Duino Elegies

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/duino-elegies

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who wrote Duino Elegies?Rainer Maria Rilke
2. What is the year of first poem's conception?1912
3. What is the location of initial inspiration?Duino Castle, Italy
4. Where did Rilke write the Duino Elegies?Rilke began writing the poems at Duino Castle in 1912. The castle sits on a cliff overlooking the Adriatic Sea.
5. Why do the poems talk about angels?Rilke used angels to show how powerful and whole they are, compared to people who feel separated. He wanted to show that people can feel lonely and disconnected from nature and each other.

Existential Angst: A feeling of dread or anxiety arising from the contemplation of one's own existence and freedom.
Transcendence: The state of existing beyond or above the normal or physical level; spiritual or intellectual elevation.
Alienation: A state or experience of being isolated from a group or an activity to which one should belong or in which one should be involved.