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It would take a deeply cynical heart not to fall in love with Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet. At the end of this millennium, his slender book holds everything a student of the century could want: the unedited thoughts of (arguably) the most important European poet of the modern age. Rilke wrote these 10 sweepingly emotional letters in 1903, addressing a former student of one of his own teachers. The recipient was wise enough to omit his own inquiries from the finished product, which means that we get a marvelously undiluted dose of Rilkean aesthetics and exhortation.
The poet prefaced each letter with an evocative notation of the city in which he wrote, including Paris, Rome, and the outskirts of Pisa. Yet he spends most of the time encouraging the student in his own work, delivering a sublime, one-on-one equivalent of the modern writing workshop:
Go into yourself and test the deeps in which your life takes rise; at its source you will find the answer to the question whether you must create. Accept it, just as it sounds, without inquiring into it. Perhaps it will turn out that you are called to be an artist. Then take that destiny upon yourself and bear it, its burden and its greatness, without ever asking what recompense might come from outside.
Every page is stamped with Rilke's characteristic grace, and the book is free of the breathless effect that occasionally mars his poetry. His ideas on gender and the role of the artist are also surprisingly prescient. And even his retrograde comment on the "beauty of the virgin" (which the poet derives from the fact that she "has not yet achieved anything") is counterbalanced by his perception that "the sexes are more related than we think." Those looking for an alluring image of the solitary artist--and for an astonishing quotient of wisdom--will find both in Letters to a Young Poet. --Jennifer Buckendorff
Book Description
In 1903, Rilke replied in a series of 10 letters to a student who had submitted some verses to the well-known Austrian poet for an assessment. Written during an important stage in Rilke's artistic development, these letters contain many of the themes that later appeared in his best works. Essential reading for scholars, poetry lovers.
Customer Reviews:
inspirational.......2007-09-26
this book is a wonderful place to look for general guidance in life, especially for anyone pursuing an artistic lifestyle or career.
letters to a young poet.......2007-07-28
I bought this book,I think more than 10 times,friends love it,and
keep it.
It gives me guidance,I definitely will store some for my grandchildren.
Unsurpassed in its importance to every young poet.......2007-07-24
Rilke is Rumi, Kabir, Gibran of German language. As a poet, as a seeker, he explored the limits of his knowledge and belief. He translated his solitary thoughts into poetry which has music, meaning and agelessness. What this prose, these letters contain is a faithful, forthright, candid and very modest, searching, guiding voice of Rilke. In these letters, written to a younger poet, who sought Rilke's guidance, Rilke chalks out his whole ideology of what poetry must be, and how a poet must reach above, beyond and deep within himself, to arrive at the inevitable verse, which is both timely and timeless, not only for himself but also for the reader.
As a craft, poetry is full of solitary devotion. The premium and investment in terms of poet's emotional and intellectual effort is seldom rewarded. A poet lives on the edge, and always runs the danger of tipping into the pits of self-pity, destruction and death-like poverty. The world seldom honors a poet in his prime, rather the best of the best poets compose their work in spite of the social, political and economic obligations they need to fulfill, obligations that motivate poetry, as well as impede the writing of it.
Sheer talent is not enough, mere vocabulary does not quite make you one, rhyming words and dedication are mere abilities, knowledge of published works is important, and yet what Rilke strove for, what Rilke achieved and what he advises the readers/poets to seek is a state where all these attributes synchronize to produce a poem that is at once lyrical and philosophical, understated yet powerful, terse yet tactful, and most importantly, honest and heartfelt.
There are very few books that have touched the poet in me thus. Maugham's Of Human Bondage and Tolstoy's War and Peace come to my mind when I think of effectiveness of Rilke's prose. Yet Rilke, like his Russian idols, is bathed in realism, he seeks for life outside cities and savors spirituality that he most probably carried within him. Selected Poems of Rilke translated by Robert Bly is a recommended resource, as is The Book of Hours (new translation is only couple of years old).
