Rilke’s Starry Women

Rainer Maria Rilke was not a handsome man; nevertheless, women of different status, ages and lifestyles wanted to get close to him. What fascinated them was not just his souful gaze and his androgynous tenderness but mainly his ability to conceive of reality in an unfamiliar way and to give expression to this not just in his poetry but also in his personal dealings. Ursula Voß identifies many new facets of the poet in his reflection in the female gaze while commemorating the women that inspired and supported him and were, in turn, inspired by him – be it friends, companions, lovers or benefactros – in this book at the same time.