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Letters to a Young Poet
'What matters is to live everything. Live the questions for now.'
A hugely influential collection for writers and artists of all kinds, Rilke's profound and lyrical letters to a young friend advise on writing, love, sex, suffering and the nature of advice itself.
A hugely influential collection for writers and artists of all kinds, Rilke's profound and lyrical letters to a young friend advise on writing, love, sex, suffering and the nature of advice itself.
80 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1929
8,267 people are currently reading
196k people want to read
About the author
Rainer Maria Rilke
1,715听books6,590听followersA mystic lyricism and precise imagery often marked verse of German poet Rainer Maria Rilke, whose collections profoundly influenced 20th-century German literature and include
The Book of Hours
(1905) and
The Duino Elegies
(1923).
People consider him of the greatest 20th century users of the language.
His haunting images tend to focus on the difficulty of communion with the ineffable in an age of disbelief, solitude, and profound anxiety 鈥� themes that tend to position him as a transitional figure between the traditional and the modernist poets.
His two most famous sequences include the Sonnets to Orpheus , and his most famous prose works include the Letters to a Young Poet and the semi-autobiographical The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge .
He also wrote more than four hundred poems in French, dedicated to the canton of Valais in Switzerland, his homeland of choice.
People consider him of the greatest 20th century users of the language.
His haunting images tend to focus on the difficulty of communion with the ineffable in an age of disbelief, solitude, and profound anxiety 鈥� themes that tend to position him as a transitional figure between the traditional and the modernist poets.
His two most famous sequences include the Sonnets to Orpheus , and his most famous prose works include the Letters to a Young Poet and the semi-autobiographical The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge .
He also wrote more than four hundred poems in French, dedicated to the canton of Valais in Switzerland, his homeland of choice.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 12,859 reviews
July 17, 2024
鈥�Go into yourself and see how deep the place is from which your life flows.鈥�
Rainer Maria Rilke puts forth the question 鈥�must I write?鈥� in these letters from the great poet to the unknown Mr. Kappus. 鈥�Dig into yourself for a deep answer,鈥� he tells the young poet, 鈥�and if this answer rights out in assent, if you meet this solemn question with a strong, simple 鈥淚 must鈥�, then build your life in accordance with this necessity.鈥� Letters To A Young Poet, written between 1903-08, contains some of the most passionately moving words of encouragement and examination into the life of an artist. Rilke advises that 鈥�a work of art is good if it has risen out of necessity鈥�, that they must feel they 鈥�would have to die if you were forbidden to write.鈥� From there, he instructs towards the soul-searching life of solitude which best cultivates the artists gift. With powerful prose that often reaches the same sublime peaks found in his poetry, these magnanimous, heart-felt letters are some the most empowering words of wisdom into undertaking of the arts as well as an impressive portrait of Rilke himself.
It is difficult to accurately explain the powers of transcendence contained in these letters. What is especially difficult is to do so in the realm of reviewing, a sort of critique that bastardizes the original message by having it be received tainted from my amateur perspective as it passes through me鹿, as Rilke himself cautions against reading any sort of literary criticism, positive or negative in his very first letter.
鈥�We know little, but that we must trust in what is difficult is a certainty that will never abandon us,鈥� Rilke writes. Constantly he tries to impress upon the young poet that the road to greatness is a difficult, lonely path, and that any meandering towards what is easy is destined to lead to failure or mediocrity. 鈥�It is good to be solitary, for solitude is difficult; that something is difficult must be one more reason for us to do it.鈥� In the Bukowski poem How to be a Good Writer, he examines the life of those he considers great and asks :
This is a fantastic short collection for anyone with any interest in writing. It is one of the most beautifully empowering books I have ever read and reminds the reader of the mindset they must accept in order to let the arts flourish in the soil of their souls. Whatever the topic he discusses, it is wholly pleasant to be immersed in the flow of his writing - each word is a warm embrace. While the letters are intended for Mr. Kappus alone, and his side of the conversation is missing, the message is universal. From the man who wrote some of the finest poetry of the 20th century, this book should be read by everyone before they pick up a pen to write (the same goes for Sorrentino鈥檚 , but that is a discussion for another time). I鈥檓 surprised this isn鈥檛 required reading in all freshman college literature courses. This is truly a gift of writing, it sustained a smile across by face the entire time.
5/5
'Just the wish that you may find in yourself enough patients to endure and enough simplicity to have faith; that you may gain more and more confidence in what is difficult and in your solitude among other people. And as for the rest, let life happen to you. Believe me: life is in the right, always.'
鹿 For more on the corruption of literature through any attempt at interpretation or criticism, I highly recommend reading Susan Sontag essay (thank you to Mike for showing me this essay). Also, for further reading on the distortion of Rilke鈥檚 words, William H. Gass has his take on translating the great poet:
Rainer Maria Rilke puts forth the question 鈥�must I write?鈥� in these letters from the great poet to the unknown Mr. Kappus. 鈥�Dig into yourself for a deep answer,鈥� he tells the young poet, 鈥�and if this answer rights out in assent, if you meet this solemn question with a strong, simple 鈥淚 must鈥�, then build your life in accordance with this necessity.鈥� Letters To A Young Poet, written between 1903-08, contains some of the most passionately moving words of encouragement and examination into the life of an artist. Rilke advises that 鈥�a work of art is good if it has risen out of necessity鈥�, that they must feel they 鈥�would have to die if you were forbidden to write.鈥� From there, he instructs towards the soul-searching life of solitude which best cultivates the artists gift. With powerful prose that often reaches the same sublime peaks found in his poetry, these magnanimous, heart-felt letters are some the most empowering words of wisdom into undertaking of the arts as well as an impressive portrait of Rilke himself.
It is difficult to accurately explain the powers of transcendence contained in these letters. What is especially difficult is to do so in the realm of reviewing, a sort of critique that bastardizes the original message by having it be received tainted from my amateur perspective as it passes through me鹿, as Rilke himself cautions against reading any sort of literary criticism, positive or negative in his very first letter.
鈥�Nothing touches a work of art so little as words of criticism: they always result in more or less fortunate misunderstandings. Things aren鈥檛 all so tangible and sayable as people would usually have us believe; most experience is unsayable, they happen in a space that no word has ever entered, and more unsayable than all other things are works of art, those mysterious existences, whose life endures beside our own small, transitory life.While, as Rilke point out, the ethereal joys brought about in me while reading this are ineffable, I would still like to take a few moments of your time to discuss how beautiful these letters are. It is a sort of minor-key beauty, spending much time navigating through the implications of solitude and painful soul-searching, yet it elevates the heart to such high levels and is sure to make anyone reach for a pen in order to try their own hand at poetry.
鈥�We know little, but that we must trust in what is difficult is a certainty that will never abandon us,鈥� Rilke writes. Constantly he tries to impress upon the young poet that the road to greatness is a difficult, lonely path, and that any meandering towards what is easy is destined to lead to failure or mediocrity. 鈥�It is good to be solitary, for solitude is difficult; that something is difficult must be one more reason for us to do it.鈥� In the Bukowski poem How to be a Good Writer, he examines the life of those he considers great and asks :
remember the old dogsThis is merely a more blunt and coarse explanation of Rilke鈥檚 own sentiments. While it may seem a frightening truth, that we must always take the hard road, and that we must seek solitude in ourselves to mine the gold buried within us, that we may reach a point of near-madness, he presents it as such a beautiful gift, a place of inner turmoil that is bliss to the writer because it is how language is able to take root in our souls and grow.
who fought so well:
Hemingway, Celine, Dostoevsky, Hamsun.
If you think they didn't go crazy
in tiny rooms
just like you're doing now
without women
without food
without hope
then you're not ready.
鈥�What is necessary, after all, is only this: solitude, vast inner solitude. To walk inside yourself and meet no one for hours 鈥� that is what you must be able to attain. To be solitary as you were when you were a child, when the grownups walked around involved with matters that seemed large and important because they looked so busy and because you didn鈥檛 understand a thing about what they were doing.鈥�Rilke advises that childhood is one of the richest places to seek ourselves and our inspirations. Not only to call forth our dusty memories and let language polish and remold them into something remarkable, but to use a childlike 鈥�not-understanding鈥� to best examine the world.
鈥�Why should you want to give up a child鈥檚 wise not-understanding in exchange for defensiveness and scorn, since not-understanding is, after all, a way of being alone, whereas defensiveness and scorn are a participation in precisely what, by these means, you want to separate yourself from.What really stood out to me about Rilke was his utter humbleness. Rilke responds to Kappus as if Kappus were the most important person in the world, and he begins each letter with an honest apology for the delay in his responses. Rilke remains ever humble in his words, and though he offers brilliant, shining insights, suggestions and long investigations on a variety of topics beyond writing (God, love 鈥� especially his distaste for those who mistake lust for love and how it damages the artistic heart, Rome, paintings, etc.), he never asserts himself as anything but a man with no answers, only direction. He reminds Kappus 鈥�Don鈥檛 think the person who is trying to comfort you now lives untroubled among the simple and quiet words that sometimes give you pleasure. His life has much trouble and sadness鈥�鈥�. We all face our anxieties day by day, and even those we look up and even idolize were never able to reach perfection. We are all human, and Rilke manages to both send us reaching for the heavens while still remaining firmly grounded here on the Earth.
This is a fantastic short collection for anyone with any interest in writing. It is one of the most beautifully empowering books I have ever read and reminds the reader of the mindset they must accept in order to let the arts flourish in the soil of their souls. Whatever the topic he discusses, it is wholly pleasant to be immersed in the flow of his writing - each word is a warm embrace. While the letters are intended for Mr. Kappus alone, and his side of the conversation is missing, the message is universal. From the man who wrote some of the finest poetry of the 20th century, this book should be read by everyone before they pick up a pen to write (the same goes for Sorrentino鈥檚 , but that is a discussion for another time). I鈥檓 surprised this isn鈥檛 required reading in all freshman college literature courses. This is truly a gift of writing, it sustained a smile across by face the entire time.
5/5
'Just the wish that you may find in yourself enough patients to endure and enough simplicity to have faith; that you may gain more and more confidence in what is difficult and in your solitude among other people. And as for the rest, let life happen to you. Believe me: life is in the right, always.'
鹿 For more on the corruption of literature through any attempt at interpretation or criticism, I highly recommend reading Susan Sontag essay (thank you to Mike for showing me this essay). Also, for further reading on the distortion of Rilke鈥檚 words, William H. Gass has his take on translating the great poet:
May 11, 2022
these letters rewired my whole brain chemistry
December 5, 2023
being a boygenius fan
this is inspiring and nice and partial motivation for one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands, so ultimately this is good.
even if it mostly did make me think i'm very uncreative and wasting away my time nonartistically.
bottom line: this is a cry for lucy dacus' goodreads attention.
this is inspiring and nice and partial motivation for one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands, so ultimately this is good.
even if it mostly did make me think i'm very uncreative and wasting away my time nonartistically.
bottom line: this is a cry for lucy dacus' goodreads attention.
December 29, 2022
This man just casually writing the most profound things I have ever read in a letter to his pal, meanwhile I spend 10 minutes figuring out how to sign off an email
August 26, 2017
Rilke (1875-1926) was a famous German poet, born in Prague. He traveled widely throughout Europe, married and had a daughter. A dozen years out of school, after Rilke had achieved some fame as a poet, a young man wrote to him asking for advice about life and poetry. Rilke wrote ten letters to him over five years. The young boy was romantic, frail and dreamy; a prisoner, so to speak, in a military boarding school where he was subject to strict discipline, bullying and humiliation. It was the same school that Rilke鈥檚 father sent him to in preparation for a career as a military officer. And all those adjectives also applied to Rilke who had been in the identical situation. So, in a sense, Rilke poured his heart out writing to his younger self.
