Name: Letters to a Young Poet
ISBN: 9781420949148

Ranier Maria Rilke

The correspondence between Bohemian-Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke and Franz Xaver Kappus, 19-year old officer cadet at the Theresian Military Academy, occurred between 1902 and 1908. In this collection of ten letters known as "Letters to a Young Poet" Franz Kappus seeks advice on the quality of his poetry from Rilke. Direct criticism of Kappus' poetry, Rilke argues in his response, is not something he can do because as he writes, "Nobody can advise you and help you, nobody. There is only one way. Go into yourself." Over the course of these ten letters Rilke offers more than just advice on being a great poet but for living as he advises Kappus to focus on how he should feel, love, and seek truth in trying to understand and experience the world around him. Written during a key period of Rilke's early artistic development this short work gives us a beautiful insight into the mind of a great poet.

Letters to a Young Poet

Ivana Varesko

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 too much energy on clarifying your attitude to other people. 

Meera

You are so young, all still lies ahead of you, and I should like to ask you, as best I can, dear Sir, to be patient towards all that is unresolved in your heart and to try to love 

 like locked rooms, like books written in a foreign tongue. Do not now strive to uncover answers: they cannot be given to you because you have not been able to live them. And what matters is to live everything. 

 the questions for now. Perhaps then you will gradually, without noticing it, live your way into the answer, one distant day in the future.

We have no reason to be mistrustful of our world, for it is not against us. If it holds terrors they are our terrors, if it has its abysses these abysses belong to us, if there are dangers then we must try to love them. And if we only organize our life according to the principle which teaches us always to hold to what is difficult, then what now still appears most foreign will become our most intimate and most reliable experience. How can we forget those ancient myths found at the beginnings of all peoples? The myths about the dragons who at the last moment turn into princesses? Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses, only waiting for the day when they will see us handsome and brave? Perhaps everything terrifying is deep down a helpless thing that needs our help.

ame 

But your solitude, even in the midst of quite foreign circumstances, will be a hold and a home for you, and leading from it you will find all the paths you need.

For he who creates must be a world of his own and find everything within himself and in the natural world that he has elected to follow. 

To be an artist means: not to calculate and count; to grow and ripen like a tree which does not hurry the flow of its sap and stands at ease in the spring gales without fearing that no summer may follow. It will come. But it comes only to those who are patient, who are simply there in their vast, quiet tranquillity, as if eternity lay before them. It is a lesson I learn every day amid hardships I am thankful for: patience is all! 

Laura Mei

sage lynn

People have (with the help of conventions) oriented all their solutions toward the easy and toward the easiest side of the easy; but it is clear that we must hold to what is difficult; everything alive holds to it, everything in Nature grows and defends itself in its own way and is characteristically and spontaneously itself, seeks at all costs to be so and against all opposition. We know little, but that we must hold to what is difficult is a certainty that will not forsake us; it is good to be solitary, for solitude is difficult; that something is difficult must be a reason the more for us to do it.

Things must first get bad, worse, worst, beyond what any language can hold. I creep about all day in the thickets of my life, screaming like a wild man and clapping my hands. You would not believe what hair-raising creatures this flushes up.

In the deepest and most important things, we are unutterably alone, and for one person to be able to advise, let alone help, another, a great deal must come about, a great deal must come right, a whole constellation of things must concur for it to be possible at all.

Here is the angel, who does not exist, and the devil, who does not exist; and man, who does exist, is in between them and, I cannot help it, their unreality makes him more real for me.

Henri Bredt

Sie sehen nach außen, und das vor allem dürften Sie jetzt nicht tun. Niemand kann Ihnen raten und helfen, niemand. Es gibt nur ein einziges Mittel. Gehen Sie in sich. Erforschen Sie den Grund.

Schließlich wollte ich Ihnen ja auch nur raten, still und ernst durch Ihre Entwicklung durchzuwachsen; Sie können sie gar nicht heftiger stören, als wenn Sie nach außen sehen und von außen Antwort erwarten auf Fragen, die nur Ihr innerstes Gefühl in Ihrer leisesten Stunde vielleicht beantworten kann.