I will encourage every writer, who takes his vocation with seriousness to read Rilke. Like Neruda, Shakespeare, Kalidasa, Keats, Wordsworth, Shelley, Goethe, Tagore, Pushkin, Ghalib, Hafez, Basho, Dinkar, Tulsidas, Homer, Milton and Lorca, Rilke is a must read poet for everyone interested in poetry and life. This book is a collection of letters, so is not to be confused with Poetry Handbooks or Guides that are available everywhere. These letters are personal admissions and advice of Rilke to a younger poet. Rilke started writing these when he was in late twenties, and was still groping for his voice, his intention, his ability. The letters are moving and touching. They are like streams of thought that will shape the terrain they flow through, assuage the thirst of ones who arrive at them and if you let yourself go, carry you to the ocean of consciousness.
Whenever I am not myself........2007-07-19
-Whenever I feel the weight of the world upon my shoulders...
-Whenever I'm overwhelmed by the noise, violence and sorrows of the world...
-Whenever I am deceiving my true nature...
-Whenever I lose touch with my artistic spirit...
I reach for this book and it helps me find my way back to that quiet place inside, reminding me that 'feeling' alone is not the same as 'being' alone and that our solitude is a gift.
There are some books that MUST be read.......2007-07-05
For a brief moment, I think the most cynical person can give pause to enjoy this wonderful collection of sweepingly emotional and thoughtful letters. I have read, re-read and given away many, many copies of Rainier Maria Rilke's "Letters To A Young Poet".
Rarely does a day go by without me thinking of something from this book. Rilke's ideas about love, youth and solitude are remarkable, and until this day I still find infinite wisdom and solace from his writings.
Some books really don't need much more explaining then to say: READ IT!
Book Description
Poignant, hilarious, and brutally frank, Dear Editor reveals the personalities and untold stories behind the creation of modern poetry.
"The history of poetry and Poetry in America are almost interchangeable, certainly inseparable," A. R. Ammons wrote. Dear Editor, in gathering over 600 surprisingly candid letters to and from the editors of Poetry, traces the development of poetry in America: Ezra Pound's opinion of T. S. Eliot ("It is such a comfort to meet a man and not have to tell him to wash his face, wipe his feet") and of Robert Frost ("dull as ditch water...[but] set to be 'literchure' someday"); Edna St. Vincent Millay's pleas for an advance ("I am become very, very thin, and have taken to smoking Virginia tobacco"); Wallace Stevens on himself ("I have a pretty well-developed mean streak").
Here are the inside stories, the rivalries between aspiring authors, the inspirations behind classics, the practicalities (and politicking) of publishing. In fascinating anecdotes and literary gossip, scores of poets offer insights into the creative process and their reactions to historic events. 40 b/w illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Good poems and good advise.......2007-02-21
The poems from 1902 to 1926 reveal a poet at the top of his lyrical form. Rilke does not shy away from the hard topics in poems such as in "The Widow's Song' ("I didn't know what life could be-- it was nothing but years quite suddenly, with no kindness or wonder or novelty, as though torn in two pieces there.". and "What will you do, God (I'm distresses")?" Perhaps he had learned his directness and objectivity from association with the sculptor Rodin. Perhaps a favorite and most famous poem is included here the Panther "His gaze those bars keep passing is so misted // with tiredness, it can take in nothing more."
In his letters from 1903 to 1908, he is equally direct, not offering "feel good" advice, but rather asking direct questions about the need for inner searching and the value of aloneness "We are unutterably alone, essentially, especially in the things most intimate and most important to us". I would have loved to see the letters Franz Kappus wrote that prompted the responses from Rilke. Particularly in light of his religious reverence in the poems, his response to the questions of God, are important'. As Kappus says in his introduction ""the ten letter - important for the understanding of the world in which Rainer Marie Rilke lived and worked, important also for the many who are growing and evolving now and shall in the future".
From the inside cover.......2005-08-21
This volume collects the essential work by one of the twentieth century's greatest writers, Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926). Rilke's prose and poetry is nessecary reading for anyone interested in modern literature, but the poet's words will captivate anyone who wishes to take a deep look at life - and at themselves.
Letters to a Young Poet, one of the best-loved books among writers even today, contains Rilke's wise, nurturing missives to another aspiring young writer, Franz Xaver Kappus, who looked to Rilke for spiritual and creative guidance.
Rilke's response turned the questioner's gaze around to point within himself in the quest for answers to life and art's big questions. Rilke rejects any reliance on others to validate one's artistic endeavors. He believed that writing is an inner journey, a slow process of self-discovery. Yet the poet also encourages Kappus to observe his own life and surroundings to find his subject matter and inspiration. The poet must transform the everyday reality that's all around him.