Some of Rilke鈥檚 writings in the ten letters:
鈥淔or the creative artist there is no poverty 鈥� nothing is insignificant or unimportant.鈥�
鈥淭here is nothing that manages to influence a work of art less than critical words. They always result in more or less unfortunate misunderstandings. Things are not as easily understood nor as expressible as people usually would like us to believe. Most happenings are beyond expression; they exist where a word has never intruded.鈥�
Writing in 1904 Rilke was amazingly prescient about the upcoming sexual revolution:
鈥淧erhaps the sexes are more closely related than one would think. Perhaps the great renewal of the world will consist of this, that man and woman, freed of all confused feelings and desires, shall no longer seek each other as opposites, but simply as members of a family and neighbors, and will unite as human beings, in order to simply, earnestly, patiently, and jointly bear the heavy responsibility of sexuality that has been entrusted to them鈥�.This progress shall transform the experience of love, presently full of error, opposed at first by men, who have been overtaken in their progress by women. It shall thoroughly change the love experience to the rebuilding of a relationship meant to be between two persons, no longer just between man and woman鈥�.The men, who today cannot yet feel it coming, shall be surprised and defeated by it.鈥�
鈥淒o not allow yourself to be confused in your aloneness by the something within you that wishes to be released from it. This very wish, if you will calmly and deliberately use it as a tool, will help to expand your solitude into far distant realms.鈥�
鈥淓verything you can think about in your childhood is good.鈥�
鈥淥f all my books there are only a few that are indispensable to me. Two of them are constantly at my fingertips wherever I may be. They are here with me now: the Bible and the books of the great Danish writer Jens Peter Jacobsen.鈥� (Rilke particularly praises Jacobsen鈥檚 collection of short stories, Mogens, which I have reviewed here: /review/show...)
鈥淲e are unutterably alone, essentially, especially in the things most intimate and most important to us鈥�.It becomes increasingly clear that it [aloneness] is basically not something we can choose to have or not to have. We simply are alone. One can only delude one鈥檚 self and act as though it were not so 鈥� that is all.鈥�
The second half of the book is a collection of some of his poems. Most are very accessible. Here are some sections of verse that I liked
From FOR A FRIEND
I have my dead, and I would let them go
and be surprised to see them all so cheerful,
so soon at home in being-dead, so right,
so unlike their repute. You, you alone,
return; brush past me, move about, persist
in knocking something that vibratingly
betrays you.
From ORPHEUS. EURYDICE. HERMES.
Wrapt in herself she wandered. And her deadness
was filling her like fullness.
Full as a fruit with sweetness and with darkness
was she with her great death, which was so new
that for the time she could take nothing in.
From THE CATHEDRAL
In those small towns you come to realize
how the cathedrals utterly outgrew
their whole environment. Their birth and rise,
as our own life鈥檚 too great proximity
will mount beyond our vision and our sense
of other happenings, took precedence
of all things; as though that were history,
piled up in their immeasurable masses
in petrification safe from circumstance,
From THE DWARF鈥橲 SONG
My hands too will always be failing me.
How hopelessly stunted they are you can see:
damp, heavy, hopping constrictedly
like little toads in wet weather.
And everything else about me too
is old and worn and sad to view;
why does God delay to do
away with it altogether?
From THE ORPHAN GIRL鈥橲 SONG
I鈥檓 no one, and no one is what I shall be.
I'm still too small to exist, I agree;
but I'll always be so.
鈥�
No one can need me: it's too soon now,
and tomorrow it's too late.
A very thought-provoking, calming read.
Portrait of Rilke by Leonid Pasternak from Wikipedia
Some of Rilke鈥檚 writings in the ten letters:
鈥淔or the creative artist there is no poverty 鈥� nothing is insignificant or unimportant.鈥�
鈥淭here is nothing that manages to influence a work of art less than critical words. They always result in more or less unfortunate misunderstandings. Things are not as easily understood nor as expressible as people usually would like us to believe. Most happenings are beyond expression; they exist where a word has never intruded.鈥�
Writing in 1904 Rilke was amazingly prescient about the upcoming sexual revolution:
鈥淧erhaps the sexes are more closely related than one would think. Perhaps the great renewal of the world will consist of this, that man and woman, freed of all confused feelings and desires, shall no longer seek each other as opposites, but simply as members of a family and neighbors, and will unite as human beings, in order to simply, earnestly, patiently, and jointly bear the heavy responsibility of sexuality that has been entrusted to them鈥�.This progress shall transform the experience of love, presently full of error, opposed at first by men, who have been overtaken in their progress by women. It shall thoroughly change the love experience to the rebuilding of a relationship meant to be between two persons, no longer just between man and woman鈥�.The men, who today cannot yet feel it coming, shall be surprised and defeated by it.鈥�
鈥淒o not allow yourself to be confused in your aloneness by the something within you that wishes to be released from it. This very wish, if you will calmly and deliberately use it as a tool, will help to expand your solitude into far distant realms.鈥�
鈥淓verything you can think about in your childhood is good.鈥�
鈥淥f all my books there are only a few that are indispensable to me. Two of them are constantly at my fingertips wherever I may be. They are here with me now: the Bible and the books of the great Danish writer Jens Peter Jacobsen.鈥� (Rilke particularly praises Jacobsen鈥檚 collection of short stories, Mogens, which I have reviewed here: /review/show...)
鈥淲e are unutterably alone, essentially, especially in the things most intimate and most important to us鈥�.It becomes increasingly clear that it [aloneness] is basically not something we can choose to have or not to have. We simply are alone. One can only delude one鈥檚 self and act as though it were not so 鈥� that is all.鈥�
The second half of the book is a collection of some of his poems. Most are very accessible. Here are some sections of verse that I liked
From FOR A FRIEND
I have my dead, and I would let them go
and be surprised to see them all so cheerful,
so soon at home in being-dead, so right,
so unlike their repute. You, you alone,
return; brush past me, move about, persist
in knocking something that vibratingly
betrays you.
From ORPHEUS. EURYDICE. HERMES.
Wrapt in herself she wandered. And her deadness
was filling her like fullness.
Full as a fruit with sweetness and with darkness
was she with her great death, which was so new
that for the time she could take nothing in.
From THE CATHEDRAL
In those small towns you come to realize
how the cathedrals utterly outgrew
their whole environment. Their birth and rise,
as our own life鈥檚 too great proximity
will mount beyond our vision and our sense
of other happenings, took precedence
of all things; as though that were history,
piled up in their immeasurable masses
in petrification safe from circumstance,
From THE DWARF鈥橲 SONG
My hands too will always be failing me.
How hopelessly stunted they are you can see:
damp, heavy, hopping constrictedly
like little toads in wet weather.
And everything else about me too
is old and worn and sad to view;
why does God delay to do
away with it altogether?
From THE ORPHAN GIRL鈥橲 SONG
I鈥檓 no one, and no one is what I shall be.
I'm still too small to exist, I agree;
but I'll always be so.
鈥�
No one can need me: it's too soon now,
and tomorrow it's too late.
A very thought-provoking, calming read.
Portrait of Rilke by Leonid Pasternak from Wikipedia
July 17, 2016
'Letters to young poet', written by famed poet Rainer Maria Rilke, starts with a 'imaginary' poet Mr. Kappus seeking affirmation, from the great German poet, whether he should write ? The book continues with a series of letters which are generous answers, to the letters by'Young Worker', by Rilke, who was only 28 then, at length, and in great detail about what constitutes creativity and poetry, and how to channel the former into the latter. When you read first letter, at the outset, you may get perception as if the poet is not pleased with someone asking him to evaluate works (by that someone), however as you move ahead you realize that letters by Rilke are exquisite, deep, very candid and probably of some use to someone new who is seeking advice of more experienced ones.
Rilke begins with probably the most honest statement in critical theory- There is nothing less apt to touch a work of art than critical words: all we end up with there is more or less felicitous misunderstandings - and continues further mediation about how to write. He then begins a series of discussions, continued throughout the Letters, of how both the Young Poet and his work can become more mature, more richly developed, and ultimately more connected to the Young Poet's creative soul. The great poet says that one need not confirmation from others to decide merit of one's work of art; he advises- Nobody can advise you and help you, nobody. There is only one way. Go into yourself. He tells young poet that one must not be worried about others' opinions, all that one should be considerate about it to ask oneself whether at one's inside one is convinced or not- ask yourself in your night's quietest hour: must I write? Dig down into yourself for a deep answer. And if it should be affirmative, if it is given to you to respond to this serious question with a loud and simple 'I must, then construct your life according to this necessity
Rilke talks about different themes in the book, he mentions that one must try to make use of 'Irony' in creative moments to get a grasp of life, other themes, which are explored in the book, are-
Solitude:
Solitude, is essential if the Young Poet is to create work of both universal truth and lasting value.
鈥榃hat is necessary, after all, is only this: solitude, vast inner solitude. To walk inside yourself and meet no one for hours 鈥� that is what you must be able to attain. To be solitary as you were when you were a child, when the grown ups walked around involved with matters that seemed large and important because they looked so busy and because you didn鈥檛 understand a thing about what they were doing.鈥�
Nature:
Rilke believes that nature has strong impact on creativity, he suggests that ultimate manifestation of creativity is an act of creation.
Sexuality
Sexuality, according to RIlke, is manifestation of the creative spirit and an expression of humanity's nature.
Love
Rilke says that if a young poet has to come to both an understanding of himself and nature then love is a an important experience for one.
One day there will be girls and women whose names will no longer just signify the opposite of the male but something in their own right, something which does not make one think of any supplement or limit but only of life and existence: the female human being.
This step forward (at first right against the will of the men who are left behind) will transform the experience of love, which is now full of error, alter it root and branch, reshape it into a relation between two human beings .............I believe that love remains so strong and powerful in your memory because it was your first deep experience of solitariness and the first inner work that undertook on your life.
Rilke moves on further to talk about that one should try to understand life in fullest and that it could be understood only if life is truly lived. He advises that one must engages fully in every experience - relationships, love, sexual desire, writing- and try to contemplate them in solitude.
The book is one of those creations of art which throw light on the path you must follow to let your artistic creations bloom in fullest .Though letters don't have any descriptions of the young poet -everything the reader comes to understand about the Young Poet must be gleaned from hints in Rilke's writing- nevertheless, it can be assuredly said about the book that it gives the impression- the Young Poet undergoes a journey over the course of his correspondence with Rilke and got transformed eventually.
I will say that any one who takes his writing seriously- for which he has to take up his vocation to read- can read this book, the book is a must read for anyone interested in poetry and life.
May 31, 2021
fui atr谩s desse livro porque ele 茅 citado em "pequena coreografia do adeus". o li em algumas horas e repensei toda minha vida at茅 aqui. que montanha-russa de emo莽玫es foi acompanhar cada carta presente na obra.
"obras de arte s茫o de uma solid茫o infinita, e nada pode passar t茫o longe de alcan莽谩-las quanto a cr铆tica. apenas o amor pode compreend锚-las, conserv谩-las e ser justo em rela莽茫o a elas."
"obras de arte s茫o de uma solid茫o infinita, e nada pode passar t茫o longe de alcan莽谩-las quanto a cr铆tica. apenas o amor pode compreend锚-las, conserv谩-las e ser justo em rela莽茫o a elas."
April 5, 2022
Briefe an einen jungen Dichter = Letters to a Young Poet鈥€€�, Rainer Maria Rilke
In 1903, a student at a military academy sent some of his verses to a well-known Austrian poet, requesting an assessment of their value. The older artist, Rainer Maria Rilke (1875鈥�1926), replied to the novice in this series of letters 鈥� an amazing archive of remarkable insights into the ideas behind Rilke's greatest poetry.
The ten letters reproduced here were written during an important stage in Rilke's artistic development, and they contain many of the themes that later appeared in his best works. The poet himself afterwards stated that his letters contained part of his creative genius, making this volume essential reading for scholars, poetry lovers, and anyone with an interest in Rilke, German poetry, or the creative impulse.
