Manuscript copy of a draft of 'Die Weise von Liebe und Tod des Cornets Otto Rilke' by Rainer Maria Rilke, c.1906, with accompanying letter, 1947

The item constitutes a manuscript copy of a draft of the Rilke poetic novella, 'Die Weise von Liebe und Tod des Cornets Otto Rilke' [The Tale of the Love and Death of Cornet Otto Rilke], made in a small paperback volume in blue ink. The identity of the person who undertook this transcription is unknown. The transcription is undated, but 'Die Weise von Liebe und Tod des Cornets Christoph Rilke' [presumably a slightly different version of this work] was written in 1899 and published in 1906.

The copy is accompanied by a letter from Howard Patterson at St. Catherine's College, Cambridge to University College Nottingham's librarian, G.E. Flack. The letter gives the opinion that the manuscript copy described above was 'an admirer's copy of a very early draft of the poem, from one no longer extant'. 1947.

German writer and poet, Rainer Maria Rilke was born in Prague in 1875. He was educated at a business school in Linz and at the universities of Munich, Prague and Berlin. His first poem, 'Leben und Lieder', was written in 1894. Rilke's most significant poetic works include: 'Larenopfer' (1895), Traumgekrönt [Dream-Crowned] (1896), 'Advent' (1897), 'Die Weise von Liebe und Tod des Cornets Christoph Rilke' [The Tale of the Love and Death of Cornet Christopher Rilke] (1906), 'Das Buch Der Builder' [The Book of the Pictures] (1906), 'Neue Gedichte' [New Poems] (1907), 'Die Neuen Gedichte Anderer Teil' [The New Poems Other Part] (1908), 'Requiem' (1909), 'Das Marien-Leben' [The Marien Life] (1913), 'Duineser Elegien' [Duino Elegies] (1923), and Die Sonette an Orpheus' [The Sonnets of Orpheus] (1923). He died in 1926.

No archival arrangement has been necessary.

Accessible to all registered readers.

This description is the only finding aid available for the item. Copyright on the description belongs to The University of Nottingham.

Good

Reprographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposes only, depending on access status and the condition of the documents.

Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Permission to make published use of this item must be sought in advance in writing from the Keeper of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk).

The item was acquired by the library of University College Nottingham in about 1947.