Poetry

Letters to a Young Poet

Letters to a Young Poet

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  • Create Date：2021-04-21 14:56:42
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Rainer Maria Rilke
  • ISBN：0241252059
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Summary

'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。

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Reviews

Tim Nason ，

I give the book 5 stars because Rilke’s advice is so interesting but I would like to find a more comprehensible translation。 Here is a sample sentence， chosen at random:Is there anything that can take from you the hope of thus some day being in him， the farthest， the ultimate？

Addison Rizer ，

Sometimes， books really do find you at the perfect time in your life。 I experienced one of， what Rilke would call， a tragedy recently。 I read this days after。 Letter eight speaks to my soul in an unspeakable kind of way because of this。 How could it not be difficult for us？ How could it not， indeed。

Nabil Mamlouk ，

كتاب أبعد من الشعر اقرب الى الحياة。。。مرجع سلس يستحق القراءة ألف مرة

Maya Yeoman ，

Feels very personal。 Truly amazing life advice too wow！ I annotated the hell out of it and will definitely return again probably multiple times throughout my life。 Really loved it。

Mary Margaret ，

This has so many lovely things in it！ I look forward to reading more of his work in the very near future！！ 4 and a 1/2 stars。

Nicolebradbury ，

I think I found this at quite the perfect time in my life。 Rilke invites his young poet to love and celebrate solitude as the only means to really understanding himself， and I think with this past year， Rilke's words could ring true to many。 Incredibly profound， and reaches the very depths of the soul。 I think I found this at quite the perfect time in my life。 Rilke invites his young poet to love and celebrate solitude as the only means to really understanding himself， and I think with this past year， Rilke's words could ring true to many。 Incredibly profound， and reaches the very depths of the soul。 。。。more

Rita ，

#20#2021#livrosabril

Maria k Eskildsen ，

While reading my eyes were watering， but my heart was leaping with the joy of knowing that minds as beautiful as the one of Rilke have existed

Alyson Hagy ，

Really enjoyed this translation。 AND the volume includes the actual letters to Rilke from the "young poet" Franz Kappus。 Very interesting to see those。 Really enjoyed this translation。 AND the volume includes the actual letters to Rilke from the "young poet" Franz Kappus。 Very interesting to see those。 。。。more

Bellamy ，

In the words of Rilke， "If you will love what seems to be insignificant and will in an unassuming manner， as a servant， seek to win the confidence of what seems poor， then everything will become easier， more harmonious， and somehow more conciliatory， not for your intellect- that will most likely remain behind， astonished-but for you innermost consciousness， your awareness， and your inner knowing。" In the words of Rilke， "If you will love what seems to be insignificant and will in an unassuming manner， as a servant， seek to win the confidence of what seems poor， then everything will become easier， more harmonious， and somehow more conciliatory， not for your intellect- that will most likely remain behind， astonished-but for you innermost consciousness， your awareness， and your inner knowing。" 。。。more

Camila Benevenuto Ferreira ，

4。5Terminei saudosa da época que eu escrevia cartas e querendo ter tido a chance de trocar cartas com Rilke！

