Maine Adult Education

In 1922, Rainer Maria Rilke created a poetic masterpiece in a cycle of fifty-five poems dedicated to Orpheus, the god-like figure of ancient legends whose song enchanted the creatures, faced the anguish of loss, and sought to restore harmony to a disordered world. Rilke meant these poems to do the same for us: they invite us to turn from the hurried world of “acting without vision,” reminding us how we might inhabit our own lives with spaciousness and hope. This course will focus primarily on these poems, drawing on a newly published version by the workshop leader. It is meant for those who “desire the change,” as Rilke put it in one of these poems. Open to all—beginners and seasoned readers of Rilke—regardless of familiarity with the poet’s work.