Duino elegies

Completing his training in analytical psychology, David Oswald approaches Rilke's Duineser Elegien with a Jungian reading. This is a careful and precise translation; parallel syntax and rhythm are maintained throughout. Although it is not as poetic and free as some earlier translations (such as Stephen Mitchell's The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, CH, May'83), it is a smooth and contemporary rendition and a welcome addition to any library interested in providing current, readable translations of these difficult poems. The 16-page introduction provides some background as well as Oswald's Jungian interpretation. He explains his understanding of the elegies as "self-expressions of the inner world in symbolic form." The English translation faces the original German text, and the following ten pages of explantory notes elucidate some of the more recondite references and difficult passages. Oswald concludes the volume with a five-page summary of Rilke's little-known six-page prose piece, "Erlebnis," ("Experience"), with the intention of introducing English speakers to what could be the event that led Rilke to write these elegies. Suitable for academic and public libraries. E. L. Vines; Albany College of Pharmacy of Union University