Poetry for Students

Volume 19 31

being anxious, then happy, and then mournful to il-

lustrate the rapid emotional changes that occur in

childhood. In the foreground are the child’s experi-

ences, and in the background is the speaker’s com-

mentary on those experiences. Just as a painter uses

the technique of chiaroscuro to produce the illusion

of depth, Rilke uses images of light and darkness to

evoke emotional volatility and psychological depth.

Memory

For Rilke, memory is a tool used to unlock the

mystery of human existence. The speaker alternates

between describing the child’s reactions to his sur-

roundings with making statements commenting on

those reactions. At the end of the third stanza, af-

ter describing the child playing and then being led

home by an adult, the speaker writes, “Such oceanic

vision that is fading, / such a constant worry, such

weight.” Statements such as these describe the state

of mind of the adult speaker as much as they de-

scribe the state of mind of the child. The child is a

younger version of Rilke himself, and by describ-

ing the child’s confusion and feelings of alienation

Rilke is, in fact, describing his own ongoing expe-

riences of the same. In this way, he presents the re-

lentless demands of memory as an affliction that

the poet must exorcise andexercise.

Isolation

Although the child dreads the prison-like at-

mosphere of school and celebrates his freedom

when the school days end by playing tag with oth-

ers, he feels alone and is aware of how different he

is from other children. This condition of otherness

is a theme that runs throughout Rilke’s poem and

one he links to loneliness. Rilke evokes the feeling

of loneliness both in imagery and statement. For

example, in the second stanza, the adult speaker

Childhood

Topics

For Further

Study

• Rilke is a poet of memory and often seems ob-
  sessed with his personal past, especially his
  childhood. Describe at least two powerfully
  emotional incidents from your childhood in
  which one or both of your parents played a part.
  Use as much detail as possible. Then, ask your
  parents to describe the incidents. How does your
  memory of events differ from theirs? Write a
  short essay accounting for the difference.


• In groups, brainstorm a list of adjectives and im-
  ages you believe represent your experience as a
  child and then compose a poem using as many
  of these words as possible. Take turns reading
  the poem aloud to the class.


• In groups, translate Rilke’s poem literally, word
  for word, and then compare your translation
  with Bly’s translation. Discuss the choices Bly
  made and the reasons why he might have made
  them. What does this exercise tell you about the
  practice of translating poetry?


• As a class, use a Venn diagram to compare and
  contrast childhood and adulthood. Note the dif-

ferences that most surprise you and discuss them

as a class.

• Rilke wrote “Childhood” after spending time at
  the artist colony at Worpswede, and some crit-
  ics claim he uses words the way painters use
  paint. In groups, compose a visual representa-
  tion of Rilke’s poem using paint, crayons, mark-
  ers, images from magazines, and any other
  appropriate materials. Present your composi-
  tions to the class, explaining the choices you
  made. Post the work in the classroom, gallery

Style

• Rilke was very self-conscious, both in his
  poetry and in his interactions with others. Prac-
  tice seeing as Rilke did by sitting still for a
  half hour and concentrating on one object. In
  writing, describe both that object and the emo-
  tions you experienced looking at it. Read the
  description to your class and have classmates
  ask you questions about your description, with
  the goal of helping them to experience it more
  powerfully.

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