[1] Frau Hertha Koenig zugeeignet: Frau Hertha Koenig owned the Picasso painting "La famille des saltimbanques," now in the National Gallery in Washington, having bought it at Rilke's urging. He was able to spend several months alone in her appartment where he could view it every day. The six figures in the painting loosely correspond to the five figures in the Elegie. He also based some of the descriptions on a famous band of travelling acrobats (Saltimbanques) he had encountered in Paris. The dedication is Rilke's somewhat vague intimation of this origin. Also the first use of normal italics in the Elegien.

[2] s i n d: First example of Sperrdruck in this Elegie Normally "s i n d" would not receive the accent. The Sperrdruck forces the reader to accent and lengthen the word to indicate to the reader that the existence of these travellers is the main point of this Elegie. Sperrdruck: Spaced type formerly used for Italics and found in the Elegien. In modern editions replaced with italics.

[3] Flüchtigern: Note the comparative form and the Syncope. Normal would be "Flüchtigeren." Syncope: The shortening of a word by omission of a sound, letter, or syllable from the middle of the word.

[4] ein wem -- wem zuliebe niemals zufriedener Wille: an example of anadiplosis. It is unclear why the dativ is being used at the repetition of "wem;" then the "zuliebe" after the second wem makes the syntax clear. Note that the subject "Wille" is the last word in the sentence. This is paralleled in the next section where the subject "Griff" is also the last word in its clause. Anadiplosis : Rhetorical repetition at the beginning of a phrase of the word or words with which the previous phrase ended

[5] von ihrem ewigen Aufsprung dünneren Teppich: An extended adjectivial construction. In German there are no limits imposed upon the number of modifiers coming before the noun. In English we would say "The accident which happened yesterday at the corner of Hollywood and Vine at 4 a.m. injured three people." A German newspaper would write "Der gestern um 16 Uhr an der Ecke von Hollywood and Vine passierte Unfall resultierte in drei Schwerverletzte. The final modifier must have the correct adjective ending referring back to the first "der" or "ein" word or a strong adjective ending if unpreceded.

[6] diesem verlorenen Teppich im Weltall: Note the repetition of "Teppich" two words apart. An example of a diacope in this case occasioned by the overload of modifiers: "auf dem verzehrten, von ihrem ewigen Aufsprung dünneren" comes before the first mention of "Teppich," the second being an extended adjectivial construction. If one continued with the third and fourth modifiers, the second of which is an extended participial construction, the thread would be lost: "auf dem verzehrten, von ihrem ewigen Aufsprung dünneren, diesem im Weltall verlorenen, wie ein Pflaster aufgelegter Teppich im Weltall." Rilke chose to repeat the word "Teppich," placing the third extended modifier before it and then thereafter using the past participial phrase to begin a new sentence which is really an elliptical relative clause. Without the hyberton, it would read "[der Teppich] der wie ein Pflaster ausgelegt ist." Diacope: Repetition with only a word or two between. Ellipsis: The omission of a word or phrase necessary for a complete syntactical construction but not necessary for understanding.

[7] als hätte der Vorstadt-Himmel der Erde dort wehe getan: "als ob der Vorstadt-Himmel der Erde dort wehe getan hätte."

[8] des Dastehns großer Anfangsbuchstab: "der große Anfangsbuchstab des Dastehns." Note also the apocope with "Anfangsbuchstab[e]" because of the meter. There is a conjecture that the placing of the acrobats in Picasso's picture "La famille des Saltinbanques" forms a capital "D," since they are truly "standing there" which is an exact translation of "Dastehen." To further strengthen this conjecture, the mother sitting at the right forms the outline of an "a." The only English word beginning with "da" I could find was "dalliance." which means "dawdling." Apocope: The loss of one or more sounds from the end of a word.

