[1] Raum der Rühmung: Alliteration and a continuation of the extolling theme of the previous Sonett. 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.

[2] die Klage: An example of an allegorical figure. In the tenth Duineser Elegie one finds "eine junge Klage," "eine Klagewelt," and "Klagefürsten." See my website entitled "rilkeduineserelegien.com." Allegory: 1. a representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms.

[3] die Nymphe des geweinten Quells: In apposition to "die Klage." The word "Quell," which is masculine is the poetic form of the more common "die Quelle," which is feminine. It does, however, allow Rilke to rhyme "Quells" with "Fels," permitting the masculine genitive "s" to be used. In the "Duineser Elegien" the stream of the dead from earth upward is defined as "die Quelle der Freude" in the tenth Elegie.

[4] wachend über unserm Niederschlage: A present participial phrase which, although common in English, is relatively uncommon in German. Also a hyperbaton, since the normal word order would be "über unserm Niederschlage wachend." Note the pleonistic "e" on "Niederschlage" allowing the rhyme with "Klage" and also the acope with "unserm" which normally would be "unserem." Hyperbaton: A figure of speech, such as anastrophe or hysteron proteron, using deviation from normal or logical word order to produce an effect. Pleonastic: A superfluous word, phrase or letter. Apocope: The loss of one or more sounds from the end of a word.

[5] sei: An example of the "Wunsch- und Begehrungssatz" which in German corresponds to our use of "be" in such sentences as "I wish that it be so." This form exists both in main sentences and in subordinate clauses after verbs of wishing, hoping, demanding, desiring, etc. Wunsch- und Begehrungssatz: A use of Konjunktiv I to express a wish or desire, normally in the third person as commands. They are found mainly in Biblical and poetic expressions such as "Der Herr segne dich und behüte dich!," "Es lebe hoch!," "Es lebe die Freiheit!," "Es werde Licht," "Es lebe die Freiheit," Es komme die bessere Zeit," etc. This form exists both in main sentences and in subordinate clauses after verbs of wishing, hoping, demanding, desiring, etc.

[6] Tore trägt: Alliteration. 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.

[7] ihre stillen Schultern früht das Gefühl: The adverb "früh" used as a verb is apparantly a neologism by Rilke furthering the assonance of the two long "ü" sounds. Note also the third long "ü" sound in the next verse with "Gemüt." Also note the alliteration of "stillen Schultern and the "f" sound in "früht das Gefühl." Assonance: Resemblance of sound, especially of the vowel sounds in words. 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.

[8] wäre: Hyperbaton. The normal word order would be "daß sie die jüngste unter den Geschwistern im Gemüt wäre." Note also the Konjunktiv II usage of "wäre" for the indirekte Rede, where "sei" could also be used, probably to further the rhyme with "Altäre."

[9] Geschwistern im Gemüt: Besides the above-mentioned distant assonance with the foregoing "früht das Gefühl" and the alliteration of the two "g" sounds, the word "Geschwister" paradoxically means "siblings," although the word apparently stems from "Schwester." In this context Rilke seemingly intends the root meaning, rather than the more diffuse "sibling" one. In the "Wikipedia" under the rubric of collective nouns, one of the examples is "die Geschwister" as stemming from "die Schwester." Assonance: Resemblance of sound, especially of the vowel sounds in words. 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] w e i ß : Third Sonette with usage of Sperrdruck, falling this time on an accented syllable adding heightened emphasis. Sperrdruck: Spaced type to indicate emphasis. This older technique has been replaced with slanted type called

[11] das alte Schlimme: Nominalisierung of the adjective "schlimm." Nominalisierung: The creation of an abstract noun from any part of speech. In German, all that is needed is to capitalize the word, be it verb, adverb, pronoun, past or present participle or conjunjction, and add the requisite case endings, if any. All such constructions are in the neuter gender.

[12] plötzlich, schräg und ungeübt: The adverb, "plötzlich" and then "schräg" connected to an adjective "ungeübt." The word "schräg" besides its normal meaning of "slanting, inclined, sloping or oblique" also has the more colloquial meaning of "unconventional or "abnormal" according to the German Duden: "(umgangssprachlich, oft abwertend) von der Norm, vom Üblichen, Erwarteten abweichend [und daher nicht akzeptabel]." This secondary meaning has more in common with "ungeübt" than the purely spatial meaning and also would then be an adjective connected to another adjective, justifying the use of the connective "and." The English word "eccentric" basically meaning "deviating from the center" is similar to "schräg" which implies "deviating from the vertical."

[13] Sternbild unsrer Stimme: Alliteration of "Sternbild" and "Stimme" and acope of "unsrer" which normally would be "unserer." 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. Apocope: The loss of one or more sounds from the end of a word.

[14] in den Himmel: Note the accusative indicating that the constellatiion was held "into" the sky or heaven. Were it the dative, it would have to be "in dem Himmel" or in the plural, there would have to be an "n" on "Himmel," "in den Himmeln."