The Age of Gold
Allow your judgments their own undisturbed development, which, like any unfolding, must come from within and can by nothing be forced or hastened. Everything is gestation and then birth. To allow each impression and each embryo of a feeling to complete itself in the dark, in the unsayable, the not-knowing, beyond the reach of one's own understanding, and humbly and patiently to await the dawning of a new clarity: that alone is the way of the artist—in understanding as in creating.
Viareggio, April 23, 1903
Letters to a Young Poet
"Everything is gestation and then birth."
ReplyDeleteHow is it that Rilke is so quotable?!
It gets easier, the waiting, with experience and age. My first baby gestation was supposed to come to birth on April 2, 1981. She arrived nearly a month later, April 30. There were many nights I fell asleep weeping, certain that she would never, ever come out. It was my first experience having a baby. The second wasn't late, but there was, even so, more patience, understanding, a knowing that the baby would come out, because it had happened to me. There are a lot of things I learn from babies and children, like curiosity, willingness to make mistakes, etc., but this is one thing those older than I have tried to teach me, to be patient through the gestation of anything. Until I experienced the reality as I grew older with my own experience, that something does get born eventually -- clarity, yes! -- it was hard to imagine.
ReplyDeleteHow could anyone add to the beauty and wisdom of this passage? As he does so often, Rilke reminds us that there is both grace and glory in the incomprehensible process of gestation and birth, and that our only task is to be patient, to not interfere with the unfolding of the universe. "To allow each impression and each embryo of a feeling to complete itself in the dark, in the unsayable, the not-knowing, beyond the reach of one's own understanding" — that is the only path that will lead us to the full flowering of our authentic selves.
ReplyDeleteThis is perhaps the most organic statement on the process of creativity -- "everything is gestation and birth." It does offer solace and encouragement that all of my dark frustrating hours of not saying it right is part of gestation, a future birth whose date will reveal itself only when the thing slides forth glistening and mewling and complete. Love that passage. - Brendan
ReplyDeleteone must be very strong to write something like this and to live something like this because who is able to "Allow your judgments their own undisturbed development" we are so influenced. i really hope i can take some small bits and pieces of Rilke's advice into my everyday life
ReplyDeleteWow, I am moved by this passage...
ReplyDeleteBeing able to "Allow your judgments their own undisturbed development.." is difficult in our fast-paced ever changing world. We all seem to be rushing to the next stage, the better job, the bigger house... Not taking the time to develop and to create, to grow and find clarity. We push for more, we push for understanding. This is a quote I will read daily as a reminder to "patiently await the dawning of a new clarity."
Thank you for sharing this poet and his work!