毓賳賵丕賳賴丕蹖 趩丕倬 卮丿賴 丿乇 丕蹖乇丕賳: 芦趩賳丿 賳丕賲賴 亘賴 卮丕毓乇蹖 噩賵丕賳 賵 蹖讴 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賵 趩賳丿 卮毓乇禄貨 芦賳丕賲賴 賴丕蹖蹖 亘賴 卮丕毓乇蹖 噩賵丕賳禄貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 乇丕蹖賳乇 賲丕乇蹖丕 乇蹖賱讴賴貨 鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮: 乇賵夭 賳賴賲 賲丕賴 跇賵卅賳 爻丕賱2005賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 趩賳丿 賳丕賲賴 亘賴 卮丕毓乇蹖 噩賵丕賳 賵 蹖讴 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賵 趩賳丿 卮毓乇貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 乇丕蹖賳乇 賲丕乇蹖丕 乇蹖賱讴賴貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 倬乇賵蹖夭 賳丕鬲賱 禺丕賳賱乇蹖貨 賲卮禺氐丕鬲 賳卮乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 丌亘丕賳貙 爻丕賱1353貙 丿乇110氐貙 賲賵囟賵毓: 賳丕賲賴 賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 丌賱賲丕賳 - 爻丿賴20賲貙 (乇丕蹖賳乇 賲丕乇蹖丕 乇蹖賱讴賴 丕夭 爻丕賱1875賲蹖賱丕丿蹖貙 鬲丕 爻丕賱1926賲)貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 賳丕賲賴 賴丕蹖蹖 亘賴 卮丕毓乇蹖 噩賵丕賳貨 爻丕賱1320貨 丿乇110氐賮丨賴貙 丕賳鬲卮丕乇丕鬲 賲毓蹖賳貙 亘丕 鬲乇噩賲賴 倬乇賵蹖夭 賳丕鬲賱 禺丕賳賱乇蹖貙 卮丕亘讴9789647603409貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 賳丕賲賴 賴丕蹖蹖 亘賴 卮丕毓乇蹖 噩賵丕賳貨 賳賵卮鬲賴: 乇丕蹖賳乇 賲丕乇蹖丕 乇蹖賱讴賴貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 毓賱蹖 賲鬲賵賱蹖 夭丕丿賴 丕乇丿讴丕賳蹖貨 賲卮丨氐丕鬲 賳卮乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 鬲毓丕賵賳蹖 讴丕乇丌賮乇蹖賳丕賳 賮乇賴賳诏 賵 賴賳乇貙 爻丕賱1386貙 丿乇71氐貙 卮丕亘讴9789648742602貨 賲賵囟賵毓: 賳丕賲賴 賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 丌賱賲丕賳 - 爻丿賴20賲
乇丕蹖賳乇 賲丕乇蹖丕 乇蹖賱讴賴 鈥�(夭丕丿賴 乇賵夭 爻賵賲 丕夭 賲丕賴 丿爻丕賲亘乇 爻丕賱1975賲蹖賱丕丿蹖鈥� 丿乇诏匕卮鬲賴 丿乇 乇賵夭 亘蹖爻鬲 賵 賳賴賲 賲丕賴 丿爻丕賲亘乇 爻丕賱1926賲蹖賱丕丿蹖) 丕夭 亘乇鬲乇蹖賳 卮丕毓乇丕賳 丌賱賲丕賳蹖鈥� 夭亘丕賳貙 丿乇 爻丿賴 亘蹖爻鬲賲 賲蹖賱丕丿蹖 亘賵丿賳丿貨 亘乇禺蹖 丕夭 爻乇賵丿賴鈥� 賴丕 賵 丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏й� 芦乇蹖賱讴賴禄 乇丕貙 賲鬲乇噩賲丕賳蹖 賴賲趩賵賳 噩賳丕亘丕賳 丌賯丕蹖丕賳: 芦卮乇賮鈥� 丕賱丿蹖賳 禺乇丕爻丕賳蹖禄貙 芦倬乇賵蹖夭 賳丕鬲賱 禺丕賳賱乇蹖禄貙 芦賲賴丿蹖 睾亘乇丕蹖蹖禄貙 賵 芦毓賱蹖 毓亘丿丕賱賱賴蹖禄貙 亘賴 賮丕乇爻蹖 鬲乇噩賲賴 賵 賲賳鬲卮乇 讴乇丿賴鈥� 丕賳丿貨 芦倬乇賵蹖夭 賳丕鬲賱 禺丕賳賱乇蹖禄 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 亘丕乇 丿乇 爻丕賱1320賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貙 賴賲蹖賳 丕孬乇 乇丕 亘丕 毓賳賵丕賳: 芦賳丕賲賴鈥� 賴丕蹖蹖 亘賴 卮丕毓乇蹖 噩賵丕賳禄 鬲乇噩賲賴 讴乇丿賳丿貨 乇賲丕賳 芦丿賮鬲乇賴丕蹖 賲丕賱丿賴 賱丕卅賵乇蹖爻 亘乇蹖诏賴禄 丕夭 丌孬丕乇 丕蹖卮丕賳 亘丕 亘乇诏乇丿丕賳 噩賳丕亘 丌賯丕蹖 芦賲賴丿蹖 睾亘乇丕卅蹖禄貙 賵 鬲乇噩賲賴贁 诏夭蹖丿賴鈥� 丕蹖 丕夭 丕卮毓丕乇 丕蹖卮丕賳貙 丿乇 芦讴鬲丕亘 卮丕毓乇丕賳禄 鬲賵爻胤 噩賳丕亘丕賳 丌賯丕蹖丕賳 (賲乇丕丿 賮乇賴丕丿倬賵乇 賵 蹖賵爻賮 丕亘丕匕乇蹖)貙 賵 賴賲趩賳蹖賳 賲噩賲賵毓賴鈥� 丕蹖 丕夭 丌孬丕乇 丕蹖卮丕賳 亘賴 賯賱賲 噩賳丕亘 丌賯丕蹖 芦毓賱蹖 毓亘丿丕賱賱賴蹖禄貙 亘賴 賮丕乇爻蹖 亘乇诏乇丿丕賳 卮丿賴鈥� 丕賳丿
賳賯賱 丕夭 賲鬲賳: (丕诏乇 賲賴乇 禺賵丿 乇丕 亘乇 賴乇趩賴 賴爻鬲 亘诏爻鬲乇蹖丿貙 丕诏乇 亘賴 賮乇賵鬲賳蹖 亘讴賵卮蹖丿貙 鬲丕 亘丕 賴乇趩賴 賳丕趩蹖夭 賲蹖賳賲丕蹖丿 丌卮賳丕 卮賵蹖丿貙 丌賳诏丕賴 賴賲賴 蹖 丕賲賵乇 亘乇丕蹖 卮賲丕 丌爻丕賳鬲乇 禺賵丕賴丿 卮丿 賵 丿乇 賳馗乇鬲丕賳 禺賵卮 丌賴賳诏鬲乇 賵 丿賵爻鬲丕賳賴 鬲乇 噩賱賵賴 禺賵丕賴丿 讴乇丿.)貨 倬丕蹖丕賳 賳賯賱
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 08/04/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 15/01/1401賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
In 1903, a student at a military academy sent some of his verses to a well-known Austrian poet, requesting an assessment of their value. The older artist, Rainer Maria Rilke (1875鈥�1926), replied to the novice in this series of letters 鈥� an amazing archive of remarkable insights into the ideas behind Rilke's greatest poetry.
The ten letters reproduced here were written during an important stage in Rilke's artistic development, and they contain many of the themes that later appeared in his best works. The poet himself afterwards stated that his letters contained part of his creative genius, making this volume essential reading for scholars, poetry lovers, and anyone with an interest in Rilke, German poetry, or the creative impulse.
毓賳賵丕賳賴丕蹖 趩丕倬 卮丿賴 丿乇 丕蹖乇丕賳: 芦趩賳丿 賳丕賲賴 亘賴 卮丕毓乇蹖 噩賵丕賳 賵 蹖讴 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賵 趩賳丿 卮毓乇禄貨 芦賳丕賲賴 賴丕蹖蹖 亘賴 卮丕毓乇蹖 噩賵丕賳禄貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 乇丕蹖賳乇 賲丕乇蹖丕 乇蹖賱讴賴貨 鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮: 乇賵夭 賳賴賲 賲丕賴 跇賵卅賳 爻丕賱2005賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 趩賳丿 賳丕賲賴 亘賴 卮丕毓乇蹖 噩賵丕賳 賵 蹖讴 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賵 趩賳丿 卮毓乇貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 乇丕蹖賳乇 賲丕乇蹖丕 乇蹖賱讴賴貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 倬乇賵蹖夭 賳丕鬲賱 禺丕賳賱乇蹖貨 賲卮禺氐丕鬲 賳卮乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 丌亘丕賳貙 爻丕賱1353貙 丿乇110氐貙 賲賵囟賵毓: 賳丕賲賴 賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 丌賱賲丕賳 - 爻丿賴20賲貙 (乇丕蹖賳乇 賲丕乇蹖丕 乇蹖賱讴賴 丕夭 爻丕賱1875賲蹖賱丕丿蹖貙 鬲丕 爻丕賱1926賲)貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 賳丕賲賴 賴丕蹖蹖 亘賴 卮丕毓乇蹖 噩賵丕賳貨 爻丕賱1320貨 丿乇110氐賮丨賴貙 丕賳鬲卮丕乇丕鬲 賲毓蹖賳貙 亘丕 鬲乇噩賲賴 倬乇賵蹖夭 賳丕鬲賱 禺丕賳賱乇蹖貙 卮丕亘讴9789647603409貨
毓賳賵丕賳: 賳丕賲賴 賴丕蹖蹖 亘賴 卮丕毓乇蹖 噩賵丕賳貨 賳賵卮鬲賴: 乇丕蹖賳乇 賲丕乇蹖丕 乇蹖賱讴賴貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 毓賱蹖 賲鬲賵賱蹖 夭丕丿賴 丕乇丿讴丕賳蹖貨 賲卮丨氐丕鬲 賳卮乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 鬲毓丕賵賳蹖 讴丕乇丌賮乇蹖賳丕賳 賮乇賴賳诏 賵 賴賳乇貙 爻丕賱1386貙 丿乇71氐貙 卮丕亘讴9789648742602貨 賲賵囟賵毓: 賳丕賲賴 賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 丌賱賲丕賳 - 爻丿賴20賲
乇丕蹖賳乇 賲丕乇蹖丕 乇蹖賱讴賴 鈥�(夭丕丿賴 乇賵夭 爻賵賲 丕夭 賲丕賴 丿爻丕賲亘乇 爻丕賱1975賲蹖賱丕丿蹖鈥� 丿乇诏匕卮鬲賴 丿乇 乇賵夭 亘蹖爻鬲 賵 賳賴賲 賲丕賴 丿爻丕賲亘乇 爻丕賱1926賲蹖賱丕丿蹖) 丕夭 亘乇鬲乇蹖賳 卮丕毓乇丕賳 丌賱賲丕賳蹖鈥� 夭亘丕賳貙 丿乇 爻丿賴 亘蹖爻鬲賲 賲蹖賱丕丿蹖 亘賵丿賳丿貨 亘乇禺蹖 丕夭 爻乇賵丿賴鈥� 賴丕 賵 丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏й� 芦乇蹖賱讴賴禄 乇丕貙 賲鬲乇噩賲丕賳蹖 賴賲趩賵賳 噩賳丕亘丕賳 丌賯丕蹖丕賳: 芦卮乇賮鈥� 丕賱丿蹖賳 禺乇丕爻丕賳蹖禄貙 芦倬乇賵蹖夭 賳丕鬲賱 禺丕賳賱乇蹖禄貙 芦賲賴丿蹖 睾亘乇丕蹖蹖禄貙 賵 芦毓賱蹖 毓亘丿丕賱賱賴蹖禄貙 亘賴 賮丕乇爻蹖 鬲乇噩賲賴 賵 賲賳鬲卮乇 讴乇丿賴鈥� 丕賳丿貨 芦倬乇賵蹖夭 賳丕鬲賱 禺丕賳賱乇蹖禄 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 亘丕乇 丿乇 爻丕賱1320賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貙 賴賲蹖賳 丕孬乇 乇丕 亘丕 毓賳賵丕賳: 芦賳丕賲賴鈥� 賴丕蹖蹖 亘賴 卮丕毓乇蹖 噩賵丕賳禄 鬲乇噩賲賴 讴乇丿賳丿貨 乇賲丕賳 芦丿賮鬲乇賴丕蹖 賲丕賱丿賴 賱丕卅賵乇蹖爻 亘乇蹖诏賴禄 丕夭 丌孬丕乇 丕蹖卮丕賳 亘丕 亘乇诏乇丿丕賳 噩賳丕亘 丌賯丕蹖 芦賲賴丿蹖 睾亘乇丕卅蹖禄貙 賵 鬲乇噩賲賴贁 诏夭蹖丿賴鈥� 丕蹖 丕夭 丕卮毓丕乇 丕蹖卮丕賳貙 丿乇 芦讴鬲丕亘 卮丕毓乇丕賳禄 鬲賵爻胤 噩賳丕亘丕賳 丌賯丕蹖丕賳 (賲乇丕丿 賮乇賴丕丿倬賵乇 賵 蹖賵爻賮 丕亘丕匕乇蹖)貙 賵 賴賲趩賳蹖賳 賲噩賲賵毓賴鈥� 丕蹖 丕夭 丌孬丕乇 丕蹖卮丕賳 亘賴 賯賱賲 噩賳丕亘 丌賯丕蹖 芦毓賱蹖 毓亘丿丕賱賱賴蹖禄貙 亘賴 賮丕乇爻蹖 亘乇诏乇丿丕賳 卮丿賴鈥� 丕賳丿
賳賯賱 丕夭 賲鬲賳: (丕诏乇 賲賴乇 禺賵丿 乇丕 亘乇 賴乇趩賴 賴爻鬲 亘诏爻鬲乇蹖丿貙 丕诏乇 亘賴 賮乇賵鬲賳蹖 亘讴賵卮蹖丿貙 鬲丕 亘丕 賴乇趩賴 賳丕趩蹖夭 賲蹖賳賲丕蹖丿 丌卮賳丕 卮賵蹖丿貙 丌賳诏丕賴 賴賲賴 蹖 丕賲賵乇 亘乇丕蹖 卮賲丕 丌爻丕賳鬲乇 禺賵丕賴丿 卮丿 賵 丿乇 賳馗乇鬲丕賳 禺賵卮 丌賴賳诏鬲乇 賵 丿賵爻鬲丕賳賴 鬲乇 噩賱賵賴 禺賵丕賴丿 讴乇丿.)貨 倬丕蹖丕賳 賳賯賱
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 08/04/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 15/01/1401賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
August 25, 2012
The last book for the year. The soothing, gentle, unimposing yet wise voice of Rilke - what better way to fold up one more chapter in life and open another, with hope for more suffering and joys in apt measure. This little book has been my companion for four years now, always half-finished, and it feels strange to finally remove the bookmark and to keep it aside.
