place
Karnak
The vast Egyptian temple complex at Thebes; in the Sixth Elegy Rilke recalls its reliefs of a victorious pharaoh's chariot-team, racing ahead of their own smile, as an image of the hero.
Reading notes
- Duino Elegies §6 Karnak
The great Egyptian temple at Thebes, whose reliefs of a pharaoh's chariot-team, racing ahead of their own smile, image the hero.
- The Sonnets to Orpheus §48 Karnak
The vast Egyptian temple complex at Thebes; its single surviving column, outlasting 'almost eternal temples,' is Rilke's image of the surplus that endures.