Amber ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 3。5 stars:"Don't write love poems; avoid at first those forms which are too familiar and habitual: they are the hardest， for you need great maturity and strength to produce something of your own in a domain where good and sometimes brilliant examples have been handed down to us in abundance。。。 flee general subjects and take refuge in those offered by your own day-to-day life; depict your sadness and desires， passing thoughts and faith in some kind of beauty - depict all this with intense， quiet， 3。5 stars:"Don't write love poems; avoid at first those forms which are too familiar and habitual: they are the hardest， for you need great maturity and strength to produce something of your own in a domain where good and sometimes brilliant examples have been handed down to us in abundance。。。 flee general subjects and take refuge in those offered by your own day-to-day life; depict your sadness and desires， passing thoughts and faith in some kind of beauty - depict all this with intense， quiet， humble sincerity and make use of whatever you find about you to express yourself， the images from your dreams and the things in your memory。。。go into yourself and。。。 examine the depths from which your life springs; at its source you will find the answer to the question of whether you have to write。。。and fate itself is like a wonderful， vast fabric in which every thread is drawn by an infinitely tender hand and laid next to another， held in place and supported by a hundred others。。。Allow your verdicts their own quiet untroubled development which like all progress must come from deep within and cannot be forced or accelerated。 Everything must be carried to term before it is born。。。but believe in a love that which is stored up for you like an inheritance， and trust that in this love there is a strength and a benediction out of whose sphere you do not need to issue even if your journey is a long one。。。And yet [our ancestors] are in us， these people long since passed away， as a disposition， as a load weighing on our destinies， as a murmur in the blood and as a gesture that rises up out of the depths of time。。。But there young people so often and so badly go wrong: in that they （who by nature have no patience） fling themselves at one another when love comes over them， scatter themselves just as they are in all their troubledness， disorder， confusion。。。 What is life supposed to do with this heap of half-broken things that they call their togetherness and would like to call their happiness， were it possible， their future？ Each person loses himself then for the other’s sake and loses the other and many more who were yet to come。 And loses the expanses and possibilities， exchanges the bearing and fleeing of delicate， mysterious things for a sterile helplessness of which nothing more can come; nothing but a bit of disgust， disappointment and deprivation and the escape into one of the many conventions which like public shelters are set up in great numbers along this most dangerous of paths。 No area of human experience is so well furnished with conventions as this: there are lifebelts of the most various invention， dinghies and buoyancy devices; society in its wisdom has found ways of constructing refuges of all kinds， for since it has been disposed to make the love-life a pastime， it has also felt obliged to trivialize it， to make it cheap， risk-free and secure， as public pleasures usually are…Often though a question’s gravitycuts across my path。 I seem to shrink，pass coldly on as if beside a lakewhose waters are too vast for me to measure…For imagining an individual’s existence as a larger or smaller room reveals to us that most people are only acquainted with one corner of their particular room， a place by the window， a little area to pace up and down…Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses， only waiting for the day when they will see us handsome and brave？ …You shouldn’t be dismayed if a sadness rises up in you… You must think that something is happening with you， that life has not forgotten you， that it holds you in its hands; it will not let you fall。 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？… You well know you are in a period of transition and want nothing more than to be transformed… 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…In all that lies before you to experience and do， [solitude] will continue as an anonymous influence and have a subtly decisive effect， perhaps like the way the blood of our ancestors moves unceasingly within us and mingles with our own to make us the unique， not-to-be-repeated being that we are at every turn of our lives…” 。。。more

Erich ，

3。5 stars。 Rereading this 30 years later when I am no longer a young poet。 In the letters， Rilke chooses a theme to riff on: how to find your voice， how to be alone， how to embrace suffering。。。 It seems to me that Kapus' letters represent for Rilke more an invitation to riff than to connect emotionally with another person。 They all begin - like most of my letters - by making excuses and apologies for how long it's been。 3。5 stars。 Rereading this 30 years later when I am no longer a young poet。 In the letters， Rilke chooses a theme to riff on: how to find your voice， how to be alone， how to embrace suffering。。。 It seems to me that Kapus' letters represent for Rilke more an invitation to riff than to connect emotionally with another person。 They all begin - like most of my letters - by making excuses and apologies for how long it's been。 。。。more

Abdullah Mohammed ，

بالتأكيد لن تكون قراءتي الوحيدة له。

nimra ，

this was so beautiful， i am totally at a short of words to review this。 it reads like a letter addressed to you， the reader。 Rilke's advises about writing， solitude， the changes inside one's self， and life as a whole， are so eloquently articulated，truly impeccable。 this book really comforts the heart while also compelling it to question the significant values in life。 i'm really grateful to have read it and it left a strong impact on me。 this was so beautiful， i am totally at a short of words to review this。 it reads like a letter addressed to you， the reader。 Rilke's advises about writing， solitude， the changes inside one's self， and life as a whole， are so eloquently articulated，truly impeccable。 this book really comforts the heart while also compelling it to question the significant values in life。 i'm really grateful to have read it and it left a strong impact on me。 。。。more

Shahad ，

هو عبارة عن 17 رسالة كتبها الشاعر الألماني العظيم "ريكله" إلى "فرانتس كابوس" بلغةٍ شعرية وعذبة وأسلوبٍ رقيق وعميق。 الرسائل يتخللها الكثير من النصائح عن الحُب والشهوة والمُعاناة وطبيعة النصيحة نفسها。 وقد أصبحت رسائله مؤثرة بشكل كبير في أجيال وأجيال من الشباب والفنانين ولا تزال مصدرًا لا نهائيًا للإلهام والسلوى حتى يومنا هذا。أردت أن أضع شيئًا من الاقتباسات التي أعجبتني، لكن الكتاب كله يمكن الاقتباس منه، لذلك أنصح كثيرًا بقراءته。 ولا بد أن أثني على الترجمة الجميلة للأستاذ صلاح هلال من دار الكرمة。 هو عبارة عن 17 رسالة كتبها الشاعر الألماني العظيم "ريكله" إلى "فرانتس كابوس" بلغةٍ شعرية وعذبة وأسلوبٍ رقيق وعميق。 الرسائل يتخللها الكثير من النصائح عن الحُب والشهوة والمُعاناة وطبيعة النصيحة نفسها。 وقد أصبحت رسائله مؤثرة بشكل كبير في أجيال وأجيال من الشباب والفنانين ولا تزال مصدرًا لا نهائيًا للإلهام والسلوى حتى يومنا هذا。أردت أن أضع شيئًا من الاقتباسات التي أعجبتني، لكن الكتاب كله يمكن الاقتباس منه، لذلك أنصح كثيرًا بقراءته。 ولا بد أن أثني على الترجمة الجميلة للأستاذ صلاح هلال من دار الكرمة。 。。。more

