“La parola di un uomo onesto significa ciò che dice” Romano Guardini lettore di Rilke.

Abstract

The reflection on human existence described by Rainer Maria Rilke in the arduous verses of the Duineser Elegien, one of the highest expressions of 20th century poetry, has been the object of a long, rigorous and illuminating meditation by Romano Guardini. To remember the great Italian-German Catholic intellectual, theologian and philosopher on the 50th anniversary of his death (1968-2018), this contribution anticipates some of the contents developed in the collection of Guardini’s writings on Rilke edited by the author, which will be published in 2019 by Morcelliana. Three are the main elements highlighted here: the academic and didactic reasons that led Guardini to reflect on Rilkes’ work; the essential outline of his hermeneutics; finally, the main reasons that caused Guardini to take a very critical stand towards Rilkes’ poetry, which represents a painful and dramatic reflection on the annihilation of the modern man.