[9] die stärksten Männer, rollt sie wieder, zum Scherz, der immer kommende Griff: "Die stärksten Männer" cannot be the subject, because of the singular form of the verb "rollt." The "sie" could be the subject, but this is made impossible by the unambiguously nominative form of "der immer kommende Griff" which must then be the subject. The "sie" then is plural and the direct object referring back to "die stärksten Männer" A simplified version of the sentence would be "Der immer kommende Griff rollt zum Scherz die stärksten Männer wieder." As in the fourth verse, the subject is the last word. The translation of the word "Griff" gives translators headaches. It means literally "grip," which says little in this context. There is a German expression: "im Griffe haben" which means to do something without thinking about it, similar to "have a grip on it" in English. So the choice to a translator is to be literal, but incomprehensible, or to try to approximate what the poet had in mind, which is being presumptuous. Therefore you could translate it with "grip" or go with the "im Griffe haben" idiom and try "routine."

[10] einen zinnenen Teller The direct object of the elliptical verb "rollt." An example of a zeugma "Der immer kommendee Griff" rolls the acrobats on their carpet, while August the Strong was noted for rolling (and bending) his tin plates while eating. Also note the modifier "zum Scherz" which applies to both activities, which is also a zeugma, emphasizing how fate also plays with the acrobats. The whole non-elliptical sentence would be: ",schon auch, die stärksten Männer, rollt sie wieder, zum Scherz, der immer kommende Griff, wie August der Starke bei Tisch einen zinnenen Teller [rollt]." Zeugma: A construction in which a word is used to modify or govern two or more words, often so that its use is grammatically or logically correct with only one. Ellipsis,: The omission of a word or phrase necessary for a complete syntactical construction but not necessary for understanding.

[11] die Rose des Zuschauns: blüht und entblättert: "Die Rose des Zuschauens" is in Apposition to "Ach und um diese Mitte." The colon after "Zuschauns" is significant, since the verbs "blüht und entblättert" are thereby precluded from being the predicate. Without the colon the sentence would have to be "Ach und um diese mitte blüht und entblättert die Rose des Zuschauens." Not being so, the subject is not "die Rose des Zuschauens," but instead the elliptical impersonal subject "es," with the idea that "blooming and losing of leaves takes place" or "Es blüht und entblättert." Comparing implicitely a rose with spectators is a metaphor. Metaphor: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison. Apposition is an explanatory noun or phrase normally placed after the noun explicated. In German it must be in the same case as the antecedent and set off with commas.

[12] Um diesen Stampfer, den Stempel. . .. As in the previous metaphor "den Stempel" is in apposition to "Um diesen Stampfer" and must be in the accusative case. The next extended phrase has no verb. We now see the reason for the colon after "Ach und um diese Mitte, die Rose des Zuschauens" and also for the lack of a definite subject for "blüht und entblättert." They serve as verbs for both sentences and create another Zeugma. "Um diesen Stampfer, den Stempel" is an almost exact parallel phrase to the opening phrase with "Mitte" corresponding to "Stampfer." The "Stampfer" being at the same time the "Stempel," figuratively stamps its feet like the acrobats causing the "Stempel," the stamin to throw up its pollen ("Staub") falsely pollinating itself. It is around both of these, "die Mitte," that the spectators grow and diminish like rose petels around its middle, the stamin. The usual translation of "Stampfer" seems to be "pestle," but in present-day terminology a "pestle" goes with a "mortar," which is not present and adds one further element of complexity to an already overloaded image. Although, the second definition in the American Heritage Dictionary of "pestle" is "a large bar moved vertically to stamp or pound, as in a press or mill." In this era of diminished manufacturing, I would hazard to guess that almost nobody is aware of this definition. A "Stampfer," in this case representing the acrobats literally stamping on the ground during their routines, seems to merit the noun "stamper" to avoid the anachronism. Metaphor: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison. Apposition is an explanatory noun or phrase normally placed after the noun explicated. In German it must be in the same case as the antecedent and set off with commas. Zeugma: A construction in which a word is used to modify or govern two or more words, often so that its use is grammatically or logically correct with only one.

