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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.