Read it with a forgiving bend. Keep in mind that Rilke never wrote them with an intention to publish, it was mostly an attempt to convey a few truths to a fellow poet. Read it in that spirit - If you read with critical intent, the magic of the book will be lost on you.
My only complaint with the book is that it presents only one half of the conversation. It would have been a wonderful piece if both the young poet's and Rilke's letters had been printed in succession. I wonder if such an edition is available somewhere...
Read it with a forgiving bend. Keep in mind that Rilke never wrote them with an intention to publish, it was mostly an attempt to convey a few truths to a fellow poet. Read it in that spirit - If you read with critical intent, the magic of the book will be lost on you.
My only complaint with the book is that it presents only one half of the conversation. It would have been a wonderful piece if both the young poet's and Rilke's letters had been printed in succession. I wonder if such an edition is available somewhere...
January 1, 2016
Dear Mr. Rilke,
Assuming it to be a frequent phenomenon with you, I partake in pleasure and liberty of appointing you the receiver of yet another letter, from a besotted admirer of your wisdom and expression.
You see I have always felt that the best stories are those that we wish turned true; stories that uplift us with their depths and spring us back to the surface to stay afloat; stories that carry our thoughts in their seams and weave the most warm blankets to protect us in the winters of life; stories that complete the half-drawn picture, packing us to a destination of solace.
But above all, a story works best when the mind inking it knows its reader like a best friend; knowing when to let her be and when to rejig her. When the pen joins dots to create conversations between its one such holder and this distant best friend, the creations turn alive, ringing their elevating bells for years to come.
Although I laid hands on a bunch of letters your wrote to Mr.Kappus, your young poet friend, I was taken aback by the loud resonance that penetrated my soul upon reading them. You came to bless me with your songs on life at a time when I was getting crushed under boulders of fear and anxiety with my arms turning deplorably limp to make even the smallest of difference. These bouts are not uncommon but this time, they were of epic proportions. When the ground beneath one鈥檚 ideals is suddenly shaken in virulent jolts, she looks upto the skies in hope of a miraculous intervention. You, were mine. Like a supreme entablature, your sagacity descended upon me, stabilizing my fledgling structure. Your distilled prudence covered every open bevel, every bruised crevice in my existence and all at once, I was steady, sturdy and breathing again.
I know I would continue to run into speed-breakers during this voyage of mine; occasional skidding on account of poor reflexes on dense complexes would also be inevitable. But both in bountiful and sick days, I would survive on your inspiring truths; those that cannot be seized by time or place, those that do not have any negative cape, those that find beauty in much, those that detect a breath in dust.
Assuming it to be a frequent phenomenon with you, I partake in pleasure and liberty of appointing you the receiver of yet another letter, from a besotted admirer of your wisdom and expression.
You see I have always felt that the best stories are those that we wish turned true; stories that uplift us with their depths and spring us back to the surface to stay afloat; stories that carry our thoughts in their seams and weave the most warm blankets to protect us in the winters of life; stories that complete the half-drawn picture, packing us to a destination of solace.
But above all, a story works best when the mind inking it knows its reader like a best friend; knowing when to let her be and when to rejig her. When the pen joins dots to create conversations between its one such holder and this distant best friend, the creations turn alive, ringing their elevating bells for years to come.
Although I laid hands on a bunch of letters your wrote to Mr.Kappus, your young poet friend, I was taken aback by the loud resonance that penetrated my soul upon reading them. You came to bless me with your songs on life at a time when I was getting crushed under boulders of fear and anxiety with my arms turning deplorably limp to make even the smallest of difference. These bouts are not uncommon but this time, they were of epic proportions. When the ground beneath one鈥檚 ideals is suddenly shaken in virulent jolts, she looks upto the skies in hope of a miraculous intervention. You, were mine. Like a supreme entablature, your sagacity descended upon me, stabilizing my fledgling structure. Your distilled prudence covered every open bevel, every bruised crevice in my existence and all at once, I was steady, sturdy and breathing again.
And your doubts can become a good quality if you school them. They must grow to be knowledgeable, they must learn to be critical. As soon as they begin to spoil something for you ask them why a thing is ugly, demand hard evidence, test them, and you will perhaps find them at a loss and short of an answer, or perhaps mutinous. But do not give in, request arguments, and act with this kind of attentiveness and consistency every single time, and the day will come when instead of being demolishers they will be among your best workers 鈥� perhaps the canniest of all those at work on the building of your life.It might be heartening for you to know that I have been attributing my strength to my doubts as much as to my beliefs. In fact, I have often found myself strolling on numerous evenings, absorbed in an inconsequential mist of doubts and dilemmas. Donning the robe of a forced soloist has never stopped me from performing but has often questioned my embrace of solitude. Is it even worth? All those seconds ticking away without another pair of eyes in the vicinity?
What is needed is this, and this alone: solitude, great inner loneliness. Going into oneself and not meeting anyone for hours 鈥� that is what one must arrive at.You quelled my fear; in the most beautiful way. You didn鈥檛 deflect me from my walk. Instead you slipped an inexpressible kind of validation beneath my feet that transformed the weather all at once. Holding your finger, the hard road of complexities and predicaments turned a generous grass-bed of soft, white clouds 鈥� engulfing me in a feeling of beauty, tenderness, clarity and alacrity while sending buoyant tremors of spirit into my being.
I know I would continue to run into speed-breakers during this voyage of mine; occasional skidding on account of poor reflexes on dense complexes would also be inevitable. But both in bountiful and sick days, I would survive on your inspiring truths; those that cannot be seized by time or place, those that do not have any negative cape, those that find beauty in much, those that detect a breath in dust.
If there is something ailing in the way you go about things, then remember that sickness is the means by which an organism rids itself of something foreign to it. All one has to do is help it to be ill, to have its whole illness and let it break out, for that is how it mends itself..
June 2, 2024
鈽� 3.25 stars
Letters To a Young Poet is, in short, a book that delicately embraces themes of love, poetry, inspiration, solitude, self-discovery, the complexities of life, and what it means to be an artist as a whole 鈥� the beauty and the pain of it. it鈥檚 profoundly beautiful, captivating and thought-provoking. there were many times where i found myself in awe with Rilke鈥檚 letters and his wisdom.
but, unfortunately, i wasn鈥檛 able to fully enjoy this book and engage with it as much as i wanted to and thought i would; that explains why i鈥檓 not giving it a higher rating. although i have to clarify that that鈥檚 not, by any means, the book鈥檚 fault 鈥� as i said, it is a beautiful book, there鈥檚 no doubt about it, but i was personally not in the right mood to deeply connect with the story and get completely immersed, you know? so it鈥檚 more of a 鈥�right book, wrong time鈥� & 鈥�it鈥檚 not you, it鈥檚 me鈥� situation here. totally on me.
don鈥檛 get me wrong, i found the novel enjoyable in some aspects and i certainly don鈥檛 regret reading it, i just didn鈥檛 love it. maybe someday i will revisit this story and have a different and much better experience, who knows... we鈥檒l see about that.
that said, i still highly recommend Letters To a Young Poet and i feel like many will be able to see the greatness of it. it鈥檚 a perfect story for those who are looking for something short and, in some way, impactful.
鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌
路藲鈯� 鈹� pre鈥搑ead:
鈫� started on may 6th, 2024.
once again seeking refuge in short books because this slump is literally eating me alive. also, the fact that i haven鈥檛 finished a book in almost a month is driving me insane so hopefully i鈥檒l be able to finish this one. 馃槶
鈥淚 beg you, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don鈥檛 search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now.鈥�
Letters To a Young Poet is, in short, a book that delicately embraces themes of love, poetry, inspiration, solitude, self-discovery, the complexities of life, and what it means to be an artist as a whole 鈥� the beauty and the pain of it. it鈥檚 profoundly beautiful, captivating and thought-provoking. there were many times where i found myself in awe with Rilke鈥檚 letters and his wisdom.
but, unfortunately, i wasn鈥檛 able to fully enjoy this book and engage with it as much as i wanted to and thought i would; that explains why i鈥檓 not giving it a higher rating. although i have to clarify that that鈥檚 not, by any means, the book鈥檚 fault 鈥� as i said, it is a beautiful book, there鈥檚 no doubt about it, but i was personally not in the right mood to deeply connect with the story and get completely immersed, you know? so it鈥檚 more of a 鈥�right book, wrong time鈥� & 鈥�it鈥檚 not you, it鈥檚 me鈥� situation here. totally on me.
don鈥檛 get me wrong, i found the novel enjoyable in some aspects and i certainly don鈥檛 regret reading it, i just didn鈥檛 love it. maybe someday i will revisit this story and have a different and much better experience, who knows... we鈥檒l see about that.
that said, i still highly recommend Letters To a Young Poet and i feel like many will be able to see the greatness of it. it鈥檚 a perfect story for those who are looking for something short and, in some way, impactful.
鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌鈹赌
路藲鈯� 鈹� pre鈥搑ead:
鈫� started on may 6th, 2024.
once again seeking refuge in short books because this slump is literally eating me alive. also, the fact that i haven鈥檛 finished a book in almost a month is driving me insane so hopefully i鈥檒l be able to finish this one. 馃槶
January 14, 2024
- 毓卮乇丞 乇爻丕卅賱 丕乇爻賱賴丕 "乇賷賱賰賷賴" 丕賱賶 氐丿賷賯賴 "賰丕亘賵爻"貙 賷賳氐丨賴 賮賷賴丕 毓賳 丕賱卮毓乇 賵丕賱丕丿亘 賵丕賱賮賳貙 亘兀爻賱賵亘 賲鬲賵丕囟毓 賵乇賯賷賯.
