Explication of The Merry-Go-Round by Rainer Maria Rilke

Presented by Kelly Suellentrop

· Voice

o The speaker takes on the role of the observer, watching the people, animals and reactions on the merry-go-round. Yet the speaker also seems to be affected by the subject, commenting on a universal observation.

o The tone of the poem itself changes with the emotions of the riders being described, yet the circular motion of the poem almost has a calming affect when it is read – that is, until the last stanza when the poem boast a tone of panic soon calmed by a brief reassurance.

· Words

o Rilke uses almost exclusively concrete words to describe the merry-go-round, the riders, and the action. Phrases such as “train of painted horses,” “a wicked lion red with anger,” and “a little girl in blue” form very concrete images. Yet these concrete words begin to paint very abstract notions in the last stanza. For example while the line “A flash of red, of green, or gray, goes past,” is very concrete, that last stanza culminates into the last lines, “And oftentimes a blissful dazzling smile/ vanishes in this blind and breathless game.” The “blind and breathless game” seems to refer to something larger than the merry-go-round itself, leading the reading to ponder more abstract and symbolic ideas.

o Rilke uses standard English (actually, he used standard German; we’re reading a translation), making it accessible to all readers. This supports the universal theme Rilke wants the reader to relate to, that of dealing with life and aiming for an unattainable ideal.

· Symbols

o The Merry-Go-Round is loaded with symbols. The general symbols are as follows:

Ø the merry-go-round = life

Ø animals = different situations in life

Ø riders = different attitudes about and reactions to life

Ø the big white elephant = purity, irresistibly challenging, the unattainable ideal

More specifically:

Ø “…where upright,/ a little girl in blue sits, buckled tight.” = a person strapped to her situation and who is holding herself rigidly

Ø “And on the lion whitely rides a young/ boy clings with little sweaty hands,/ the while the lion shows his teeth and tongue.” = a person trying to cope with a challenging and unpredictable situation (the lion), he reacts with fear and despair (“whitely rides,” “clings with little sweaty/ hands”)

Ø “…shining girls who have outgrown this play;/ in the middle of the flight they let their eyes/ glance here and there and near and far away –“ = those who are wiser with age and can be freed from anxieties, have learned to deal with life’s problems and can turn attention to things that please them

Ø “and now and then a big white elephant” = only reoccurring image and only animal without a rider. This symbolizes that unattainable ideal that presents itself every so often in our lives, just as the elephant passes every so often on the merry-go-round

• Imagery
• Visual Imagery

Ø occurs constantly throughout the poem

Ø concrete images are painted through the use of colors, specific nouns, strong adjectives (such as wicked, dazzling, and scare-begun profile), and action verbs (such as prance, clings, whirling, and vanishes)

• Tactile Imagery

Ø Though not as strong, it does present itself in two places. In the line “a young/ boy who clings with little sweaty hands,” produces the feel of gripping an object so tightly that your hands begin to perspire. Also, the last stanza produces a quick circular motion, almost to the point where the reader can feel the wind blowing as he/she rides on a fast-moving merry-go-round

• Figures of Speech
• Metaphor – the entire poem itself is an extended metaphor, otherwise known as a conceit, for life. Also, the line “in this bright land that lingers/ before it perishes.” is a metaphor for the old adage, “Life is short.”
• Sound
• Rhyme scheme – there is no regular rhyme scheme. However there are rhyming lines within the poem, and they have strategic purposes.

Ø stanza 1 – no rhyme

Ø stanza 2 – a b b; the words “upright” and “tight” in lines 10 and 11 are an accented rhyme, otherwise known as a masculine rhyme. The rhyming of these two words represents the rigidity of the little girl’s reaction to her situation

Ø stanza 3 – no rhyme

Ø stanza 4 – no rhyme

Ø stanza 5 – a b a b; the rhyming of “by” and “eyes” in lines 16 and 18, and “play” and “away” in lines 17 and 19 again represent accented rhyme. This use of rhyme mimics the playful and carefree attitude of the older girls

Ø stanza 6 – no rhyme

Ø stanza 7 – a b a c c b; the irregular accented rhyme scheme represents the motion of whirling out of control

• Alliteration and Assonance – both appear frequently throughout the poem and contribute to the circular motion by creating fluency and euphony
• Rhythm
• Free Verse – there is no regular meter to this poem, yet the circular motion of the poem is kept steady by the even lines, occasional rhymes, use of alliteration and assonance, and the repetition of the line “And now and then a big white elephant.”
• All of the lines are composed of 10 syllables, with the exception of lines 3 (7syllables), 5 (7 syllables), 6 (3 syllables), 7 (9 syllables), 13 (9 syllables), and 18 (11 syllables). Only line 6 is completely irregular, yet it does not disrupt the rhythm since the lines are enjambed.
• The last stanza produces a hurried reading because of the use of words that suggest speed (such as “hurries,” “fast,” “whirling,” and “flash”), as well as the use of short quick phrases (such as “A flash of red, of, green, of gray, goes past”)