gabriele ，

no primeiro contato que tive com esse livro， fiquei completamente mesmerizada pela beleza do uso das palavras。 mesmo sendo apenas cartas， a carga poética presente nelas fazia com que eu mergulhasse no texto e me tornasse alheia ao mundo ao meu redor。 algo que ajudou muito para essa ambientação foi o fato de que eu o li majoritariamente na madrugada， enquanto ouvia jazz。 o silêncio e a paz dessas horas solitárias foram essenciais para captar o máximo possível de um livro que fala tanto sobre soli no primeiro contato que tive com esse livro， fiquei completamente mesmerizada pela beleza do uso das palavras。 mesmo sendo apenas cartas， a carga poética presente nelas fazia com que eu mergulhasse no texto e me tornasse alheia ao mundo ao meu redor。 algo que ajudou muito para essa ambientação foi o fato de que eu o li majoritariamente na madrugada， enquanto ouvia jazz。 o silêncio e a paz dessas horas solitárias foram essenciais para captar o máximo possível de um livro que fala tanto sobre solidão。em muitos trechos， eu me senti tocada por uma sabedoria que alcançou as partes mais íntimas do meu ser。 sempre é meio libertador ler， nas palavras de outras pessoas， pensamentos que eu mesma já possuo。 é muito bonita a forma como ele fala sobre paciência e sobre crescimento e sobre como a gente se encontra e entra em contato consigo mesmo apenas na mais absoluta solidão。 quase como voltar à infância， durante a qual o mundo adulto nos é alheio e vivemos sozinhos no nosso mundinho puro e infantil。a forma com a qual ele fala sobre amor também me tocou muito: como essa é uma experiência que nos proporciona， acima de tudo， crescimento pessoal。 como ela só é completa quando nos enxergamos como seres humanos individuais （e não a segunda parte de um ser só - que seria formado pela união de dois amantes）， o que normalmente não se vê falar。 principalmente quando se é jovem， é notável que o indivíduo quer se ver consumido por aquela paixão e aquele desejo。 talvez seja por isso que as pessoas acabem se decepcionando quando a rotina dá lugar àquele sentimento inicial。 o amor deve ser algo paciente e gentil， que permita que conheçamos ao outro （e a nós mesmos） no tempo que for necessário。 sem pressa， sem pressões externas。ele também discorre sobre como a experiência sexual chega a se igualar à experiência criativa， pois ambas são responsáveis por gerar um êxtase que chega a nos transcender como indivíduos。 não sei se sou romântica demais， mas isso me tocou de uma forma que eu não considerava possível - principalmente porque eu já sabia， por alto， o que esperar do livro; ainda assim， ele me surpreendeu。 gosto muito dessa ideia de entrega。 de nunca nos doarmos pela metade， mas sim estarmos absolutamente disponíveis para tudo o que nos é guardado naquele momento。 por isso é preciso ter paciência: para que possamos aproveitar cada etapa da nossa existência da maneira como ela nos apresenta， cientes de que o futuro nos guarda novas sensações e perspectivas - tudo no seu tempo。enfim。 agora， sinto a necessidade de ler mais livros （agora de poesia） do Rilke， mas vou me dar um tempo para absorver tudo o que esse livro significou para mim。 fiz tantas anotações e marcações que claramente preciso de mais tempo para pensar sobre esse livro e， em seguida， estarei pronta para consumir mais obras dele。 por enquanto， é isso。 。。。more

Clara Culini ，

I’m forever changed after reading Rilke’s letters。 His way of seeing and understanding life in all it’s seriousness and beauty will accompany me for the rest of my life。 Truly better that therapy

Spideralice ，

So smug though

Murooj ，

كلمات قليلة وقوية تخترق روحك مباشرةً ولن تكتفي منها

John ，

Philosophical and dense; it will take me a couple more reread to fully understand and appreciate these letters。 But I do like that things I got。 There's something appealing on reading someone discuss topics they know by heart。 And in this case， it's Rilke discussing writing and solitude in life。 Philosophical and dense; it will take me a couple more reread to fully understand and appreciate these letters。 But I do like that things I got。 There's something appealing on reading someone discuss topics they know by heart。 And in this case， it's Rilke discussing writing and solitude in life。 。。。more

Sara Kubisty ，

in which Rilke lovingly grabs me by my neck and forces me to look in the mirror。 i feel forever changed by this book。