Geben Sie jedesmal sich und Ihrem Gefühl recht, jeder solche Auseinandersetzung, Besprechung oder Einführung gegenüber; sollten Sie doch unrecht haben, so wird das natürliche Wachstum Ihres innern Lebens Sie langsam und mit der Zeit zu anderen Erkenntnissen führen.

Jeden Eindruck und jeden Keim eines Gefühls ganz in sich, im Dunkel, im Unsagbaren, Unbewußten, dem eigenen Verstande Unerreichbaren sich vollenden lassen und mit tiefer Demut und Geduld die Stunde der Niederkunft einer neuen Klarheit abwarten: das allein heißt künstlerisch leben: im Verstehen wie im Schaffen.

Sie sind so jung, so vor allem Anfang, und ich möchte Sie, so gut ich es kann, bitten, lieber Herr, Geduld zu haben gegen alles Ungelöste in Ihrem Herzen und zu versuchen, die Fragen selbst liebzuhaben.

Es handelt sich darum, alles zu leben. Leben Sie jetzt die Fragen. Vielleicht leben Sie dann allmählich, ohne es zu merken, eines fernen Tages in die Antwort hinein.

... sammelt man sich, gewinnt sich zurück aus dem anspruchsvollen Vielen, das da spricht und schwätzt (und wie gesprächig ist es!), und lernt langsam die sehr wenigen Dinge erkennen, in denen Ewiges dauert, das man lieben, und Einsames, daran man leise teilnehmen kann.

Rainer Maria Rilke

„Ein Kunstwerk ist gut, wenn es aus Notwendigkeit entstand. In dieser Art seines Ursprungs liegt sein Urteil: es gibt kein anderes. Darum, sehr geehrter Herr, wußte ich Ihnen keinen Rat als diesen: in sich zu gehen und die Tiefen zu prüfen, in denen Ihr Leben entspringt; an seiner Quelle werden Sie die Antwort auf die Frage finden, ob Sie schaffen müssen.“ Rainer Maria Rilke. Briefe an einen jungen Dichter. Erstdruck: Insel Verlag, Leipzig 1929. Zusammenstellung von zehn Briefen an den Dichter Franz Xaver Kappus aus den Jahren 1903 bis 1908. Neuausgabe, Göttingen 2019. LIWI Literatur- und Wissenschaftsverlag

Briefe an einen jungen Dichter

Wow. Ich glaub ich will einen kleinen Rilke auf meiner Schulter sitzen haben für Ratschläge zu sämtlichen Alltagssituationen. 

Und der Fakt, dass er erst zwei Monate später auf Briefe geantwortet hat, weil er so beschäftigt war, erinnert mich an mein Verhältnis mit so manchen unbeantworteten WhatsApp-Chats 🥲

Bekki

Wow. Ich glaub ich will einen kleinen Rilke auf meiner Schulter sitzen haben für Ratschläge zu sämtlichen Alltagssituationen. 

Und der Fakt, dass er erst zwei Monate später auf Briefe geantwortet hat, weil er so beschäftigt war, erinnert mich an mein Verhältnis mit so manchen unbeantworteten WhatsApp-Chats 🥲

Letters to a young poet

these letters rewired my brain chemistry. how is someone able to write so profoundly about life the way rilke did here? i am astounded. learnt so much in perceiving life through his words. i am a changed person. 

oh my goodness wow

these letters rewired my brain chemistry. how is someone able to write so profoundly about life the way rilke did here? i am astounded. learnt so much in perceiving life through his words. i am a changed person. 

Perfection Learning Corporation

“there is so much, my dear mr kappus, going on in you now.”

- i highly recommend the audiobook narrated by dan stevens and max deacon. very light, charming voices from the two of them that contribute to the feeling of rilke’s writing

- if you take anything from this review, it should be to read this book as soon as possible. it’s barely 60 pages long, the audiobook is 90 minutes, and if you hold and treat the messages rilke offers as if he offers them to you specifically, they will change your life. the way kindness, childhood, friendships, love, and sorrow are discussed is the type of warm, gentle collection of lessons that is needed for every human being. read it read it read it read it

- the letters themselves are gentle, and soft, and filled with love in every page. this was like being held by another human being for the first time

- i read the first half of this collection rather quickly (about 40 pages in a few hours) and i saved the rest for the next day, but even that was far too fast to inhale this book. to anyone who tries this collection i strongly suggest patience, and forcing yourself to slow down. enjoy them thoroughly

- that’s all i have to say for now. such a beautiful little thing <3

smile??