- 丕賱乇爻丕卅賱 賱胤賷賮丞 (爻鬲毓賷丿 匕賰乇賷丕鬲 賰孬賷乇丞 賱賲賳 丕毓鬲丕丿 賰鬲丕亘鬲賴丕) 賵賴匕丕 丕賱賳賵毓 賲賳 丕賱賲乇丕爻賱丕鬲 賯丿 亘丿兀 賷賳賯乇囟 丕賱賷賵賲 賵賲毓賴 鬲匕賴亘 丕丨丿賶 丕賱賲卮丕毓乇 丕賱廿賳爻丕賳賷丞 丕賱賶 丕賯亘賷丞 丕賱賳爻賷丕賳!
- 乇賷賱賰賴 賱丕 賷毓馗 賮賷 賴匕賴 丕賱乇爻丕卅賱 亘賱 賷丨丕賵賱 丕賳 賷鬲乇賰 "賰丕亘賵爻" 毓賱賶 爻噩賷鬲賴 賲毓 鬲賵爻賷毓 丌賮丕賯賴 賵丕毓胤丕卅賴 賳氐丕卅丨 賲賳 鬲噩乇亘鬲賴 丕賱卮禺氐賷丞 賵賯乇丕亍丕鬲賴 丕賱匕丕鬲賷丞.
- 賰鬲丕亘 禺賮賷賮 賵亘爻賷胤 賵乇賯賷賯!
---
賲毓馗賲 丕賱兀丨丿丕孬 賱丕 賷賲賰賳 丕賱鬲毓亘賷乇 毓賳賴丕 亘丕賱賰賱賲丕鬲貙 賵鬲丨丿孬 賮賷 賲賰丕賳 賱賲 鬲胤兀賴 賷賵賲丕賸 賰賱賲丞
- 丕賱乇爻丕卅賱 賱胤賷賮丞 (爻鬲毓賷丿 匕賰乇賷丕鬲 賰孬賷乇丞 賱賲賳 丕毓鬲丕丿 賰鬲丕亘鬲賴丕) 賵賴匕丕 丕賱賳賵毓 賲賳 丕賱賲乇丕爻賱丕鬲 賯丿 亘丿兀 賷賳賯乇囟 丕賱賷賵賲 賵賲毓賴 鬲匕賴亘 丕丨丿賶 丕賱賲卮丕毓乇 丕賱廿賳爻丕賳賷丞 丕賱賶 丕賯亘賷丞 丕賱賳爻賷丕賳!
- 乇賷賱賰賴 賱丕 賷毓馗 賮賷 賴匕賴 丕賱乇爻丕卅賱 亘賱 賷丨丕賵賱 丕賳 賷鬲乇賰 "賰丕亘賵爻" 毓賱賶 爻噩賷鬲賴 賲毓 鬲賵爻賷毓 丌賮丕賯賴 賵丕毓胤丕卅賴 賳氐丕卅丨 賲賳 鬲噩乇亘鬲賴 丕賱卮禺氐賷丞 賵賯乇丕亍丕鬲賴 丕賱匕丕鬲賷丞.
- 賰鬲丕亘 禺賮賷賮 賵亘爻賷胤 賵乇賯賷賯!
---
賲毓馗賲 丕賱兀丨丿丕孬 賱丕 賷賲賰賳 丕賱鬲毓亘賷乇 毓賳賴丕 亘丕賱賰賱賲丕鬲貙 賵鬲丨丿孬 賮賷 賲賰丕賳 賱賲 鬲胤兀賴 賷賵賲丕賸 賰賱賲丞
March 22, 2020
鈥淏e patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves...Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.鈥�
鈥淭he only journey is the one within.鈥�
Really loved the idea of 'living the question.' Beginning in 1903 and spanning a 5-year period, Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet consists of 10 letters from the famous poet to a novice poet who has been soliciting his advice. It's interesting that Rilke does not praise the poetry he is sent, but admires that his interlocutor is questioning whether the life of a poet is right for him. What does it mean to Rilke? It's definitely not about what the critics say. He is more interested in the path a poet should take (reflecting quite often on a sense of solitude and love that is necessary for this undertaking). Something about Rilke's sensibilities reminded me of what I find in Herman Hesse's work. You get a sense of warmth about Rilke in his replies, but there is also something deeply philosophical and almost magical about how he writes. 4.5 stars
鈥淧erhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.鈥�
鈥淭he only journey is the one within.鈥�
Really loved the idea of 'living the question.' Beginning in 1903 and spanning a 5-year period, Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet consists of 10 letters from the famous poet to a novice poet who has been soliciting his advice. It's interesting that Rilke does not praise the poetry he is sent, but admires that his interlocutor is questioning whether the life of a poet is right for him. What does it mean to Rilke? It's definitely not about what the critics say. He is more interested in the path a poet should take (reflecting quite often on a sense of solitude and love that is necessary for this undertaking). Something about Rilke's sensibilities reminded me of what I find in Herman Hesse's work. You get a sense of warmth about Rilke in his replies, but there is also something deeply philosophical and almost magical about how he writes. 4.5 stars
鈥淧erhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.鈥�
Read
June 13, 2017Dear Mr Rilke,
How can I thank you enough for these marvelously heartfelt letters, full of inspiration, beauty and wisdom. They are a glorious gift, a gospel of wonderful words which I will follow all the days of my life.
Dear Reader,
If there is one thing I would say to you, it is to caution you against immoderation, against lavish and excessive language. When you write, try to say what you really feel and using the simplest language you know. Listen to the silence deep in your heart and begin there. Then, as if no one had ever tried before, try to say what you see and feel and love and lose.
Dear Mr Rilke,
I am trying to keep your advice in mind but my heart is a busy, noisy, chattering place and it tells me to use five words instead of one, and long sentences rather than short ones.
Dear Reader,
Don't let yourself be controlled by irony, especially during uncreative moments. When you are fully creative, try to use it, as one more way to take hold of life. Search into the depths of things. Imagine yourself in some prison, whose walls let in none of the world鈥檚 sounds; for the writer or poet, solitude and silence are essential. And books. Read, read, read and then you will be able to write.
Dear Mr Rilke,
I do read, a wide selection of authors and titles, but sometimes I doubt my own judgement of what I read, especially when it differs from others or from the literary critics.
Dear Reader,
Read as little as possible of literary criticism; such things are either artisan opinions or else clever word-games. Works of art are of an infinite solitude; and no means of approach is so useless as criticism.
Dear Mr Rilke,
My dilemma when I read is an inability to abandon the work to its own solitude at the end, I always want to enter into dialogue with the writer.
Dear Reader,
Dialogue is good. Anything which gives rise to creativity is useful, words on a page or the blank page itself.
Dear Mr Rilke,
Speaking of blank pages, I felt an absence in your book. I wondered about the letters from Mr Kappus to which yours were a response?
Dear Reader,
It is the reader鈥檚 response which is important, not that of Mr Kappus, and since it was he who edited this book, we must presume he preferred to remain silent.
Dear Mr Rilke,
Had I the editing of this book, each letter would have been accompanied by a blank page, and exactly for that reason, for the reader鈥檚 response. That is how I would like all books to be, printed on one side of the page only so that the reader can fill in the other and have a real dialogue with the writer.
Dear Reader,
This is the best idea you have given me so far, and as for the rest, let life happen to you. Believe me: life is right, always.
August 3, 2020
LETTER FROM A YOUNG POET
Dear Mr Rilke
I am not sure I made myself completely clear in my last letter to you. Judging by the reply you were so kind enough to send, I don鈥檛 think you quite realised that my landlord has now issued a notice to quit, the period of which terminates this month, and, as I tried to explain, I have been let go from my position at the slaughterhouse 鈥� I stress that these are not metaphors, or ironic parables, dear Mr Rilke. It could be that you thought I was speaking poetically. This was sadly not the case. This being so, I was wondering if you could see your way to being able to advance me a sum of somewhere in the region of 2500 marks to get me through the coldest winter we have experienced in many a long year. I put it to you plainly 鈥� the last bottle of gin was finished last night and I am hoping that wallpaper contains some nutriments because that is the only edible thing left in the house from which I will be imminently ejected. 3000 marks of course will be better, I could then replace my boots and would not have to walk the streets wearing two blocks of ice. I know you many times advised me to embrace my solitude, to not demand answers to life鈥檚 questions but to live intimately with the questions themselves, but surely, not to the point where one might reasonably be expected to contract tuberculosis.
Your affectionate correspondent
Franz Xaver Kappus
Berlin 1928
PS 鈥� at a stretch I can live with 2000 marks if I sell some minor body parts to the Hospital.
Dear Mr Rilke
I am not sure I made myself completely clear in my last letter to you. Judging by the reply you were so kind enough to send, I don鈥檛 think you quite realised that my landlord has now issued a notice to quit, the period of which terminates this month, and, as I tried to explain, I have been let go from my position at the slaughterhouse 鈥� I stress that these are not metaphors, or ironic parables, dear Mr Rilke. It could be that you thought I was speaking poetically. This was sadly not the case. This being so, I was wondering if you could see your way to being able to advance me a sum of somewhere in the region of 2500 marks to get me through the coldest winter we have experienced in many a long year. I put it to you plainly 鈥� the last bottle of gin was finished last night and I am hoping that wallpaper contains some nutriments because that is the only edible thing left in the house from which I will be imminently ejected. 3000 marks of course will be better, I could then replace my boots and would not have to walk the streets wearing two blocks of ice. I know you many times advised me to embrace my solitude, to not demand answers to life鈥檚 questions but to live intimately with the questions themselves, but surely, not to the point where one might reasonably be expected to contract tuberculosis.
Your affectionate correspondent
Franz Xaver Kappus
Berlin 1928
PS 鈥� at a stretch I can live with 2000 marks if I sell some minor body parts to the Hospital.
December 28, 2024
* 賲賱丨賵馗丞 賴丕賲丞 賯亘賱 賯乇丕亍丞 丕賱乇賷賮賷賵:
賴匕丕 丕賱乇賷賮賷賵 卮禺氐賷 噩丿丕賸貙 睾賷乇 賲賵囟賵毓賷貙 賵睾賷乇 賲購丨丕賷丿.. 賵賱匕賱賰貙 賵噩亘 丕賱鬲賳賵賷賴.
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賰丕賳 毓賳丿賷 賲賵毓丿 亘丕賱賯丕賴乇丞 賮賷 丕賱鬲丕爻毓丞 賲賳 氐亘丕丨 丕賱賷賵賲.. 賵亘毓丿 匕賴丕亘賷 鬲兀噩賱 丕賱賲賵毓丿 賮噩兀丞 兀乇亘毓 爻丕毓丕鬲 賰丕賲賱丞!.. 賮賲丕匕丕 毓爻丕賷 兀賳 兀賮毓賱責
鬲噩賵賱鬲 賮賷 丕賱卮賵丕乇毓 賯賱賷賱丕賸.. 兀丨亘 丕賱鬲噩賵賱 賮賷 丕賱賯丕賴乇丞 亘賷賳 丕賱賲亘丕賳賷 丕賱卮丕賴賯丞 丕賱鬲賷 兀卮毓乇 兀賳賴丕 鬲丨賲賷賳賷 亘胤乇賷賯丞 賲丕.. 賵噩丿鬲 賳賮爻賷 兀賲丕賲 鬲賲孬丕賱 胤賱毓鬲 丨乇亘.. 賵兀賲丕賲賴 賲賰鬲亘丞 丕賱卮乇賵賯.. 賵賮噩兀丞 卮毓乇鬲 亘兀賳 賱賲亘丞 鬲囟丕亍 亘丕賱賯乇亘 賲賳 乇兀爻賷.