[13] den von dem eignen blühenden Staub getroffnen, zur Scheinfrucht wieder der Unlust befruchteten: These two past participial modifiers are placed after the word to which they are in apposition, "Stempel." As modifiers they must be in the same case as the word they modify, in this case the accusative before a masculine noun; hence the "en" ending on "getroffnen and befruchteten."

[14] ihrer niemals bewußten,-- glänzend mit dünnster Oberfläche leicht scheinlächelnden Unlust: The genitive "ihrer" is the strong form of the feminine genitive referring back to "Scheinfrucht." The dash is somewhat misleading, since it actually only applies to the italicized portion "glänzend mit dünnster Oberfläche," the remaining section "leicht scheinlächelnden Unlust" being a continuation of the "ihrer": "ihrer leicht scheinlächelnden Unlust." This explains the "en" ending of "scheinlächelnden," as being a weak ending after the genitive "ihrer." A less misleading presentation of this section would be: "ihrer niemals bewßusten leicht scheinlächelnden Unlust,-- glänzend mit dünnster Oberfläche. Note the repetition of "Unlust" which forms an Epanalepsis, necessitated by the complicated syntax. The whole supra-complicated image has a middle which is made up of an acrobat (der Stampfer), representing the whole troupe stamping on the ground, serving as a metaphor for the pistle (der Stempel) of the rose, self-pollinating itself with the dust kicked-up,("Staub" in German can mean dust or pollen ) producing mock fruit of reluctance, meaning that the acrobats for all their efforts are producing a mockery of art. Around this middle the spectators are compared to the rose which blossoms and then loses its petals. Metaphor: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison Epanalepsis: A repetition of a word or a phrase with intervening words setting off the repetition, sometimes occurring with a phrase used both at the beginning and end of a sentence,

[15] eingegangen: hyperbaton. Normal word order would be "in seiner gewaltigen Haut eingegangen." Hyperbaton: A figure of speech, using deviation from normal or logical word order to produce an effect.

[16] als hätte sie früher z w e i Männer enthalten: "als ob sie früher z w e i Männer enthalten hätte." The second instance of Sperrdruck in this Elegie is "z w e i" coming on an unaccented syllable. Sperrdruck: Spaced type formerly used for Italics and found in the Elegien.

[17] läge: Konjunktiv II form of "liegen" (Imperfekt lag plus umlaut and ending e) with the meaning of "would lie."

[18] er: This "er" refers way back to "der welke, faltige Stemmer, der alte," the one who is not lying in the churchyard. Rilke is depending on the clear meaning of the image to overcome the grammatical inconsistency. (Normally, the "er" would refer to "einer.") Grammatically seen, the one lying in the churchyard has outlived the other and at the same time is in the widowed skin.

[19] : als wär er der Sohn eines Nackens und einer Nonne: "als ob er der Sohn eines Nackens und einer Nonne wäre." Note the apocope on "wär" to avoid three unaccented syllables.

[20] erfüllt: Hyperbaton: Normal word order would be "prall und strammig mit Muskeln und Einfalt erfüllt." Hyperbaton: A figure of speech, using deviation from normal or logical word order to produce an effect.

[21] Oh ihr: Familiar plural which refers to the two youngest acrobats. Not having the familiar plural in English, it is necessary to state the plural using "both" or "children," since the "you" could be singular or plural. The following two sections (40-61 and 62-72) treat respectively the young boy and girl. Beginning with this section and continuing through the next two sections is a long series of apostrophes. Apostrophe: The direct address of an absent or imaginary person or of a personified abstraction.

[22] die: Cannot be a nominative, because the verb would then have to be plural. It must then be an accusative form meaning that "Leid," the personified sufferance, received the children as a plaything. Personification: As a manner of speech endowing nonhuman objects, abstractions, or creatures with life and human characteristics.