- “there is so much, my dear mr kappus, going on in you now.” (p.43)

- i highly recommend the audiobook narrated by dan stevens and max deacon. very light, charming voices from the two of them that contribute to the feeling of rilke’s writing

- if you take anything from this review, it should be to read this book as soon as possible. it’s barely 60 pages long, the audiobook is 90 minutes, and if you hold and treat the messages rilke offers as if he offers them to you specifically, they will change your life. the way kindness, childhood, friendships, love, and sorrow are discussed is the type of warm, gentle collection of lessons that is needed for every human being. read it read it read it read it

- the letters themselves are gentle, and soft, and filled with love in every page. this was like being held by another human being for the first time

- i read the first half of this collection rather quickly (about 40 pages in a few hours) and i saved the rest for the next day, but even that was far too fast to inhale this book. to anyone who tries this collection i strongly suggest patience, and forcing yourself to slow down. enjoy them thoroughly

- that’s all i have to say for now. such a beautiful little thing <3

Really like letter 6. AT @ chauren my pen pal letters impact on you will hopefully be akin to the revelation and clarity Rilke’s letters have brought to so many lives

'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.

One of 46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. Each book gives readers a taste of the Classics' huge range and diversity, with works from around the world and across the centuries - including fables, decadence, heartbreak, tall tales, satire, ghosts, battles and elephants.

very few things satisfy me as much as when i read a book that feels like it found me at the exact moment i most needed it. this was one of those cases.

i read this with oscar on a bench tucked behind the back of the college orchard and we stopped to discuss after every letter. these letters are so rich and layered while also getting to some very honest and simple truths. rilke's views on poetry gave me a lot to chew on — in fact i'd argue this is required reading for anyone who wants to create art of any kind — but what struck me most was how earnestly he took interest in kappus' work and responded with such care and attention. he's kind of the goat idk. reminds me of my friend sha, who might be reading this and if they are — love you sha. you are also the goat.

anyway. rip rainer maria rilke you would have hated dating apps and loved mitski.

rory

very few things satisfy me as much as when i read a book that feels like it found me at the exact moment i most needed it. this was one of those cases.

i read this with oscar on a bench tucked behind the back of the college orchard and we stopped to discuss after every letter. these letters are so rich and layered while also getting to some very honest and simple truths. rilke's views on poetry gave me a lot to chew on — in fact i'd argue this is required reading for anyone who wants to create art of any kind — but what struck me most was how earnestly he took interest in kappus' work and responded with such care and attention. he's kind of the goat idk. reminds me of my friend sha, who might be reading this and if they are — love you sha. you are also the goat.

anyway. rip rainer maria rilke you would have hated dating apps and loved mitski.

versão do século XX da minha troca anônima de correspondência (leia-se: longas mensagens no curious cat) com minha escrita de fanfic favorita em 2021-2023 ☝️

anna

cece

all about the wisdom and godspeed on one's journey towards the mastery of solitude. Life, human and its relation with the nature, and God himself. 

Alma

so thoughtful and thought-provoking. so inspirational and encouraging to live in accepted solitude and embracing growth through the many difficulties and waves of sadness brought about by life 🥹 

If only I could give this to my college self who really needs to hear the words on this book. 

Would really recommended this to someone who’s looking for answers in life/ find themselves stuck in sadness/loneliness. Definitely a recommended read for every one of all ages. 

Marie 🌊

“Live the questions for now”

If only I could give this to my college self who really needs to hear the words on this book. 

Would really recommended this to someone who’s looking for answers in life/ find themselves stuck in sadness/loneliness. Definitely a recommended read for every one of all ages. 