廿匕丕賸 賴匕丕 賴賵 丕賱丨賱.. 爻兀丿禺賱 賱兀卮鬲乇賷 賰鬲丕亘丕賸 賵兀噩賱爻 賮賷 兀賷 賰丕賮賷賴 兀賵 "賯賴賵丞 亘賱丿賷" 兀賯乇兀賴 丨鬲賶 丕賱賲賵毓丿 丕賱賲丐噩賱.. 賳爻賷鬲 兀賳 兀禺亘乇賰 兀賳 匕賱賰 丕賱賲賵毓丿 賴賵 亘卮賰賱丕賸 賲丕 賲氐賷乇賷 賮賷 丨賷丕鬲賷 丕賱卮禺氐賷丞 賵賱賰賳 丿毓賰 賲賳 賴匕丕.
丿賱賮鬲 廿賱賶 丕賱賲賰鬲亘丞 賳丕賵賷丕賸 毓賱賶 卮乇丕亍 賰鬲丕亘丕賸 賵丕丨丿丕賸 賷購爻賱賷賳賷 賮賷 丕賱兀乇亘毓 爻丕毓丕鬲 丕賱賯丕丿賲丞.. 禺乇噩鬲 亘丨賵丕賱賷 毓卮乇丞 賰購鬲亘 賵賱賰賳 賱丕 亘兀爻!
賰賳鬲 兀賳賵賷 賯乇丕亍丞 賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賱氐睾乇 丨噩賲賴 賵賱兀賳賴 賲賳 兀丿亘 丕賱乇爻丕卅賱 丕賱匕賷 兀丨亘賴貙 賵賱兀賳賳賷 賱丕 兀毓乇賮 毓賳賴 兀賷 廿賳胤亘丕毓 賲購爻亘賯.
亘丨孬鬲購 毓賳 賲賰丕賳 賲賳夭賵賷 兀賯乇兀 賮賷賴 丨鬲賶 賵噩丿鬲賴.. 賯賴賵丞 亘賱丿賷 氐睾賷乇丞 亘賴丕 毓丿丿 賯賱賷賱 賲賳 丕賱賳丕爻.. 賵亘丿兀鬲 兀睾賵氐 賮賷 丕賱乇爻丕卅賱 毓賱賶 氐賵鬲 兀賲 賰賱孬賵賲 賷兀鬲賷 賲賳 賲匕賷丕毓 賯丿賷賲 賲購鬲賴丕賱賰.. 賵丨丿賷孬 亘賷賳 毓噩賵夭賷賳 丕爻亘丕賳賷賷賳 兀賵 賷鬲丨丿孬丕 丕賱丕爻亘丕賳賷丞.. 丨賷孬 兀賳 賱購睾鬲賴賲 兀孬丕乇鬲 賮囟賵賱賷 賵兀賷囟丕賸 丨丿賷孬賴賲 毓賳 "亘乇卮賱賵賳丞" 賵"乇賷丕賱 賲丿乇賷丿" 賵賰乇丞 丕賱賯丿賲 兀孬丕乇 賮囟賵賱賷 賵亘卮丿丞.. 賰賱賲丞 "亘乇卮賱賵賳丞" 亘丕賱丕爻亘丕賳賷丞 賲購賲賷夭丞 毓賱賶 丕賱爻賲毓 賵禺氐賵氐丕賸 賱賵 賰購賳鬲 賲購鬲丕亘毓 噩賷丿 賱賰乇丞 丕賱賯丿賲.
賵亘丿兀鬲 兀鬲賳丕賵賱 丕賱乇爻丕卅賱 丕賱鬲賷 鬲丨鬲賵賷 毓賱賶 賰賲 賰亘賷乇 賲賳 丕賱兀賱賮丞 賵丕賱胤賷亘丞 賵丕賱賳氐丕卅丨 賵丕賱丨賰賲 賵賰購賱 卮賷亍 賱胤賷賮 賵乇丕卅毓 亘賷賳 "乇丕賷賳乇" 賵賴匕丕 丕賱卮丕毓乇 丕賱卮丕亘.. 賰丕賳 賰購賱 卮賷亍 賰丕賲賱丕賸 賵丕賱賰賲丕賱 賵丨丿賴 賱賱賴.
賵亘毓丿 毓丿丿 賱丕 亘兀爻 亘賴 賲賳 兀賰賵丕亘 丕賱賯賴賵丞 賵丕賱卮丕賷 亘丕賱賳毓賳丕毓.. 兀賳賴賷鬲 丕賱賰鬲丕亘.. 賱兀噩丿 丕賱爻丕毓丞 兀氐亘丨鬲 丕賱賵丕丨丿丞 廿賱丕 毓卮乇丞 丿賯丕卅賯 賵賯丿 丨丕賳 賵賯鬲 丕賱鬲丨乇賰.
賵亘賮囟賱 丕賱賱賴 丕賰鬲賲賱 丕賱賲賵毓丿 毓賱賶 禺賷乇..
丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賱賷爻 賲購賲賷夭丕賸 廿賱賶 丿乇噩丞 丕賱禺賲爻 賳噩賵賲 亘賰賱 氐乇丕丨丞.. 賵賱賰賳 丕賱馗乇賵賮 丕賱鬲賷 賵囟毓鬲賳賷 賵賴賷兀鬲賳賷 賱兀賳 賷賰賵賳 鬲噩乇亘鬲賷 賲毓 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賱賷爻鬲 賲購噩乇丿 賯乇丕亍丞 毓丕丿賷丞.. 賵廿賳賲丕 匕賰乇賶 爻兀馗賱 兀鬲匕賰乇賴丕 丿賵賲丕賸 毓賳丿賲丕 兀賳馗乇 廿賱賶 睾購賱丕賮 丕賱賰鬲丕亘.. 兀賵 兀孬賳丕亍 廿毓丕丿丞 賯乇丕亍鬲賴..
賵賴賵 賰鬲丕亘 賷爻鬲丨賯 亘賰賱 鬲兀賰賷丿 兀賳 賷購毓丕丿 賯乇丕亍鬲賴 賲乇丕鬲 毓丿賷丿丞.
賵廿匕丕 賵氐賱鬲 廿賱賶 賴購賳丕.. 賵賱賲 鬲噩丿 賲購乇丕丿賰 賮兀毓鬲匕乇 賱賰.. 賰賲丕 兀賵囟丨鬲 賮賷 亘丿丕賷丞 丕賱賲購乇丕噩毓丞 賴匕賴 丕賱賲購乇丕噩毓丞 卮禺氐賷丞 噩丿丕賸.. 賵睾賷乇 賲購丨丕賷丿丞.. 賵賮賯胤 賰鬲亘鬲 賰購賱 匕賱賰 賲賳 兀噩賱 丕賱鬲賵孬賷賯.
賵卮賰乇丕賸 賱賰 賷丕 毓夭賷夭賷 丕賱賯丕乇卅 兀賳賰 賵氐賱鬲 丨鬲賶 賴匕賴 丕賱賳賯胤丞.
April 3, 2020
"賷賰賮賷貙 賰賲丕 賯購賱鬲貙 兀賳 賷卮毓乇 丕賱賲乇亍 兀賳 亘廿賲賰丕賳賴 丕賱丨賷丕丞 賲賳 丿賵賳 賰鬲丕亘丞貙 丨鬲賶 賷賰賵賳 丕賱兀噩丿乇 亘賴 兀賱丕 賷賰鬲亘 兀亘丿賸丕"
賲賳匕 賮鬲乇丞 胤賵賷賱丞 賯乇兀鬲 賰鬲丕亘 "乇爻丕卅賱 廿賱賶 乇賵丕卅賷 卮丕亘" 賱賱賲噩賳賵賳 丕賱亘賷乇賵賮賷 "賲丕乇賷賵 亘丕乇睾丕爻 賷賵爻丕"貙 賰丕賳鬲 賴匕賴 兀賵賱 賲乇丞 兀賱鬲賯賷 亘賭 "賷賵爻丕"貙 賵丕賳亘賴乇鬲 毓賱賶 丕賱賮賵乇 亘爻賱丕爻鬲賴 賵孬賯丕賮鬲賴 丕賱賲賵爻賵毓賷丞.
賵丕賱丌賳貙 賰賲丕 賮賷 丕賱賲乇丞 丕賱爻丕亘賯丞貙 兀賱鬲賯賷 亘賲亘丿毓 丌禺乇貙 賷禺鬲賱賮 鬲賲丕賲 丕賱丕禺鬲賱丕賮 毓賳 丕賱賲噩賳賵賳 丕賱丌禺乇貨 賰賱丕賴賲丕 毓亘賯乇賷貙 賱賰賳 毓亘賯乇賷丞 "賷賵爻丕" 賳丕亘毓丞 賲賳 噩賳賵賳賴 賵禺卮賵賳鬲賴貙 亘賷賳賲丕 鬲賳亘毓 毓亘賯乇賷丞 "乇賷賱賰賴" 賲賳 賴丿賵卅賴 賵卮睾賮賴貙 亘爻丕胤鬲賴 賵賱睾鬲賴 丕賱卮丕毓乇賷丞.
毓卮乇 乇爻丕卅賱 兀乇爻賱賴丕 乇賷賱賰賴貙 毓賱賶 賲丿丕乇 爻賳賵丕鬲 胤賵賷賱丞貙 廿賱賶 卮丕毓乇 賳丕卮賷亍貙 賷乇丿 毓賱賶 鬲爻丕丐賱丕鬲賴 亘禺氐賵氐 丕賱卮毓乇 賵丕賱丨賷丕丞貙 賱兀賳 丕賱卮毓乇 賴賵 丕賱丨賷丕丞貙 賷賯丿賾賲 賱賱卮丕毓乇 丕賱卮丕亘 禺賱丕氐丞 鬲噩丕乇亘賴 賵賷丨孬賾賴 毓賱賶 廿賷噩丕丿 卮丕毓乇賴 丕賱禺丕氐 丿丕禺賱賴.
鬲乇噩賲丞 "氐賱丕丨 賴賱丕賱" 賲賲鬲丕夭丞貙 丕爻鬲胤丕毓貙 賲賳 禺賱丕賱賴丕貙 亘亘乇丕毓丞 卮丿賷丿丞貙 兀賳 賷購丨賰賲 賯亘囟鬲賴 毓賱賶 賱睾丞 乇賷賱賰賴 丕賱卮毓乇賷丞.
September 20, 2020
賰鬲丕亘 賯乇賷亘 賲賳 丕賱賯賱亘.
December 23, 2023
In Letters to a Young Poet, Rilke shows us, through the content of extreme sensitivity and insight, the advice addressed to the young poet Franz Kappus, who was hesitant to pursue his literary career. The beauty and truth in this correspondence, covering ten letters between 1903 and 1908, made this work known worldwide. Using its inherent simplicity, Rilke talks about solitude and what it holds of greatness and describes with immense wisdom facets of the inner life of the human being and portraits of feelings that plague him.
A few years after Rilke's death, Franz Kappus decided to publish them as an essential and individual learning experience.
A few years after Rilke's death, Franz Kappus decided to publish them as an essential and individual learning experience.
August 30, 2024
Rilke鈥檚 lost letter to a young poet
Dear Mr. Kappus,
Will you please stop sending me your insipid letters and poems? I am far too busy with my archangels right now to hand out free advice to a hopeless cause like you. Everybody knows poetry is an art that cannot be learned [sic]. You are either born a poet or you are not. The fact that you need my constant approval clearly bespeaks the latter.
Also, my health is very poor at the moment and letter-writing demands a great deal of energy鈥攚asted energy as far as you're concerned, inasmuch as I have yet to read single line by you which hasn't made me more ill than I already am.
Stick to the army, my young friend. Your pedestrian mind is more suited to giving orders to marching battalions than to moving words around a sheet of paper. I foresee a brilliant future for you in the army; as a poet you are destined for a life of endless frustration and failure. In war you will conquer; in letters you will miserably die. Napoleon nods approval; William shakes his spear.
I hope I have made myself clear: henceforth, if any more of your feeble attempts at what you desecrate under the name of poetry come my way, they will go straight into the trash bin where they rightfully belong.
