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Letters to a Young Poet (original title, in German: Briefe an einen jungen Dichter) is a collection of ten letters written by Bohemian-Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926) to Franz Xaver Kappus (1883–1966), a 19-year-old officer cadet at the Theresian Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt.
- Rainer Maria Rilke
- 1929
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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.
- (94.6K)
- Paperback
Aug 1, 1993 · "Letters to a Young Poet" is a very short book first published in 1929. The book is comprised of ten letters written by Rainer Maria Rilke, a Bohemian-Austrian poet who died in 1926 from leukemia at the age of 51.
- Rainer Maria Rilke
- $10.49
- W. W. Norton & Company
Dig into yourself for a deep answer. And if this answer rings out in assent, if you meet this solemn question with a strong, simple “I must,” then build your life in accordance with this necessity; your while life, even into its humblest and most indifferent hour, must become a sign and witness to this impulse.
Write about your sorrows, your wishes, your passing thoughts, your belief in anything beautiful. Describe all that with fervent, quiet, and humble sincerity. In order to express yourself, use things in your surroundings, the scenes of your dreams, and the subjects of your memory.
How these letters came to be written is told by their recipient in his introduction, and to this there would be nothing to add were it not for the close of the eighth letter: Do not believe that he who seeks to comfort you lives untroubled among the simple and quiet words that sometimes do you good. His life has much difficulty and sadness.
Read the famous correspondence between Rainer Maria Rilke and Franz Xaver Kappus, a young aspiring poet who sought Rilke's advice. Learn about the context, the themes and the legacy of these letters.