[23] Spielzeug: Rilke uses the words "Spielzeug," "Genesungen" and "klein" in an ironic manner, since the sufferance ("das Leid") received the children as a plaything during one of its convalescences, while it was small, thereby ursurping the normal role of the children. The children are then forced to be the playthings of the personified suffrance instead of having the leisure themselves to be small, play and recover from their labors. Their deprivations (or how suffrance plays with them) is then emphasized within each of the next two sections. Irony: an incongruity between between what might be expected and what actually occurs.

[24] einer seiner: refers back to "Leid" which is neuter. The preceeding "einer" has no effect on the ending of "seiner," because "ein-Words" or "der-Words" have no effect on any following "ein- or der-Words."

[25]unreif: Zeugma: The adjective "unreif" refers both to "Früchte" and to the boy himself. Zeugma: A construction in which a word is used to modify or govern two or more words, often so that its use is grammatically or logically correct with only one.

[26] abfällt: Hyperbaton: Normal word order would be "täglich hundert Mal vom Baum der gemeinsam erbauten Bewegung abfällt" One possible reason is to avoid too long of a break between "Baum" and the parenthetical relative clause for which it is the antecedent. Without the hyperbaton the phrase would read "täglich hundert Mal vom Baum der gemeinsam erbauten Bewegung abfällt" (der, rascher als Wasser, in wenig Minuten Lenz, Sommer und Herbst hat). Hyperbaton: A figure of speech, using deviation from normal or logical word order to produce an effect.

[27] abfällt und anprallt ans Grab: A repetition of the verb "abfällt" because of the parenthetical relative clause. The repetition with the extension of its meaning creates an epanorthosis. Note also the hyperbaton, since normal word order would be "und ans Grab anprallt." EpanorthosisThe rephrasing of an immediately preceding word or statement for the purpose of intensification, emphasis, or justification. Hyperbaton: A figure of speech, using deviation from normal or logical word order to produce an effect.

[28] entstehn: Hyperbaton. Normal word order would be "will dir ein liebes Antlitz hinüber zu deiner selten zärtlichen Mutter entstehn." Hyperbaton: A figure of speech, using deviation from normal or logical word order to produce an effect.

[29] wird: Hyperbaton. Normal word order would be "und eh dir jemals ein Schmerz deutlicher in der Nähe des immer trabenden Herzens wird." Hyperbaton: A figure of speech, using deviation from normal or logical word order to produce an effect.

[30] Fußsohln: Apocope. The full form would be "Fußsohlen." Apocope: The loss of one or more sounds from the end of a word.

[31] ihm, seinem Ursprung, zuvor: The simultaneously used, double meaning of "Ursprung" plays an untranslatable part in this image. The phrase "seinem Ursprung," which is in Apposition to the dative "ihm" could mean "origin" or "initial jump." The one word becomes, in effect, its own appositiv which can only be translated as "its origin, the initial jump." Also a hyperbaton. Normal word order for this separable prefix governing the dative would be "kommt das Brennen der Fußsohln ihm, seinem Ursprung, mit ein paar dir rasch in die Augen gejagten leiblichen Tränen zuvor." Hyperbaton: A figure of speech, using deviation from normal or logical word order to produce an effect.

[32] Und dennoch, blindlings, das Lächeln An example of scesis onamaton, since the verb is totally abscent. The idea is conveyed that the smile springs forth blind to the negative aspects of his existence. Scesis onamaton: Omission of the only verb of a sentence.

[33] n o c h: Third occurance of Sperrdruck: It is used to point out that this is a turning point in the Elegien where for an instant the negative turns into something worthy of an Angel, "the Acrobat's Smile." Also note the indented position of "Subriso Saltat" to physically impart this movement. Sperrdruck: Spaced type formerly used for Italics and found in the Elegien.