Alejandro Escobar ，

"Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses， only waiting for the day when they will see us handsome and brave。" "Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses， only waiting for the day when they will see us handsome and brave。" 。。。more

Padmini Pyapali ，

Beautiful， profound， inspiring。 I highlighted a lot and revisit past highlights weekly。

Tri ，

This is a book I think I will have to come back to many times to glean its full meaning。 Wow。 Well worth reading。

David ，

“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。”

Helfren Filex ，

Overall review This book has good introduction to it with the author calls on the youngsters back on the old days to inspire them and stir the poet in the readers。 It is a good revelation on the crowds that looking to soul search try to find themselves without the mass internet and media we have now。

Evan Humphreys ，

Never heard of Rilke until Wes handed me his copy and claimed it his favorite。 I can see why。 The action-intellect and belief give Rilke's letters authority， and the dustless themes of solitude， individuation， deism， suffering & art result a gravitas outpouring。 Even in translation， there's an elusory aspect to the letters that convince me this Bohemian had individualized， had clocked the solitude。 Letter 8 is the best。Epistolary works， man。 Some of the best （Tenant of Wildfell Hall， Screwtaper Never heard of Rilke until Wes handed me his copy and claimed it his favorite。 I can see why。 The action-intellect and belief give Rilke's letters authority， and the dustless themes of solitude， individuation， deism， suffering & art result a gravitas outpouring。 Even in translation， there's an elusory aspect to the letters that convince me this Bohemian had individualized， had clocked the solitude。 Letter 8 is the best。Epistolary works， man。 Some of the best （Tenant of Wildfell Hall， Screwtaper Letters， Gilead）。 Looking forward to reading Poor Folk one day。Standouts:'If your everyday life seems poor， don't blame it; blame yourself; admit to yourself that you are not enough of a poet to call forth it's riches， because for the creator there is no poverty and no poor， indifferent place' （7-8）。‘Most people misuse this great learning [Bodily Delight] and squander it and apply it as a stimulant to the tired places of their lives and as a distraction rather than as a way of gathering themselves for their highest moments' （36）。‘To walk inside yourself and meet no one for hours--that is what you must be able to attain' （54）。Song pairing: 'A Heartfelt Silence' by Joep Beving 。。。more

AMY ，

ليس بوسع احد ان ينصحك ويساعدك ، لا احد 。 لاتوجد الا وسيلة واحدة :عليك بسبر اغوار ذاتك، عليك بالبحث في السبب الذي يدفعك الى الكتابة ، انظر اذا كانت جذوره متوغلة في اعمق مكان في قلبك ، اسأل نفسك إذا كانت الكتابة بالنسبة إليك دُونها الموت 。 والاهم اسأل نفسك في أكثر ساعات الليل سكوناً : هل يجب عليّ أن اكتب ؟ نقب في نفسك عن اجابة عميقة واذا كان الرد بالايجاب ، اذا كان ردك على هذا السؤال الجاد هو قولك بقوة وببساطة: علي ان اكتب 。 فعليك ان تبني حياتك تبعاً لتلك الضرورة ؛ يجب ان تصبح حياتك ، حتى لحظاتها ليس بوسع احد ان ينصحك ويساعدك ، لا احد 。 لاتوجد الا وسيلة واحدة :عليك بسبر اغوار ذاتك، عليك بالبحث في السبب الذي يدفعك الى الكتابة ، انظر اذا كانت جذوره متوغلة في اعمق مكان في قلبك ، اسأل نفسك إذا كانت الكتابة بالنسبة إليك دُونها الموت 。 والاهم اسأل نفسك في أكثر ساعات الليل سكوناً : هل يجب عليّ أن اكتب ؟ نقب في نفسك عن اجابة عميقة واذا كان الرد بالايجاب ، اذا كان ردك على هذا السؤال الجاد هو قولك بقوة وببساطة: علي ان اكتب 。 فعليك ان تبني حياتك تبعاً لتلك الضرورة ؛ يجب ان تصبح حياتك ، حتى لحظاتها التي لا تكترث لها تماماً، تعبيراً عن هذة الضرورة الملحة وشاهداً عليها （ يكفي ان يشعر المرء أن بمكانه الحياة من دون كتابة ، حتى يكون الاجدر به الا يكتب تماماً） 。。。more

Lelia ，

I wasn't sure about reading this as I'm not a creative person and am not a fan pseudo-intellectual artsy bs， but this was the exact opposite。 Rilke is incredibly insightful and his advice is applicable to all lives。 Poetic self-help， really。 I wasn't sure about reading this as I'm not a creative person and am not a fan pseudo-intellectual artsy bs， but this was the exact opposite。 Rilke is incredibly insightful and his advice is applicable to all lives。 Poetic self-help， really。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Letters to a Young Poet

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Letters to a Young Poet&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Letters to a Young Poet&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0