Awakenings - The Panther Poem - Rainer Maria Rilke

[@jasonharris8486]

What is often lost in the translations into English is the circular form of the poem, which is there in the Rilke's German language original. The final three words of 'Der Panther' are 'auf zu Sein' which, if rephrased as 'auf zu 'sein'' would be translated into English as: 'on to 'sein'' . This interpretation leads the reader back to the start of the poem, which of course begins: 'Sein Blick'. Thus, if we followed this as an instruction would lead us to read the poem on an infinite loop, circling back again and again along the poems lines, just as the panther circles back again and again passing along the lines of the bars. Rilke truly was a poetic genius.

[@brunopontes3]

very nice!

[@8angst8]

"auf zu sein" = "on to sein" ---- With all of your verbiage, you still don't tell us what "sein" means. You like hearing yourself talk more than you like actually clearly explaining things. I'm guessing you're a low-level professor somewhere.

[@LuisferRomeroCalero]

Not many movie scenes have stuck in my mind after 20 years. This is one of them.

[@dejesus73]

This scene here is powerful beyond words--the emotions of sadness, despair, yearning for freedom, trapped, a powerful soul alive yet unheard yearning to be free. POWERFUL poem and set to a perfect scene. It makes you want to cry with sadness for the panther and all animals like this as well as any creature whether human or not trapped in their own mind or physical cage.

[@TheDandylion649]

"His gaze from staring through the bars has grown so weary that it can take in nothing more For him it is as though there were a thousand bars, and behind the thousand bars, no world As he paces in cramped circles, over and over, his powerful strides are like a ritual dance around a center where a great will stands paralyzed At times the curtains of the eye lift without a sound and a shape enters, '.slips through the tightened silence of the shoulders, reaches the heart and dies"

[@barrymoore4470]

Literally breathtaking.

[@milesdust3465]

@@barrymoore4470 And try to read the original poem in the German language. Use whatever you want to try to get the grasp of it.

[@lojupitermoon]

Sometimes I forget how much I love Robin Williams and then I watch his movies again, and it's like falling in love with him all over again

[@Bluesmusicno1]

Robins wish is great sad but great to watch

[@milesdust3465]

This is not about Robin. It is about the poem and the situation.

[@sunnchilde]

Such a powerful scene. It's hard to describe how beautiful this movie is. This is perhaps Williams best work.

[@davidbergaragonzalez5653]

I think so too.

[@dejesus73]

​@@davidbergaragonzalez5653 I think Dead Poets Society is one of his best as well... This scene here is powerful beyond words--the emotions of sadness, despair, yearning for freedom, trapped, a powerful soul alive yet unheard yearning to be free. POWERFUL poem and set to a perfect scene. It makes you want to cry with sadness for the panther and all animals like this as well as any creature whether human or not trapped in their own mind or physical cage.

[@eckalecka]

Heartbreaking! At times, the curtain of his eyes lift without a sound; a shape enters, slips through the tightened silence of the shoulders, reaches the heart and dies -

[@theiceman6941]

Magnificent. I love this poem, and I love this movie very, very much.

[@flippert0]

This poem and the whole scene was not in Oliver Sacks book as far as I recall. This is an awesome, poetic addition and it fits perfectly with Leonard's condition.

[@jasonharris8486]

Understanding this address to the reader to restart the poem and to imitate the panther opens up at least three layers of meaning for the poem. The first layer is that of describing the panther's situation and inner world, the second would be to direct the reader towards enacting the experience of the panther through repeating the action of passing along the lines (the 'staves' (nearest English cognate for the German 'stabe' )of the poem), and the third level of meaning would be to draw an analogy between the panther and the poet. As the reader recircles and rereads the lines they become aware that this process must have been undertaken by the creator of the poem during the poems creation. The poet sees no world other than the that which lies in and behind his lines and staves, the lyrical softness and power behind the muscular text and the imitation of movement through words and the creation of imagery within the mind that often dies before being transferred from brain through the body and on to the page are all possible analogies with the description of the panther, as are no doubt many more. Ted Hughes' 'The Jaguar' might be worth reading in relation to this interpretation of 'Der Panther' as he also seems to be hinting that the jaguar in his cage is a creative force, akin to a poet and in contrast to the other inhabitants of the zoo, inhabitants that accept their fate and just make do. Maybe we are all in cages, but only the poet has the great will to fight against captivity by the use of his creative imagination?