Yours no more,
Rainer Maria Rilke
May 29, 2023
This is the best work I've read after Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own, which I found profoundly informative to amateur writers like me. The book, though short, moved me in ways unimagined. I was awestruck when Rilke said that "Art too is only a way of living"; I've never thought about art from that perspective. But when I analyzed the meaning of his words, I was overwhelmed by their truth. It is true how much art is connected with our lives without us realizing it, and artistic works are by-products of artists' own life experiences. So yes, art is a way of living.
The ten letters here contain what Rainer Maria Rilke has written to a young military student, Franz Kappus, who later became a poet himself. In the early stages of his writing, Kappus was plagued by doubt about the quality of his verses, which led him to correspond with the great poet, Rilke for advice. And the advice Rilke so generously give is valuable for any budding writer.
In his letter, Rilke addresses art, life, and its interconnection. First, he tells the young poet that when writing, the question he should ask him is "must I write?" If, and if only the answer to the question is yes that he should proceed to write. No one can advise a writer; that is Rilke's opinion. So then, where should the young, budding artists look at? To whom to look up? And Rilke tells to "Go inside yourself. And if from this turning inwards, from this sinking into your private world, there come verses, you will not think to ask anyone whether they are good verses.". His words are a confirmation that artists are born and not created. "Let your judgments have their own quiet, undisturbed development, which must, like all progress, come from deep within, and cannot in any way be pressed or hurried. To be an artist means: not to reckon and count; to ripen like the tree which does not force its sap and stands confident in the storms of Spring without fear lest no Summer might come after." These words are the best that an amateur can hear, and this amateur grasped them with pleasure.
The key factor for a writer is being solitary. Rilke stresses its importance in so many words. He advises the young Kappus to find material for his work from the wealth of his childhood. That is where the true riches are which marks a lifetime of success. He also emphasizes the influence nature can have on shaping one's artistic creations. Further, Rilke talks about the influence love, women, and sexuality can have on young Kappus as he grows mature and how they could contribute to the formation and shaping of him as an artist. In expressing his opinion, Rilke is both bold and generous, and the letters, if they can confirm, show a great open mind.
The letters, though written to a budding poet, are an appropriate read to all types of readers, for while giving advice to the young man, Rilke's own musings occupy them. The mind of a genius thus exposed is quite interesting to read. Rilke's vision of life and positivity is marvelous. When he said "when a sorrow rises up before you, greater than you have ever seen before; when a restlessness like light and cloud shadows passes over your hands and over all your doing. You must think that something is happening upon you, that life has not forgotten you, that it holds you in its hand; it will not let you fall", so touching they were that I was moved to tears. There is nothing more to say except that I would heartily recommend this little compilation to all readers, and that I sincerely hope that they will profit from his wisdom.
More of my review can be found at
The ten letters here contain what Rainer Maria Rilke has written to a young military student, Franz Kappus, who later became a poet himself. In the early stages of his writing, Kappus was plagued by doubt about the quality of his verses, which led him to correspond with the great poet, Rilke for advice. And the advice Rilke so generously give is valuable for any budding writer.
In his letter, Rilke addresses art, life, and its interconnection. First, he tells the young poet that when writing, the question he should ask him is "must I write?" If, and if only the answer to the question is yes that he should proceed to write. No one can advise a writer; that is Rilke's opinion. So then, where should the young, budding artists look at? To whom to look up? And Rilke tells to "Go inside yourself. And if from this turning inwards, from this sinking into your private world, there come verses, you will not think to ask anyone whether they are good verses.". His words are a confirmation that artists are born and not created. "Let your judgments have their own quiet, undisturbed development, which must, like all progress, come from deep within, and cannot in any way be pressed or hurried. To be an artist means: not to reckon and count; to ripen like the tree which does not force its sap and stands confident in the storms of Spring without fear lest no Summer might come after." These words are the best that an amateur can hear, and this amateur grasped them with pleasure.
The key factor for a writer is being solitary. Rilke stresses its importance in so many words. He advises the young Kappus to find material for his work from the wealth of his childhood. That is where the true riches are which marks a lifetime of success. He also emphasizes the influence nature can have on shaping one's artistic creations. Further, Rilke talks about the influence love, women, and sexuality can have on young Kappus as he grows mature and how they could contribute to the formation and shaping of him as an artist. In expressing his opinion, Rilke is both bold and generous, and the letters, if they can confirm, show a great open mind.
The letters, though written to a budding poet, are an appropriate read to all types of readers, for while giving advice to the young man, Rilke's own musings occupy them. The mind of a genius thus exposed is quite interesting to read. Rilke's vision of life and positivity is marvelous. When he said "when a sorrow rises up before you, greater than you have ever seen before; when a restlessness like light and cloud shadows passes over your hands and over all your doing. You must think that something is happening upon you, that life has not forgotten you, that it holds you in its hand; it will not let you fall", so touching they were that I was moved to tears. There is nothing more to say except that I would heartily recommend this little compilation to all readers, and that I sincerely hope that they will profit from his wisdom.
More of my review can be found at
December 27, 2024
乇爻丕卅賱 廿賱賷 卮丕毓乇 卮丕亘 ..賰鬲丕亘 毓亘丕乇丞 毓賳 毓卮乇 乇爻丕卅賱 賰鬲亘賴丕 丕賱卮丕毓乇 丕賱賳賲爻丕賵賷 乇賷賱賰丕 賱囟丕亘胤 卮丕亘 亘賷鬲賰賱賲 賮賷賴丕 毓賳 丕賱賵丨丿丞貙丕賱卮毓乇 貙丕賱丨亘 貙丕賱卮賴賵丞 賵丕賱胤賮賵賱丞...
丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賲賰鬲賵亘 亘廿爻賱賵亘 亘爻賷胤 賵 爻賱爻 賵賱賰賳 亘丕賱賳爻亘丞 賱賷 賰丕賳 賲賲賱 丕賱氐乇丕丨丞 賵 賱賲 兀賳丿賲噩 賲毓丕賴 禺丕賱氐..
丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賲賰鬲賵亘 亘廿爻賱賵亘 亘爻賷胤 賵 爻賱爻 賵賱賰賳 亘丕賱賳爻亘丞 賱賷 賰丕賳 賲賲賱 丕賱氐乇丕丨丞 賵 賱賲 兀賳丿賲噩 賲毓丕賴 禺丕賱氐..
May 31, 2010
In which Rainer Maria Rilke, both mercilessly and mercifully, bashes me over the head with a baseball bat from the other side of the Great Whatever.
February 9, 2025
賱丕 兀乇賷丿 兀賳 兀亘丕賱睾 賮賷 賲丿丨賷 賱賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 禺氐賵氐賸丕 賰賵賳賷 賯乇兀鬲賴 賱賱鬲賵 賵賯丿 兀賰賵賳 鬲丨鬲 鬲兀孬賷乇賴 丕賱賲禺丿乇. 賵賱賰賳賳賷 賵噩丿鬲賴 賲賳 兀賮囟賱 賲丕 賯乇兀鬲.
乇爻丕卅賱 兀賯賱 賲丕 賷賯丕賱 毓賳賴丕 兀賳賴丕 亘丿賷毓丞 賲賱賷卅丞 亘丕賱丨賰賲丞 賵丕賱鬲毓賯賾賱. 賰賱丕賲 賵噩賷賴 賵爻賱賷賲.
兀爻賱賵亘 賴丕丿卅貙 乇丕賰夭 賵賲賲賷夭 賮賷 鬲乇賰賷亘 丕賱噩賲賱 賵丕賱鬲毓亘賷乇 毓賳 丕賱賲卮丕毓乇. 賵氐賮 丿賯賷賯 賱賲賰賳賵賳丕鬲 丕賱賳賮爻 丕賱亘卮乇賷丞 賵賲丕 賷鬲禺賱賱賴丕 賲賳 鬲賳丕賯囟丕鬲. 丕爻鬲胤丕毓 乇賷賱賰賴 兀賳 賷爻亘乇 鬲賱賰 丕賱兀睾賵丕乇 賵賷卮丕乇賰賳丕 亘賲丕 賳卮毓乇 亘賴. 賷睾賵氐 賮賷 賲賮賴賵賲 丕賱賵丨丿丞 賵賲丕 丕賱匕賷 鬲賮囟賷 廿賱賷賴 鬲賱賰 丕賱賵丨丿丞 廿賳 丨賻爻購賳賻 鬲賵馗賷賮賴丕 賵丕賱丕爻鬲賮丕丿丞 賲賳賴丕.
賵噩丿鬲 賳賮爻賷 兀爻丕賮乇 廿賱賶 賲賰丕賳 亘毓賷丿 噩丿賸丕 丨賷孬 丕賱爻賲賵 丕賱乇賵丨賷 賵丕賱賵噩丿丕賳賷. 賲賰丕賳 賮賷賴 丕賱賰孬賷乇 賲賳 丕賱爻賰賷賳丞 賵丕賱胤賲兀賳賷賳丞 賵丕賱賲賮丕乇賯丞 鬲賰賲賳 賮賷 賵噩賵丿 匕賱賰 丕賱賲賰丕賳 丕賱亘毓賷丿 賮賷 丿丕禺賱 賰購賱賺 賲賽賳賾丕.
賰賷賮 賳鬲毓丕賲賱 賲毓 丕賱丨夭賳 賵丕賱丨亘 賵丕賱毓賱賲 賵丕賱鬲噩乇亘丞 賵丕賱賵丨丿丞 賵丕賱兀氐丿賯丕亍責 賰賷賮 賳賮毓賱 賰賱 賴匕丕 賵兀賰孬乇責 賳氐丕卅丨 睾丕賷丞 賮賷 丕賱乇賯丞. 鬲賯乇兀 丕賱乇爻丕卅賱 賵鬲鬲兀賲賱 賮賷 鬲賱賰 丕賱氐賷丕睾丞 丕賱亘丿賷毓丞 賱賱噩購賲賱 賵丕賱兀丨丿丕孬. 鬲胤賮賵 賵鬲爻賰賳 乇賵丨賰. 鬲卮毓乇 兀賳 賰賱 卮賷亍 毓賱賶 賲丕 賷乇丕賲.
November 11, 2020
BREATHTAKING!!!
First book finished for the Rory Gilmore 24 hour readathon!!! Full review to come!!! 馃摉馃枻
First book finished for the Rory Gilmore 24 hour readathon!!! Full review to come!!! 馃摉馃枻
May 15, 2008
I always underline in books, either for the wise quotes that teach or the pure beauty of the passage. About ten pages into this book, though, I gave up underlining as nearly every sentence was a combination of beauty and wisdom. These letters (to a young man he never even met!) are inspiring in their honesty, teaching to cherish your solitude, "to walk inside yourself and meet no one for hours... to be solitary as you were when you were a child, when the grownups walked around involved with matters that seemed large and important because they looked so busy and because you didn't understand a thing about what they were doing."
A few gems:
"Loving does not at first mean merging, surrendering, and uniting with another person (for what would a union be of two people who are unclarified, unfinished, and still incoherent--?), it is a high inducement for the individual to ripen, to become something in himself, to become world, to become world in himself for the sake of another person; it is a great, demanding claim on him, something that chooses him and calls him to vast distances" (70).
"The future stands still, dear Mr. Kappus, but we move in infinite space" (86).
"We have no reason to harbor any mistrust against our world, for it is not against us. If it has terrors, they are our terrors; if it has abysses, these abysses belong to us; if there are dangers, we must try to love them. And if only we arrange our life in accordance with the principle which tells us that we must always trust in the difficult, when what now appears to us as the most alien will become our most intimate and trusted experience. How could we forget those ancient myths that stand at the beginning of all races, the myths about dragons that at the last moment are transofmred into princesses? Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love" (92).
A few gems:
"Loving does not at first mean merging, surrendering, and uniting with another person (for what would a union be of two people who are unclarified, unfinished, and still incoherent--?), it is a high inducement for the individual to ripen, to become something in himself, to become world, to become world in himself for the sake of another person; it is a great, demanding claim on him, something that chooses him and calls him to vast distances" (70).
"The future stands still, dear Mr. Kappus, but we move in infinite space" (86).
