the lands grow distant in your sight,one journeying to heaven, one that falls; and leave you, not at home in either one,not quite so still and dark as the darkened houses,not calling to eternity with the passion of what becomes a star each night, and rises;and leave you (inexpressibly to unravel)your life, with its immensity and fear,so that, now bounded, now immeasurable,it is alternately stone in you and star. The sky darkens to a blue the ancient trees holding the darkness;you watch: and the scenery gets farther away from you, one to heaven, one to hell; and I leave you, not at our homes, not empty and alone as the dark houses,not mournfully yelling at the sky asking wherethe stars are made every night, and rises;I leave you (to open up)your life, with it’s size and fear,so that, now tied up, now immeasurable,it will alternately dim, and shine. Evening Original Paraphrased

4. Middle of everything, heart of it all,closed minded like a nut, and getting sweeter-- All of the Milky Way, to the stars far awayand even beyond them, is your body, your children.Now you feel alone;your empty body reaches to the ends of the universe,and there the sweet, heavy fluids grow and glide.Lit up in your endless serenity,The night’s lights spin endlessly,lighting the sky above you.But within you something will be, when the stars die. Center of all centers, core of cores,almond self-enclosed, and growing sweet--all this universe, to the furthest starsall beyond them, is your flesh, your fruit.Now you feel how nothing clings to you;your vast shell reaches into endless space,and there the rich, thick fluids rise and flow.Illuminated in your infinite peace,a billion stars go spinning through the night,blazing high above your head.But in you is the presence thatwill be, when all the stars are dead. Buddha In Glory Original Paraphrase

6. A ghost, though invisible, still is like a placeyour sight can knock on, echoing; but herewithin this thick black pelt, your strongest gazewill be absorbed and utterly disappear:just as a raving madman, when nothing elsecan ease him, charges into his dark nighthowling, pounds on the padded wall, and feelsthe rage being taken in and pacified.She seems to hide all looks that have ever falleninto her, so that, like an audience,she can look them over, menacing and sullen,and curl to sleep with them. But all at onceas if awakened, she turns her face to yours;and with a shock, you see yourself, tiny,inside the golden amber of her eyeballssuspended, like a prehistoric fly. A spirit, even if invisible, is still like a placeyou can see, echoing; but hereinside this heavy black fur, your strongest stare,will be sucked in and cease to exist. Like a crazy yelling man, when there is nothing;that can soothe him, sprints into the black night,screaming, bashes into the cushioned wall, and feelsthe anger being sucked in and eased. She appears to hide her looks that godgave to her, so that, like a crowd before her,she can look at all of them, devious and broodingand lay to sleep with them. But all togetheras is woken up, she turns to face youand surprisingly, you see yourself, smallinside the her golden amber iriseshanging there, like an ancient insect. Black Cat Original Paraphrase

8. Do you remember still the falling starsthat like swift horses through the heavens raced and suddenly leaped across the hurdlesof our wishes--do you recall? And wedid make so many! For there were countless numbers of stars: each time we looked above we were astounded by the swiftness of their daring play, while in our hearts we felt safe and secure watching these brilliant bodies disintegrate, knowing somehow we had survived their fall. Do you recall the falling stars, that like horses races across the skies and suddenly jumped over the hurdles of our wishes – do you remember? And we made so many! Since there were tons of starts: and every time we looked up we were in awe from the speed of their brave play, and in our hearts we felt warm and safe watching the stars, knowing that while they die, we live. Falling Stars Paraphrased Original

10. Perhaps it's no more than the fire's reflectionon some piece of gleaming furniturethat the child remembers so much laterlike a revelation.And if in his later life, one daywounds him like so many others,it's because he mistook some riskor other for a promise.Let's not forget the music, either,that soon had hauled him toward absence complicatedby an overflowing heart.... Maybe it’s nothing but the reflection of the fireon some part of the new furniturethat the kid remembers later on in lifelike an epiphany.And maybe when he’s older, one dayhurts him like a lot of the others,it’s because he thought a riskwas a promise.Don’t forget about the music, as well,that quickly pulled himinto a complex sense of lossby a too full heart….. Fire’s Reflection Paraphrase Original

12. Encircled by her arms as by a shell,she hears her being murmur,while forever he enduresthe outrage of his too pure image...Wistfully following their example,nature re-enters herself;contemplating its own sap, the flowerbecomes too soft, and the boulder hardens...It's the return of all desire that enterstoward all life embracing itself from afar...Where does it fall? Under the dwindlingsurface, does it hope to renew a center? Her arms around me were like a shell,she listens to her heart,while he takes all of the anger of his white façade…Sadly following their standard,the Earth becomes herself again;thinking about it’s own sap, the flowerbegins to wilt, and mountain grows…Enter the return of the world’s desiresof all life accepting itself from a distance…Where shall it land? Beneath the shrinkingcover, perhaps it will be the new center? Narcissus Paraphrase Original

14. How my body blooms from every veinmore fragrantly, since you appeared to me;look, I walk slimmer now and straighter,and all you do is wait-:who are you then?Look: I feel how I'm moving away,how I'm shedding my old life, leaf by leaf.Only your smile spreads like sheer starsover you and, soon now, over me.Whatever shines through my childhood yearsstill nameless and gleaming like water,I will name after you at the altar,which is blazing brightly from your hairand braided gently with your breasts. My blood spills from my veinsalong with the scent, you come to me;see, my posture is better,and you sit there-: why are you here?See: I feel our distance growing,my past life sheds itself, bit by bit.Only your smile spreads like the stars in the skyover you, and then over me.I remember some things from my childhoodshining like water, with no name,You will be named at the baptism,which glows from your hairAnd flows in braids down your chest Sacrifice Paraphrase Original

16. She who did not come, wasn't she determinednonetheless to organize and decorate my heart?If we had to exist to become the one we love,what would the heart have to create?Lovely joy left blank, perhaps you arethe center of all my labors and my loves.If I've wept for you so much, it's becauseI preferred you among so many outlined joys. She never showed up, didn’t she want tocome and better my heart?If we only exist to become our beloveds, could our heart make anything?This blank canvas of joy, maybe you could bethe core of all my loving and efforts.If I’ve cried over you, it’s becauseI want you more than common joy. Blank Joy Paraphrase Original

18. My whole life is mine, but whoever says sowill deprive me, for it is infinite.The ripple of water, the shade of the skyare mine; it is still the same, my life.No desire opens me: I am full,I never close myself with refusal-in the rythm of my daily soulI do not desire-I am moved;by being moved I exert my empire,making the dreams of night real:into my body at the bottom of the waterI attract the beyonds of mirrors... My life belongs to me, but if someone agreeswill take it away from me, because it is everlasting.The movement in the water, the cover of the cloudsbelong to me; it is one, with my life.I keep myself closed, full to the brim,But not shut because of defiance-in the beating of my heartI do not want- displace me;have being displaces I make my kingdom, creating my nightly visions a reality;from the floor of the lake my bodyattracts others worlds… Water Lily Paraphrase Original

20. What I have already learned as a lover,I see you, beloved, learning angrily;then for you it distantly departed,now your destiny stands in all the stars.Over your breasts we will together contend:since as glowingly shining they've ripened,so also your hands desire to touch themand their own pleasure superintend. This is what I’ve learned as a lover,I see you, my love, angrily learning;then it departs for the distance,and your fate is left with the stars. Above your bosom we will spend time:becoming radiant as they’ve grown,your hands curious to touch themas you bring yourself pleasure. Greek Love-Talk Paraphrase Original