Ideas of Uncertainty within Rilke's - Essay Example

? Full July 25th Ideas of Uncertainty within Rilke’s I Am Too Much Alone In This World, Yet Not Alone. In this shortexplication of Rilke’s I Am Too Much Alone, it is hoped we will outline the evidence within the poem that shows the reader that Rilke feels both uncertainty and insignificance within himself, to others and within the world in general. We will also assess Rilke’s feelings of being caught somewhere in between all things worldly, and his need to find an accurate self analysis, and to find his true self to present to others. Aside from using the actual text and the devices Rilke uses, we will also briefly discuss his manner of shaping the poem. Firstly we will discuss Rilke’s own feelings of insignificance and uncertainty. The first stanza of this poem is centred around these feelings and ideas, possibly most effectively, and simply, described in the fourth line, when Rilke states that his persona is “much too small in this world” (Rilke, I Am Too Much Alone, www.poets.org, 2001) and further saying “I want my free will and want it accompanying / the path which leads to action”, indicating that the persona does not yet have their freewill, because they are insignificant, much less that their free will would actually have any meaning if they were to use it. This first stanza also indicates that the persona, rather than wishing to fight his insignificance, is quite accepting of it, because, he knows in himself, he is neither here nor there; “too alone in this world yet not alone / enough...Too small in this world, yet not small / enough” (Rilke, I Am Too Much Alone, www.poets.org, 2001), although, this passage could well refer to the fact that the persona feels he does not have an exact place within the scheme of things- so to speak. Another way we can see that the persona is not quite sure where he stands is in the phrase “to be among those in the know / or else be alone.” (Rilke, I Am Too Much Alone, www.poets.org, 2001) The persona is of the opinion that if he himself is of no importance, then he would rather be alone if he cannot be with those that are important. This can also be related to present themes such as the modern cult of celebrity in which people would rather follow those of significance and importance rather than relate to those around them. The second stanza of this poem is much less overt in meaning that the first. It is a space within the poem when the persona reflects, and expresses his desire to find a true analysis of himself. Rilke (or the persona) addresses his audience directly in order to give the poem a much more personal feel; it also marks the persona’s own importance, at least within the poem and mirrors the swing he feels in the first stanza from small to not small enough. His use of simile describes all the ways the persona would want to described and therefore recognised; “like the everyday jug... / ...like a ship that carried me along / through the deadliest storm” (Rilke, I Am Too Much Alone, www.poets.org, 2001) again, while this shows us how the persona would wish to have the audience see him, it again mirrors his feelings of shifting importance; on the one hand he is “everyday”, normal, on the other he is a ship, furthermore a ship that performed a great and heroic deed. Rilke is possibly trying to show that for an accurate self analysis, where one’s “conscience [is] / true” (Rilke, I Am Too Much Alone, www.poets.org, 2001) we must step beyond thinking of ourselves and each other as either too important as mankind, and too small on this huge planet, and see ourselves as constantly caught somewhere in between with little to be done about this. The poem as a whole is a shaped one. We can see that this was intentional because of the way Rilke repeats the word “enough” (Rilke, I Am Too Much Alone, www.poets.org, 2001) yet leaves it on a separate line, in order to make the appearance fragmented, and draw attention, not only to this word in particular, but also to these few lines of the first stanza. Rilke may well have done this as a way to make his point about his own persona being in a constant state of change much more concrete; it is not only people, objects and places that can change, but words too. Also this shape reflects his statement about being “crooked, bent” (Rilke, I Am Too Much Alone, www.poets.org, 2001) in the second stanza- the shape of the poem is crooked. The rhyming scheme of the poem is also fragmented; while the first stanza does not rhyme at all, the second stanza does contain rhyming couplets, thought these are not constant and skip several lines; for example, the first four lines of the second stanza are in a common rhyme pattern “...fullest perfection / ... too old / ...wavering reflection/ ...unfold” (Rilke, I Am Too Much Alone, www.poets.org, 2001) yet the following lines are not in any particular pattern and several lines do not even have rhymes. To conclude then, Rilke’s poem is one which reflects not only the persona’s feelings of uncertainty about himself, but also reflects Rilke’s own feelings about the world. The main theme within the poem is that the world, and all those within it, is in a constant state of metamorphosis; ever changing between importance and nothingness. However, this is of course not the only idea. Rilke is attempting to draw attention to mankind’s need to find themselves and reflect truly what they are, not what they think they are, yet at the same time, present a bold and significant face to those who they wish to impress. Also the fact that people are often ordinary (like the jug) to many, and yet to those closest to them, or to those to whom they have been particularly good, they are extraordinary (like the ship). Works Cited Rilke. R. M. I Am Too Much Alone In This World, Yet Not Alone, (www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16290) Read More