Rilke's and Goldberg's Prodigal Son: Two modern interpretations of a Christian theme

The New Testament parable of the "Prodigal Son" has many interpretations in literature and art. In this article I focus on two poetic examples: Rilke's "Der Auszug des Verlorenen Sohnes" and Lea Goldberg's "The Prodigal Son," a cycle of three poems: "On the Road," "In the House," and "Repentance". I will show the differences between the poets' approaches to the parable. "The Parable of the Prodigal Son" is part of a series of parables in Luke 15-19. Most traditional Christian exegeses regard the prodigal son's action as an act of sin and repentance. As we shall prove, Rilke and Goldberg employed the parable in different ways. Rilke used it as a springboard for his own ideas. He was interested in the moment of departure as a symbol of an infinite search for a new path. Goldberg remained closer to the biblical narrative, but she used the parable as a psychological platform to explore the prodigal son's feelings on his return home, and his family's reaction to his absence and homecoming.