Remarkable for their warmth, kindness and empathy, Rilke's letters provide timeless insights into art, vocation and life. The letters also document Rilke's thoughts and observations as he traveled throughout Europe. Letters to a Young Poet is both a generous dispersal of wisdom and a record of the poet's inner and outer journeys.
The second part of this volume, The Possibility of Being, collects poetry from seven of Rilke's books. The lucidity and purity we encounter in the letters is also readily apparent in the poems presented here, which includes such well-known works as "Autumn," "The Panther," and "Archaic Torso of Apollo."
Rilke consistently attempts to get to the essence of being: life and death, love and loss. His work often describes material things: a flower, a fountain or a statue. But these "things" are just launching points for his deep ruminations. Rilke transforms his observations of the material world into spiritual meditations on universal questions. His rigorous poems give exquisite form to the ineffable.
Indispensable for the aspiring writer, the lover of great literature, or the seeker of wisdom, this book is a small slice of the sublime that belongs on every bookshelf.
Both the Wise Guidance and the Result.......2003-09-01
Kent Nerburn did a terrific service to the student of both writing and the genius of Rainer Maria Rilke by including his compelling heartfelt letters to the young Franz Xaver Kappus, a student of a former teacher of Rilke.
What makes this volume especially wonderful (there are other editions) of "Letters to a Young Poet" is the inclusion of some of Rilke's beautiful poems from his volume "The Possibility of Being."
This way the reader understands more of Rilke's heart through both his prose and his poetry.
It is as his young correspondant writes, "When a truly great and unique spirit speaks, the lesser ones must be silent."
This book is not only for poets, artists and writers. It is truly for anyone who breathes-- and wants to experience each breath with more richness, more depth, more beauty, more truth.
Customer Reviews:
A glimpse into the mind of an optimistic writer at the turn of the 20th century .......2006-03-27
Rilke was born in Prague in 1875 and his parents first thought that he would follow in his father's footsteps and become an army officer. After a stint in military school, he studied the humanities and became a prolific writer and poet. The first section of this book consists of a series of letters written by Rilke to Franz Xaver Kappus, who was an aspiring poet. In those letters, we see some of the writing talent of Rilke as well as a small portrait of a continent in transition. The ten letters from Rilke to Kappus were written from 1903 to 1908, a time when Europe was in the midst of a transition to the modern era. The transition was still in the early stages and it took a major war to execute it, but there are clear indications of change in the air. The final section is a short chronicle of the letters, further explanations of their contents and meaning.
This short book is a look into the mind of a poet who was very good and who saw the world changing around him. However, Rilke was very much a member of the European intelligentsia that existed before World War I and only the early phases of the transition of Western civilization are evident in his writings.
The Reflection Of Ourselves.......2005-09-15
"If your everyday life appears to be unworthy subject matter, do not complain to life.
Complain to yourself. Lament that you are not poet enough to call up its wealth."
-Rainer Maria Rilke, on themes for writing poetry.
Anyone who writes poetry, and perhaps even those involved in other forms of creative endeavors, may find the words within this book a mirror of themselves. I say that only because a mirror shows us our current reflection, and as we change throughout our life, the reflection changes with us. The beautiful and gentle expressions Rainer Maria Rilke writes to Franz Kappus are meant for a young poet, but their magnitude and depth are such that they could continue to be an endless source of insight and wisdom as he continued to evolve as a poet. I'm certain that we can all see ourselves in these wonderful words, and we can also witness what we aspire to be.
Even as Rilke admits that Jens Jacobsen, the writer, and Auguste Rodin, the sculptor, taught him something of the depth and enduring quality of creativity, it is always to the poet's own personal experiences and inward impetus, that he continually points to as the true source for art. For it may very well be that a poet is often inspired by these outward influences, it is still to those unique ideas and beautiful emotions that often remain on the edge of his own comprehension that an artist seeks to fully express. As Rainer Maria Rilke so eloquently writes, "To allow the completion of every impression, every germ of a feeling deep within, in darkness, beyond words, in the realm of instinct unattainable by logic...that alone is to live one's art."