[34] nimms, pflücks . . .verwahrs! Stells . . . rühms . . . the synaloepha in all these commands (of ("es" without an apostrophe) refers to the direct object "das kleinblütige Heilkraut, the first two being anticipatory, and the next three referring back. Synaloepha: Omission of a vowel to contract two words into one such as "don't," "it's."

[35] "Subrisio Saltat.": Rilke's latin abbreviation of "The Acrobat's Smile." Also first example of quotes in the Elegien.

[36] Übersprungne: A feminine personal noun formed from the past participle "übersprungen" with a syncope. The normal form would be "Übersprungene" meaning the one who has been sprung over. Syncope: The shortening of a word by omission of a sound, letter, or syllable from the middle of the word.

[37] fühlt sich: Hyperbaton. Normal word order would be "oder über den jungen prallen Brüsten fühlt sich die grüne metallene Seide unendlich verwöhnt und entbehrt nichts." Hyperbaton: A figure of speech, using deviation from normal or logical word order to produce an effect.

[38] auf alle des Gleichgewichts schwankende Wagen immerfort anders hingelegte Markfrucht des Gleichmuts. . An extremely convoluted extended modifier used as an appositive to the preceeding "du." It incorporates a transposed genetive "alle des Gleichgewichts schwankende Wagen" instead of "alle schwankende Wagen des Gleichgewichts." One curious grammatical usage is the strong adjective ending "e" of "schwankende" where in modern German the weak "en" would be used after "alle" in the plural. According to Duden "Die starke Form [des Adjektivs] ist veraltet und kommt heute nur noch selten vor: 'Alle nach dem Süden reisende, botanisch interessierte Urlauber' (Bösenblatt 19, 1959)." This is seen by Duden as being outdated and incorrect. One reason for Rilke's idiosyncratic usage may be that the "auf" preceding this phrase along with the verb "hinlegen" must take the accusative because of the motion. The weak "en" ending on the present participial adjective "schwankende[n}" would be the same as the dative plural form, thereby lessening the dynamic aspect of the image. The transposed genitive phrase "auf alle des Gleichgewichts" coming between the "alle" and the adjective is similar to the example from Duden, since in both cases there is a phrase between the "alle" and the adjective. The whole phrase in normal prose would read "Du, Markfrucht des Gleichmuts, die auf alle schwankende[n] Wagen des Gleichgewichts immerfort anders hingelegt worden bist." Apposition is an explanatory noun or phrase normally placed after the noun explicated. In German it must be in the same case as the antecedent and set off with commas.

[39] öffentlich unter den Schultern: This phrase comes directly after the extended modifier and ends with a period. Since there is no verb to go along with the subject at the beginning of the sentence "Du" we have a scesis onamaton. What we do have is an adverb "öffentlich" and a prepositional phrase "unter den Schultern" to suggest to us what the missing verb could be. In the image of the Rose blooming and losing its leaves, the blooms and the leaves represented the spectators. The young girl in the present image is seen as a market fruit of indifference, i.e. an object being sold to the indifferent spectators for her sex appeal. The phrase "öffentlich" refers to this public display and the phrase "unter den Schultern" could refer to the spectators, "among whose shoulders" as they look between each other to buy with their eyes the young girl. It could also refer to her breasts ("the jungen prallen Brüsten") which could be seen as the Marktfrucht which is literally under her shoulders. Scesis onamaton: Omission of the only verb of a sentence.

[40] Wo, o wo: Diacope. Diacope: Repetition with only a word or two between.

[41] k o n n t e n: Third example of Sperrdruck used to draw out the idea of the inability to achieve a goal leading to the empty success. Sperrdruck: Spaced type formerly used for Italics and found in the Elegien.

[42] abfieln: "Apocope." The full form would be "abfielen."Syncope: Syncope: The shortening of a word by omission of a sound, letter, or syllable from the middle of the word.

