In this study, the engagement with both canonized and neglected texts of the classical modern period serves to explore a poetic tradition that can be recognized as 'visionary.' This tradition seems to draw on elements of an idealistic poetics of memory on one hand, while on the other, it appears to take shape only under the changed conditions of new historical and epochal contexts. Initially concealed affinities between Rilke's and Benjamin's memory poetics, which focus on 're-experiencing' childhood, come to light against the backdrop of Proust's influential theory of memory. The poetic significance of texts that are newly read or read in new contexts is interpretatively revealed. Proust's distinction between 'voluntary' and 'involuntary' memory proves to be insightful for this exploration.