The lonely world of Rainer Maria Rilke, his quest for mentors, and a closer look at Her Going Blind
Did you know that one of world’s most beloved poets was not exactly a nice guy?
Rainer Maria Rilke is one of the world’s most beloved poets. Rilke is adored by young artists everywhere, has been called a jerk by certain critics, and even revered as a new age philosopher by others.
His words have inspired countless writers, filmmakers, musicians, painters, and other artists — even Lady Gaga has a Rilke tattoo.
Growing up Rilke
Rilke was born in 1875 in Prague, in what was then the Austro-Hungarian empire. His full name was René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke. (Yeah!)
His family was German and middle class. His father, an army veteran, worked for the railway and his mother was an upper-middle class socialite.
A year before Rilke was born, his parents had lost an infant daughter. So when Rilke came along, his mother gave him a feminine name and dressed him up in girl’s clothes. Later in life, Rilke said that his mother treated him like a little…