"We have no reason to harbor any mistrust against our world, for it is not against us. If it has terrors, they are our terrors; if it has abysses, these abysses belong to us; if there are dangers, we must try to love them. And if only we arrange our life in accordance with the principle which tells us that we must always trust in the difficult, when what now appears to us as the most alien will become our most intimate and trusted experience. How could we forget those ancient myths that stand at the beginning of all races, the myths about dragons that at the last moment are transofmred into princesses? Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love" (92).
July 10, 2018
While reading 鈥淚deas of Heaven: A Ring of Stories鈥�,
by Joan Silber .... I found myself really enjoying the poetry - inserted - by Rainer Maria Rilke鈥攔elevant -powerful - truthful - beautiful- words of depth I connected with.
I wanted to know more about who Rilke was.
I found this book -a
compilation of 10 letters that Rilke wrote to a young poet named Franz Xaver. Xaver wanted to know if his work was good.
鈥� Rilke letters are inspirational - filled with wisdom -( jewels to writers)- and beauty.
Written 2 years before Rilke鈥檚 death ...
Rilke鈥檚 letters continue to be studied by writers today.
I鈥檓 a reader - not a writer -and a complete newbie to the discovery of Rilke....but the things that stood out for me - ( advice for lack of a better word) - were lessons on ways to live a fulfilling, rich, honest, soulful life - a transformed life ....
...one without criticism ...
...value of solitude
...value of God
...value of love
I know I simplified these letters from a brilliant man who died many years ago....
but they are powerful speaking to our most authentic selves.
His poetry is 鈥榣ovely鈥�.
I鈥檓 not ( in general ) a poetry type girl.
But I love Rilke鈥檚.
by Joan Silber .... I found myself really enjoying the poetry - inserted - by Rainer Maria Rilke鈥攔elevant -powerful - truthful - beautiful- words of depth I connected with.
I wanted to know more about who Rilke was.
I found this book -a
compilation of 10 letters that Rilke wrote to a young poet named Franz Xaver. Xaver wanted to know if his work was good.
鈥� Rilke letters are inspirational - filled with wisdom -( jewels to writers)- and beauty.
Written 2 years before Rilke鈥檚 death ...
Rilke鈥檚 letters continue to be studied by writers today.
I鈥檓 a reader - not a writer -and a complete newbie to the discovery of Rilke....but the things that stood out for me - ( advice for lack of a better word) - were lessons on ways to live a fulfilling, rich, honest, soulful life - a transformed life ....
...one without criticism ...
...value of solitude
...value of God
...value of love
I know I simplified these letters from a brilliant man who died many years ago....
but they are powerful speaking to our most authentic selves.
His poetry is 鈥榣ovely鈥�.
I鈥檓 not ( in general ) a poetry type girl.
But I love Rilke鈥檚.
July 7, 2019
賯乇兀鬲賴 伲 賲乇丕鬲.
August 21, 2024
Many weeks went by before an answer came. The letter with its blue seal bore a Paris postmark, weighed heavy in the hand and displayed on the envelope the same clarity, beauty and assurance of hand with which the content itself was written from the first line to the last. And so my regular correspondence with Rainer Maria Rilke began, lasting until 1908 and then gradually petering out because life forced me into domains which the poet's war, tender and moving concern had precisely wanted to protect me from. But that is unimportant. The only important thing is the ten letters that follow, important for the insight they give into the world in which Rainer Maria Rilke lived and worked, and important too for many people engaged in growth and change, today and in the future, And where a great and unique person speaks, the rest of us should be silent.So concludes the letter that Kappus wrote in Berlin 1929 explaining how he came to write to Rilke. A chaplain saw him reading Rilke's poetry in 1902 and informed him that Rilke had also been a cadet at their military school. Kappus wrote to Rilke, presumably asking for advice about his poetry. The only letters published in my volume at Rilke's responses to Kappus' unseen messages. Rilke even tells him, I cannot go into the nature of your verses, for any critical intention is too remote from me. One would be forgiven for inferring the 19-year-old's letters were tentative, like a chick exploring the outside of the nest for the first time. But Rilke still dives deeper into what Kappus is telling him. And this is where my existential crisis began.
Rainer Maria Rilke, Encyclopaedia Britannica
I turned 31 a few days ago and I feel strange reading such wisdom from someone who is two years younger than me. The fact that this is from 1902 notwithstanding. Rilke tells Kappus that he's making a mistake comparing his writing to that of other writers, the responses of editors. I recently made a magazine submission, yes I am a writer in real life, and while they rejected my entry, they did say that Unfortunately, this piece won't work for [us] but we wish you the best in placing your essay/story elsewhere. We found much to admire in your essay, and we encourage you to continue to your work. I did wonder what they meant by that, going as far as spiralling down a rabbit hole, bothering friends who don't understand the specifics of editorials until I eventually gave up. But Rilke had something for me,
...give up all that. You are looking to the outside, and that above all you should not be doing now. Nobody can advise you and help you, nobody. There is only one way. Go into yourself. Examine the reason that bids you to write; check whether it reaches its roots into the deepest region of your heart, admit to yourself whether you would die if it should be denied you to write...This sounds dangerous, especially as advice for someone who just started artistry. There needs to be room for flexibility and an acceptance of the volatility of humanity.
Rilke himself was in military service and made the time to write. Others aren't so lucky. But this doesn't dissuade Rilke from stressing all this dogma upon Kappus. Sometimes it felt that all his conviction came from patriarchal thinking rather than life experience. Rilke was a worshipper of loneliness. I, too, am a hermit. As the great Edmund Blackadder once intimated, the only way to be sure of intelligent conversation is to spend time talking to yourself. In his 1903 letter he says,
love your solitude and bear the pain it causes you with melody wrought with lament.There's a lot to appreciate in this little book, from Rilke's appreciation of place,
you slowly learn to recognize the very few things in which something everlasting be felt, something you can love, something solitary in which you can take part in silence.on solitude
its growth is painful like the growth of boys and sad like the beginning of springon adulting
Think, dear Mr Kappus, of the world that you carry within you, and call this thinking whatever you like. Whether it is memory of your own childhood or longing for your own future - just be attentive towards what rises up inside you, and place it above everything that you notice round about. What goes on in your innermost being is worth all your love, this is what you must work on however you can and not waste too much time and energy clarifying your attitude to other people.And a few paragraphs later,
adults are nothing and their dignity has no worth.This reminded me of the need for embarrassment instilled in us as children. I remember being scolded for being curious enough to ask questions then being scolded again for being quiet when I should participate. The imagined indignities suffered by adults of stunted imagination struck upon us a need to follow rigid routines and eventually shackled us to a life where all we do is grow, eat, work, sleep and if you have the range for it, reproduce more people to enter the chain.
But perhaps the letter I found most impressive was where he spoke about love, and romance. Many people end up in loveless relationships that amount to acrimony and hatred all because they fear loneliness.
They act out of a shared helplessness, and if they do their best to escape the convention they happen to have noticed (as marriage for example), they fall into the clutches of a less obvious but just as deadly conventional solution...Rilke also espouses the inevitable change that will be people living their lives outside of the heteropatriarchal norms,
Do not believe that that abundance of love which was once, as a boy, bestowed on you is now lost.This book is full of casual wisdom and profound insight. But often it felt like affirmation of that which I already believe. There are even times I felt scolded,
Why should you want to exclude from your life all unsettling, all pain, all depression of spirit, when you don't know what work it is these states are performing within you? Why do you want to persecute yourself with the question of where it all comes from and where it is leading? You well know you are in a period of transition and want nothing more than to be transformed.Does this mean that every little owie life gives me is meant to have meaning? I don't know. But like Ursula K Le Guin said, the truth that I recognize in suffering as I don鈥檛 in comfort and happiness 鈥� that the reality of pain is not pain. If you can get through it. If you can endure it all the way. But Rilke likens pain to a fever. Sickness is how the body gets rid of foreign microbes. He even gives a step by step tutorial on what to do:
1. Do not watch yourself too closely.
2. Do not draw over-rapid conclusions from what is happening to you. Simply let it happen. Otherwise you will too readily find yourself looking on your past.
3. Be very careful with names; it is so often the name of a crime which destroys a life, not the nameless and personal act itself...
4. If it doesn't cease to be difficult, it doesn't cease to grow.
5. Do not think the person trying to console you lives effortlessly.
6. If life wasn't full of troubles and sadness, you wouldn't be able to find the words to create. (Ps. some of these are paraphrased.)
This book can be very helpful to people coming into their own. Especially authors whether starting out or in the middle of their careers. I will think of you often Rilke, with such a concentration of gratitude for this merest of gut punches,
Art too is only a way of living, and it is possible, however one lives, to prepare oneself for it without knowing...
August 14, 2020
What a tremendous thrill it must have been for budding poet Franz Xaver Kappus, to receive the first letter in response to his own from his literary idol, Rainer Maria Rilke. And then, to receive nine more.
This collection has been widely read and is widely loved. Only the letters from Rilke (written from 1903 - 1908) are included, which is fine, because even Rilke acknowledges several times that he is not addressing Kappus' specific questions or concerns. Rather, he gives a loving, far reaching, all encompassing oration on how to conduct oneself as an artist. It's almost as if he knew that generations of readers would be sharing in this correspondence, and collectively gasping at the generous wisdom imparted in these missives.
Rilke emphasizes over and over the importance of solitude, of not creating art with the idea of outside reaction, and of clinging to what is "difficult" because it's there that one finds the greatest reward. These are all good pieces of advice to any writer or artist, or even human being in general. I didn't quite connect with all of Rilke's thoughts, though. Some of them felt a bit too philosophical, pie-in-the-sky for me. But there are many gems that make this lovely epistolary collection well worth reading.
For someone who wonders if they should be a writer:
This above all - ask yourself in the stillest hour of your night: must I write? Delve into yourself for a deep answer. And if this should be affirmative, if you may meet this earnest question with a strong and simple "I must," then build your life according to this necessity.
For an artist discouraged with what they have accomplished thus far:
There is here no measuring with time, no year matters, and ten years are nothing. Being an artist means, not reckoning and counting, but ripening like the tree which does not force its sap and stands confident in the storms of spring without the fear that after them may come no summer. It does come. But it comes only to the patient, who are there as though eternity lay before them, so unconcernedly still and wide.
For lovers, and their indelible contribution to art:
And those who come together in the night and are entwined in rocking delight do an earnest work and gather sweetnesses, gather depth and strength for the song of some coming poet, who will arise to speak of ecstasies beyond telling.
This collection has been widely read and is widely loved. Only the letters from Rilke (written from 1903 - 1908) are included, which is fine, because even Rilke acknowledges several times that he is not addressing Kappus' specific questions or concerns. Rather, he gives a loving, far reaching, all encompassing oration on how to conduct oneself as an artist. It's almost as if he knew that generations of readers would be sharing in this correspondence, and collectively gasping at the generous wisdom imparted in these missives.
Rilke emphasizes over and over the importance of solitude, of not creating art with the idea of outside reaction, and of clinging to what is "difficult" because it's there that one finds the greatest reward. These are all good pieces of advice to any writer or artist, or even human being in general. I didn't quite connect with all of Rilke's thoughts, though. Some of them felt a bit too philosophical, pie-in-the-sky for me. But there are many gems that make this lovely epistolary collection well worth reading.
For someone who wonders if they should be a writer:
This above all - ask yourself in the stillest hour of your night: must I write? Delve into yourself for a deep answer. And if this should be affirmative, if you may meet this earnest question with a strong and simple "I must," then build your life according to this necessity.
For an artist discouraged with what they have accomplished thus far:
There is here no measuring with time, no year matters, and ten years are nothing. Being an artist means, not reckoning and counting, but ripening like the tree which does not force its sap and stands confident in the storms of spring without the fear that after them may come no summer. It does come. But it comes only to the patient, who are there as though eternity lay before them, so unconcernedly still and wide.
For lovers, and their indelible contribution to art:
And those who come together in the night and are entwined in rocking delight do an earnest work and gather sweetnesses, gather depth and strength for the song of some coming poet, who will arise to speak of ecstasies beyond telling.
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