[43] Und plötzlich in diesem mühsamen Nirgends, plötzlich die unsägliche Stelle: Scesis onamaton, since there is no verb. Also note the epanalepsis with "plötzlich." The repeated use of "plötzlich" conveys the sense of this ineffable place suddenly being there. Note the Nominalisierung of the adverb of place "nirgends" becoming "Nirgends." Scesis onamaton: Omission of the only verb of a sentence. Epanalepsis: a repetition of a word or a phrase with intervening words setting off the repetition. Nominalisierung: The creation of an abstract noun from any part of speech. In German, all that is needed is to capitalize the word, be it verb, adverb, pronoun, past or present participle or conjunjction, and add the requisite case endings, if any. All such constructions are in the neuter gender.

[44] umspringt: Hyperbaton. Note how Rilke uses the dash to visually emphasize the transformation "in jenes leere Zuviel." Rilke frequently links the verbs to create an active center tying together all surrounding elements. This is often only possible with an abnormal word order. The normal word order would be "in jenes leere Zuviel umspringt." Hyperbaton: A figure of speech, using deviation from normal or logical word order to produce an effect.

[45] Plätze, o Platz in Paris, unendlicher Schauplatz, wo die Modisten, Madame Lamort, die ruhlosen Wege der Erde, endlose Bänder, schlingt und windet und neue aus ihnen Schleifen erfindet, Rüschen, Blumen, Kokarden, künstliche Früchte: The italicized elements are all examples of apposition. Apposition is an explanatory noun or phrase normally placed after the noun explicated. In German it must be in the same case and set off with commas.
Plätze, o Platz in Paris, unendlicher Schauplatz: Scesis onamaton since there is no verb. Also an Apostrophe, since Rilke is directly addressing a place in Paris. Apostrophe: The direct address of an absent or imaginary person or of a personified abstraction. Scesis onamaton: Omission of the only verb of a sentence.
Madame Lamort: "La Morte" is French for "death." The whole image is a persiflage of the Norse legend of the Nornes who spin and weave the carpet of life. Here we have Madame Death concocting ribbons, etc., for the cheap winter hat of fate.
neue aus ihnen Schleifen erfindet" "neue Schleifen aus ihnen erfindet." List asyndeton and give a list of the shortened terms.

[46] alle unwahr gefärbt, -- für die billigen Winterhüte des Schicksals: Scesis Onamaton. The grammatically correct form would be "alle [sind] für die billigen Winterhüte des Schicksals unwahr gefärbt" the removal of the verb plus the dash places the emphasis on "die billigen Winterhüte des Schicksals" instead of on "unwahr gefärbt." Scesis onamaton: Omission of the only verb of a sentence.

[47] Es wäre ein Platz: The use of an "es" is to put the emphasis on the verb along with the Konjunktiv II form of "sein." This usage corresponds to English "Suppose there were a place.

[48] dorten: a variant of "dort."

[49] die's: Note that in this synaloepha the apostrophe (the punctuation mark, not the rhetorical term) is used to avoid any ambiguity with the word "dies." Otherwise Rilke almost exclusively eliminates the apostrophe. Synaloepha: Omission of a vowel to contract two words into one such as "don't," "it's."

[50]: ihre kühnen hohen Figuren des Herzschwungs, ihre Türme aus Lust, ihre längst, wo Boden nie war, nur an einander lehnenden Leitern: A long series of direct objects for the verb "zeigten." The normal prose for the last object would be "ihre längst nur aneinander lehnenden Leitern, wo Boden nie war." Also note the alliteration of "lehnendern Leitern." Alliteration: The repetition of the sound of an initial consonant or consonant cluster in stressed syllables close enough to each other for the ear to be affected.

[51] bebend: The second meaning of this word is: "die Erde bebt." The german word for "earthquake" is "das Erdbeben" which is "Erschütterung des Erdbodens." There is a saying in English after successful love making that "the earth moved." This seems to be the sense that Rilke uses this word, for which "quakes" seems the most appropriate attempt at translation.