[@8angst8]

RE "the second would be to direct the reader towards enacting the experience of the panther through repeating the action of passing along the lines..." : Take a second and re-read your tortuous, circular text. Your writing is horrible.

[@barrymoore4470]

Inspired and inspiring analysis of a great work of literature.

[@genXcripple]

oh robin, i will love you forever

[@danielmayen6545]

Yo. This reminds me of what it's like to be locked up in prison as a strong, youthful, vibrant man once in my prime.

[@lauracosentinohere]

Laura Cosentino here, LU my "handle," I love both the work of Oliver Sacks but especially Tobin Williams, and DeNiro. There is an underlying dialogue of desperation but also love and respect everywhere that this clip shows us. Be kind.

[@lilithw.1766]

For all of you who love the poem: you should go and read (or if you can’t read it listen to it) the German original. The translation is alright but the original is so much better

[@mikesobirey9529]

... It's true. Der Panther Im Jardin des Plantes, Paris Sein Blick ist vom Vorübergehn der Stäbe so müd geworden, daß er nichts mehr hält. Ihm ist, als ob es tausend Stäbe gäbe und hinter tausend Stäben keine Welt. Der weiche Gang geschmeidig starker Schritte, der sich im allerkleinsten Kreise dreht, ist wie ein Tanz von Kraft um eine Mitte, in der betäubt ein großer Wille steht. Nur manchmal schiebt der Vorhang der Pupille sich lautlos auf -. Dann geht ein Bild hinein, geht durch der Glieder angespannte Stille - und hört im Herzen auf zu sein. Aus: Neue Gedichte (1907)

[@umuttekin4734]

@@mikesobirey9529 thank you so much for sharing

[@ColaWeissify]

Ja, weil das Original nämlich der absolute Hammer ist!!

[@polishhamnr1469]

@@mikesobirey9529 I like our polish translate: "Spojrzenia jej znużyła mijająca krata, że już nie zatrzymują nic, mdlejące. Czuje, jak gdyby było sztab tysiące, a za sztabami już nie było świata. Jej kroki giętkie jakby się łasiły kręcąc się ciągle w tym najmniejszym kole, tworzą jak gdyby taniec siły wokół środka, co więzi ogłuszoną wolę. I tylko czasem uniesie się wyżej zasłona źrenic. - I obraz się wdziera, idzie przez członków naprężoną ciszę - i w głębi serca się zaciera."

[@ChadMichaelSimon]

I wonder when 11-year-old Leonard encountered the poem, maybe during his decline when he was trapped in inside. Maybe it was something he read that resonated with him as he stared out of his bedroom window, and he remembered it all those years in seizure.

[@brunopontes3]

Yes. was Leonard's cry for help.

[@jukkakukkonen477]

Heavi staff.

[@sharonmickey1366]

Hope this is going to work. I will send another link for more interpretations of this poem.

[@ankitabose8386]

Read this article on Rainer Maria Rilke's poetry published in The Antonym Magazine: www.theantonymmag.com/analysis-of-poems-the-panther-and-the-gazelle-by-rilke/

[@Bluesmusicno1]

I'm disabled I feel like a great will paralysed I got a black panther tattoo because of this movie then I found out the true story he did awake but Mastercard his life away honestly look it up the movie was fiction with some truth

[@bromley121]

One of my favourite Rilke poems: abromley91.wordpress.com/2016/08/17/go-to-the-limits-of-your-longing/

[@milesdust3465]

Who did this English interpretation?

[@BoTheJo]

anyone here from AP Psych?