This essay analyzes RM Rilke's "First Elegy" from the Duino Elegies. It concerns the religious imagery of the poem, and how it conveys/fails to convey a proper or true sense of 'death' to the reader. It also discusses the form of elegies and their importance at the beginning of the Modern period of literature, signifying the terror and meaninglessness of life during constant war. 5 pgs. Bibliography lists 4 sources.