[52] k ö n n t e n s: Last appearance of Sperrdruck in this Elegie. For emphasis at this climatic point using synaloepha. It is significant that this success comes in the subjunctive, while the previous "k o n n t e n," although negative, was in real time. Sperrdruck: Spaced type formerly used for Italics and found in the Elegien. In modern editions replaced with italics. Synaloepha Omission of a vowel to contract two words into one such as "don't," "it's.

[53] vor den Zuschauern rings, unzähligen lautlosen Toten: The "unzähligen lautlosen Toten" serve as an appositiv to "Zuschauern" which is in the dative plural thereby necessitating the dative plural "en" endings on "unzähligen," "lautlosen" and "Toten." This whole phrase is also a hyperbaton, since it would normally come at the beginning of this long sentence before "auf unsäglichem Teppich." The sentence would then begin with "Engel: es wäre ein Platz, den wir nicht wissen, und dorten, vor den Zuschauern rings, unzähligen lautlosen Toten, auf unsäglichen Teppich, . . ." Apposition is an explanatory noun or phrase normally placed after the noun explicated. In German it must be in the same case and set off with commas.

[54] Würfen: Konjunktiv II form of "werfen" (Irregular subjunctive form based on old Imperfekt plural form wurfen).

[55] die: Demonstrative pronoun referring back to "die Toten." The placement of "unzähligen lautlosen Toten" at the end instead of near the beginning of the sentence makes the use of this demonstrative pronoun possible.

[56] ihre letzten, immer ersparten, immer verborgenen, die wir nicht kennen, ewig gültigen Münzen des Glücks The last example of a long series of extended modifiers in this Elegie. The modifier "die wir nicht kennen" is a relative clause which comes strangely enough before its antecedent Münzen des Glücks. The normal form would either be "von uns nicht gekannten" as part of the series of modifiers or as a normal relative clause: "...Münzen des Glücks, die wir nicht kennen."

[57] gestilltem: Although not mentioned in the Kommentierte Ausgabe, an example of Enallage "Rhetorische Figur der Enallage, d.i. 'falsche' Zuordnung eines Adjectivs..." The adjective "gestillt" should apply to the lovers and not to the carpet. Also a type of personification where the carpet has taken on the characteristics of the lovers, so that it can be "gratified" through the lovemaking. According to Brockhaus, the German word "stillen" means "bringe zur Ruhe, befriedige." and also for a baby "lasse an der Mutterbrust trinken." More signifently, the examples given in Brockhaus are "seinen Durst stillen" and "die Blutung stillen" along with "den Säugling, lasse an der Mutterbrust trinken." I must add that Duden as the third definition includes "etwas zum Stillstand bringen, eindämmen." All of these example indicate that this verb in German primarily means to satisfy or gratify a bodily need, so the use by Rilke just adds the example of sexual satisfaction to this list. The English verb "to still" now has the meaning of make something silent or still which is the third definition in modern German. There is an archaic or regional use in English which fits the German definition "to allay or to calm," but that is archaic. Given that Rilke is using a verb which has two meanings, both of which he intends to apply, we have a classic "double entendre," presenting a matter of fact meaning simultaneously with a sexually suggestive one. The Kommentierte Ausgabe has something else to add: "Der wahre 'Teppich des Lebens'... und im Gegensatz zu V. 9. 'Gestillt' vereinigt die konkrete Bedeutung des 'gestillten Kindes' mit der allgemeineren von 'gestillter Sehnsucht'; hier erst endet der Zwang der 'niemals zufriedenen Willens.'" The reference is to the first use of "Teppich" in this Elegie where the carpet is "von ihrem ewigen Aufsprung dünneren Teppich, diesem verlorenen Teppich im Weltall." Enallage: The use of one grammatical form in some way incorrectly in place of another. Personification As a manner of speech endowing nonhuman objects, abstractions, or creatures with life and human characteristics. Double entendre: A word or phrase having a double meaning, esp. when the second meaning is risqué.