[1] Rühmen: Placed at the beginning of the poem, it is unclear whether "Rühmen" is an infinitive or a gerund. Note that the German language refers to a capitalized verb used as a noun as "ein substantivierter Infinitiv." Any confusion is perhaps clarified by the following words "das ists," since the synoloepha of "ists" means "ist es," since the "es" could refer to the noun form (gerund) "Rühmen." Of course, it could also refer to the verbal function, meaning that "Rühmen" is being used as an infinitive. According to Duden the "zu" is not mandatory when using the infinitive construction as the subject. "Der Gebrauch von 'zu' schwankt, wenn ein satzertiger Infinitiv in der Rolle eines Subjekts steht. Ein Tier quälen ist böse als auch Ein Tier zu quälen ist böse." In English there is a somewhat analogous confusion regarding the present participle and the gerund. "Walking for fun is good." Here "walking" is used as a noun and is thus a gerund. "Walking to school I met a friend." is a present participle, because it is used verbally and is actually an elliptical form for "While I was walking to school." According to Duden the German word "Gerundiv" or "Gerundivum" refers to a complicated structure mainly used to simplify (somewhat ungramatically) a passive structure. Instead of writing "Dieser Schritt kann/muß gebilligt werden," one writes "Das ist ein zu billigender Schritt." In English this is a "gerundive" and refers to a Latin structure, also found in other languages, which is "a verbal adjective with the construction of a future passive participle, suggesting fitness or propriety, necessity or imminence. An example is Legibus parendum est, where "parendum" is the "gerundive." Translated as "The laws are to be obeyed." In German it is normal to use the infinitive in this same way: "Die Arbeit ist zu machen" instead of "Die Arbeit kann gemacht werden." Or the former example from Duden could also be written: "Dieser Schritt ist zu billigen." It is when the extended adjectival construction is used that the somewhat overwrought construction using the German present participle occurs" "Das ist ein zu billigender Schritt." Literally translated "That is a to be approving step." In English we would probably say: That is a step to be approved."

[2] Ein zum Rühmen Bestellter: Extended adjectival construction for "Einer, der zum Rühmen bestellt ist." In this case the word "Rühmen" is clearly being used as "ein substantivierter Infinitiv," since it is the object of the preposition "zu." It would be possible to see the two uses of "Rühmen" as a half-way polyptoton, since one usage is ambiguous and the other clear, we have an example of one word being used for two parts of speech. Polyptoton: The repetition of the same word or root in different grammatical functions or forms.

[3] des Steins Schweigen: Transposed Genetive. Usual would be "das Schweigen des Steins." Also alliteration carried over two lines. Alliteration: The repetition of the sound of an initial consonant or consonant cluster in stressed syllables close enough to each other for the ear to be affected.

[4] o vergängliche Kelter eines den Menschen unendlichen Weins: A long apposition to "Sein Herz." Note also the extended adjectival construction "eines den Menschen unendlichen Weins." Normal would be "Der Kelter eines Weines, der den Menschen unendlich ist." Since the sentence has no stated verb, this is also a scesis onamaton. Apposition An explanatory noun or phrase normally placed after the noun explicated. In German it must be in the same case and set off with commas. Scesis onamaton: Omission of the only verb of a sentence.

[5] Stimme am Staube: Again alliteration with the letter "s." Alliteration: The repetition of the sound of an initial consonant or consonant cluster in stressed syllables close enough to each other for the ear to be affected.

[6] Alles wird Weinberg, alles wird Traube: Just as in 1-IV with "schwer sind die Berge, schwer sind die Meere" two parallel Adonic Lines using the same first word and verb. Adoneus or Adonic Line: The last line of a "Sapphic stanza." According to the German Wictionary, the Adoneus is: "ein aus der Antike stammender Versfuß aus fünf Glieders mit der Form -UU-U. In the Poets Collective website it is called the "Adonic line" and is "composed in 5 syllables, a dactyl followed by a trochee. Dactyl: A metrical foot consisting of one long syllable followed by two short ones. Trochee: A metrical foot consisting of one stressed syllable followed by one short or unstressed syllable.

[7] fühlenden Süden: Assonance. One of three examples in this Sonett where Rilke uses the "ü" sound in two consecutive words. In this case they are both long. Assonance: Resemblance of sound, especially of the vowel sounds in words.

[8] Nicht in den Grüften der Könige Moder straft ihm die Rühmung Lügen, ^[A] oder daß von den Göttern ein Schatten fällt: ^[B] Hyperbaton. A somewhat confusing word re-ordering, since the last word in the first clause is the actual subject, which is preceded by a negative and a prepositional phrase. A more normal word order would be "Nicht Moder in den Grüften der Könige straft ihm die Rühmung Lügen . . ." A grammatical problem occurs, since beginning the second clause with "oder" presupposes a preceding clause beginning with "dass." The solution is simply to reverse the two clauses: "Daß von den Göttern ein Schatten fällt, oder nicht Moder in der Grüften der Könige straft ihm die Rühmung Lügen." The clause "daß von den Göttern ein Schatten fällt" is a co-subject along with "Nicht in den Grüften der Könige Moder." The expression "Lügen strafen" means "to give the lie to." The word "Moder" is the subject, "Rühmen" is the direct object and the "ihm" is a dative of reference referring to Orpheus. A straight-forward translation would be "Not decay within the king's vault gives a lie to his praising." To take the "nicht" as negating "in den Grüften der Könige" would make no sense to the image and the placement of "nicht" seems to be determined by the dactylic meter in the same way that the clauses were reversed to allow the rhyme of "Moder" and "oder." Also note that the rhymes of "Moder" and "oder" begin the first Tercet and the rhymes of "Boten" and "Toten" the second, all of which use the long "o" sound. Hyperbaton: A figure of speech, such as anastrophe or hysteron proteron, using deviation from normal or logical word order to produce an effect.

[A] Rühmung Lügen: The second example of Assonance with two consecutive words using the "ü" sound. Note also the distant assonance of the word "Grüften" in the preceding verse. The word "Rühmung" is defined by Duden as "das Rühmen" and is listed as "Gebrauch gehoben" or elevated language. Perhaps the difference is that "das Rühmen" is the act of actually praising and "die Rühmung" is the abstract concept. After the double usage of "Rühmen" in verse 1 this is the second use of a related word. Assonance: Resemblance of sound, especially of the vowel sounds in words.

[B] daß von den Göttern ein Schatten fällt: Reminiscent of a line from the poem "Manche freilich..." by Rilke's contemporary Hugo von Hofmannsthal: "Doch ein Schatten fällt von jenen Leben [von den Leben der Götter] / In die anderen Leben hinüber / Und die leichten sind an die schweren / wie an Luft und Erde gebunden:. . ."

[9] in die Türen der Tote: Using the accusative after the preposition "in" idicates movement and must be translated with "into." Also note the Alliteration of "Türen der Tote." Alliteration: The repetition of the sound of an initial consonant or consonant cluster in stressed syllables close enough to each other for the ear to be affected.

[10] rühmlichen Früchten: Assonance of the two "ü" sounds following the "ü" sound of "Türen" in the preceding verse, following the same pattern as "Grüften" in verse 9 preceding the assonance of "Rühmung Lügen" in verse 10. Also the last of the four time usage of words derived from "rühmen," this time as an adjective. Assonance: Resemblance of sound, especially of the vowel sounds in words.