The Hidden Angels & Angels As Metaphor

Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926), an influential Austrian poet in the history of western modernist literature, has always been a miraculous appeal to Chinese academia for nearly eighty years together with his works. His poetic personality and life, talent and artistry, personal experience and creation present inspiring examples to Chinese scholars. Unfortunately, his masterwork at his peak period i.e. Duino Elegies has not yet interpreted to the point in Chinese language.This article intends to unlock the door for readers who have tried to visit the labyrinth of Duino Elegies futilely, using word-for-word interpretation. Different from past experience of regarding Duino Elegies as the collection often sequences of poems and on the basis of interpreting the ten elegies one by one, the author concludes that Duino Elegies is actually composed of ten long, interactive poems, and then reveals its logical development process. Given the below textual interpretation, this article clarifies the way with which Rilke thought, probes into the metaphorization of angels in the elegized world, and then redefine the position of Rilke among the galaxy of artists involved in Weimar Culture. Undoubtedly, in this way can we go deep into the elegized world, and remain sober beyond, can we engage in planning the social system as guided by our aspiration and be foresighted to examine and avoid any indulgence in the organic society, while illusion would destruct the practicability of this aspiration.