METAPHORICAL MODEL “SCARCITY” AS A MAJOR COMPONENT OF THE INTERPRETATION OF R.M. RILKE’S POEMS DEDICATED TO ART

Abstract

The article examines the texts of R.M. Rilke; their versatility and polyphony are noted. It is pointed out that Rilke’s poetic texts are an endless source of interpretations, therefore, it is quite natural that such a branch of literary criticism as Rilke studies had subsisted in science for decades. Many works devoted to the study of this author’s legacy are associated with various types of metaphors and emphasize their conceptualization. The methodology of this article is based on research results in the field of the theory of metaphorical modeling, namely the metaphorical model “Scarcity”. The uniqueness of the work lies in revealing deep connections between concepts that, at first glance, seem to be positively opposite. The evidence is given that the metaphorical model of “Entirety” in the poet’s texts does not appear as an opposition to the “Scarcity” model. R.M. Rilke forms these models into a single whole: one smoothly flows into the other. It is shown how the author conceptualizes and categorizes the world through metaphorical models. The study materials are represented by the literary creations included in the cycles Duino Elegies, Sonnets to Orpheus, and New Poems, and also by extracanonical works of different years. The unifying component of all the analyzed poetry is its devotion to art: music, songs, and the nature of artistic endeavor that underlies writing poetry.