Beautiful beautiful beautiful. I close this book as someone who has gained much wisdom from ten letters. I believe this is my introduction to poetry and Rilke, which was challenging at first, but I really enjoyed it. I am so glad I gave this a go.

Estas CARTAS A UN JOVEN POETA, publicadas más de veinte años después de la muerte de su autor, fueron dirigidas por RAINER MARIA RILKE (1875-1926) a Franz Xaver Kappus, entre 1903 y 1906, desde los diversos lugares a donde le condujo su vida itinerante, resultado de acuciantes preocupaciones económicas y de una casi constante dependencia de sucesivos mecenazgos. Escritos en una época en la que Rilke iniciaba la transición desde una poesía ensoñadora e intimista a otra más cercana al mundo de la materia y de las formas, estos breves textos son también un documento revelador del ideario del poeta y de su concepción del mundo, desde su visión de la vocación y de la inspiración literarias hasta sus meditaciones sobre la soledad inherente a la tarea del creador.

Cartas a un joven poeta

marian

“It is also good to love: because love is difficult. For one human being to love another is perhaps the most difficult task.”

was incredibly well written, full of truths I didn’t know I needed

elinabel hidalgo 

“It is also good to love: because love is difficult. For one human being to love another is perhaps the most difficult task.”

was incredibly well written, full of truths I didn’t know I needed

'Most unsayable of all are works of art, mysterious existences whose lives exist alongside ours' At the start of the twentieth century, Rainer Maria Rilke wrote a series of letters to a young officer cadet, advising him on writing, love, sex, suffering and the nature of advice itself; these profound and lyrical letters have since become hugely influential for writers and artists of all kinds. This book also contains the 'Letter from a Young Worker', a striking polemic against Christianity written in letter-form, near the end of Rilke's life. In Lewis Hyde's introduction, he explores the context in which these letters were written and how the author embraced his isolation as a creative force. Charlie Louth's afterword discusses the similarities and contrasts of the two works, and Rilke's religious and sexual wordplay. This edition also contains a chronology, notes, and suggested further reading. Translated, edited and with notes and an afterword by Charlie Louth Introduced by Lewis Hyde

Anna 

on one hand, I am that type of person that HATES when somebody tells me what to do, how to live my life and how to feel. so of course this was not the most comfortable read. I am still a teenager, still feel some kind of rebellion towards an authority that wants to teach me the ways of life (and an authority only 8 years older than me, for that matter? oh I will rebel even more)

on the other hand, I can see why this is a great piece of literature. I understand (most of) the points that he makes, I even tabbed quite a lot of thoughts of his. 

but I feel like I'm still quite young to truly appreciate this. I am, however, interested to see my reactions to this book in five, ten years' time.

the letter from a young worker was way more interesting to me. the points he makes are similar to my thoughts, it is written rather beautifully and I didn't feel like my whole life was being bellitled by it :D

Ryan Greene

Prakash Rajendran

Didn’t want to mark the book as read as I kept coming back ;)

Grace Edwards

Not sure how to feel about this one. I thought parts were really insightful and true but overall it didn’t do much for me. I was also a little put off by the translation that I read — maybe I shouldn’t have read the commentary as I went but I thought the translators had sort of a weird presence and perspective. I wish they didn’t take portions out of the main letters. 3.5 because apparently every rating has to have a half star.

« but there is much beauty here, because there is much beauty everywhere. »

what a profound book, a stunning exploration of human feelings and poetry. this will be one of those books that will stay with me for the years to come.

florine

« but there is much beauty here, because there is much beauty everywhere. »

what a profound book, a stunning exploration of human feelings and poetry. this will be one of those books that will stay with me for the years to come.

Arihant Verma

If you are a poet/ a writer / artist / admirer of art / or even see art as something just passing, book a date with these letters.

3.5 stars — this would be life-changing for me if i had read this at 15. nevertheless, i’d probably still think about these letters from time to time.

maitha mana

Rilke's heartfelt letters talk about looking inwards into one's self, embracing solitude and making it a haven and an inspiration

Maria

we have no reason to be mistrustful of our world, for it is not against us.

Letters to a Young Poet

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