Letters to a Young Poet

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Rainer Maria Rilke

Rilke's timeless letters about poetry, sensitive observation, and the complicated workings of the human heart. Born in 1875, the great German lyric poet Rainer Maria Rilke published his first collection of poems in 1898 and went on to become renowned for his delicate depiction of the workings of the human heart. Drawn by some sympathetic note in his poems, young people often wrote to Rilke with their problems and hopes. From 1903 to 1908 Rilke wrote a series of remarkable responses to a young, would-be poet on poetry and on surviving as a sensitive observer in a harsh world. Those letters, still a fresh source of inspiration and insight, are accompanied here by a chronicle of Rilke's life that shows what he was experiencing in his own relationship to life and work when he wrote them.

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Author

Rainer Maria Rilke

Pages

Publisher

W. W. Norton & Company

Published Date

1993-09-17

ISBN

0393350460 9780393350463

Community ReviewsSee all

"This was a nice read. Rilke’s generosity of spirit shines bright, writing to this budding writer through his period of transition and offering nuggets of wisdom and observation. "

CaitVD

"This is such a nice read with an insightful approach to life in so glad to have read it! "

I H

Issiah Harris

"Such an amazing and beautifully written book"

Cami

"so beautifully written. such a great novel for anyone :)"

paris

""Live for a while in these books, learn from them what you feel is worth learning, but most of all love them," (Rilke, 21). Everyone should read this book in high school or college. It is the perfect read for the transitional phase in life, in which we must "...go into yourself and see how deep the place is from which your life flows; at its source you will find the answer..." (Rilke, 16). This book came to me at the perfect time: I am in my last year of college, trying to decide what my next step is. The letters are chock-full of a love for life, appreciation of beauty, and an understanding of the great pain that each human being must face along their journey. Written in a lyrical prose that echoes Rilke's poetry, each letter contains highly quotable phrases offering sagacious advice to any young person trying to make their way in the world. I highly recommend this book to anyone young, or anyone who feels a time of great change approaching, regardless of their age."

Jacob Longini

"of course!! it’s a really brief inspiring read"

Mox

"https://youtu.be/PpOTPO3ytOQ"

N A

Natalie Ambriz

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