Monday, February 16, 2009

Rilke: Building the cathedral

"When writing poetry one is always assisted and even carried away by the rhythm of all things outside, for the lyric cadence is that of nature: of the waters, the wind, the night. But in order to shape prose rhythmically, one has to immerse oneself deeply within oneself and detect the blood's anonymous, multivaried rhythm. Prose is to be built like a cathedral:  there one is truly without name, without ambition, without help: up in the scaffolding, alone with one's conscience."  ---Rainer Maria Rilke

Gee, Rilke, thanks for the encouragement. 

5 comments:

  1. Sara,

    I guess I would agree with what Rilke says about writing poetry--at least to some extent. But I also I believe that the more one reads and writes poetry the more rhythmic one's prose becomes.

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  2. I hope, Elaine, I hope. I adore Rilke, but this passage just intimidates the heck out of me as I hang up in the air with no scaffolding, trying to write the prose my WIP demands.

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  3. Okay, yikes, Rilke. I'm going to go ahead and say, "No, not best pleased with that." Up the scaffolding with you, Sara...

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  4. Hi Sara! Don't know if you've seen this yet:

    http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6635335.html (scroll down to Scholastic/Levine)

    So cool to be on a list with you! :-) And as a Navy brat, I can't wait to read your book. I don't know if I've ever read a book about military kids.

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  5. Eep!!

    I hadn't seen that. I agree---it's super-duper way cool to be on Levine's list with you and Jim. I've wanted to read your book ever since I first heard the title, Lips Touch. Smooooch! and thank you for the link!

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