The requisite to read these ten letters written over one hundred years ago has endured for generations, and will continue to do so. This is because they are the indispensable words from the heart of an evolved soul and master poet. The words Rainer Maria Rilke writes to Franz Kappus are never harsh, never judgmental, or critical; they are always kind, thoughtful and gentle. By sharing his own deep understanding of the nature of humanity and the creative spirit, Rilke encourages us all to reach for limitless possibilities and discover our own wellspring of being.
"It is always my wish that you might find enough patience within yourself to endure, and enough innocence to have faith."
-Rainer Maria Rilke on bringing the inner and outer life into harmony
~Brian Douthit
author of Perfectly Said: when words become art
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A Rilke Trilogy: Duino Elegies/Letters to a Young Poet/the Sonnets to Orpheus/Boxed Set
Rainer Maria Rilke
Manufacturer: Shambhala Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
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Rilke, Rainer Maria
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Mitchell, Stephen
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ASIN: 0877739536 |
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Letters to a young poet
Rainer Maria Rilke
Manufacturer: Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
German
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
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ASIN: B0006ATX0C |
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Sonnets to Orpheus with Letters to a Young Poet
Rainer Maria Rilke
Manufacturer: Carcanet Press Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
20th Century
| Poetry
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General
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| United States
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Anthologies
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Rilke, Rainer Maria
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ASIN: 1857544560 |
Book Description
The content of these sonnets, appearing comparatively simple at first, resonate far beyond the familiar legend of Orpheus and Eurydice; they have a range that encompasses the Singing God and his beloved Eurydice; legend in general; time; flight and change; architecture, music and dance; and animals, plants, flowers, and fruits.
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Cartas a Un Joven Poeta/ Letters for a Young Poet (El Libro De Bolsillo-Literatura)
Rainer Maria Rilke
Manufacturer: Alianza
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
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General
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Spanish
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Criticism
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Rilke, Rainer Maria
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Spanish
| Foreign Language Fiction
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Spanish
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Rilke, Rainer Maria
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General
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Crítica
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No-Ficción
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| Automotriz
| Ciencias Sociales
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| Feriados
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ASIN: 842063445X |
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Sonnets to Orpheus: with Letters to a Young Poet
Rainer Ma Rilke
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Literary Theory
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ASIN: 0415940788 |
Book Description
Sonnets to Orpheus is Rainer Maria Rilke's first and only sonnet sequence. It is an undisputed masterpiece by one of the greatest modern poets, translated here by a master of translation, David Young.
Rilke revived and transformed the traditional sonnet sequence in the Sonnets. Instead of centering on love for a particular person, as has many other sonneteers, he wrote an extended love poem to the world, celebrating such diverse things as mirrors, dogs, fruit, breathing, and childhood. Many of the sonnets are addressed to two recurrent figures: the god Orpheus (prototype of the poet) and a young dancer, whose death is treated elegiacally.
These ecstatic and meditative lyric poems are a kind of manual on how to approach the world - how to understand and love it. David Young's is the first most sensitive of the translations of this work, superior to other translations in sound and sense. He captures Rilke's simple, concrete, and colloquial language, writing with a precision close to the original.
Book Description
Just as the summer in Loon Lake is heating up, the town gets turned upside down by the bizarre triple homicide discovered on a backcountry road.
Customer Reviews:
Northwoods life-dear to my heart.......2007-02-14
The mystery created by Victoria Houston, in this instance in "Dead Boogie", is set in some of the most beautiful scenery in the country. Contrast that with the "looney" characters in the story and we get a taste of life in the woods of the Upper Great Lakes. I live in the north woods and my friends and I feel we have met everyone of these characters. Victoria is the only author able to capture the essence of this area in her books, and with a good mystery to boot. I am afraid that I am another woman who is attracted to Ray Pratt and was glad to see the many sides of him in "Dead Boogie".
7th Loon Lake mystery slow.......2007-01-05
The 7th Loon Lake murder mystery was typically good but slow in developing the plot. Character development at the beginning was apparently for new readers to the Loon Lake mystery series. I found it a little slow. However, the plot moved fast after that with multiple potential suspects and plausible motives. The ending was the usual unexpected climax. I throughly enjoyed the story and the brief fishing scenes in this book. I look forward to Victoria Houston's next segment in the Loon Lake mystery series.
I took the bait.......2006-05-28
If you've read any of Victoria Houston's previous mysteries in the Loon Lake series, you know what to expect, but if you're a first-time reader of Ms. Houston's novels, you are going to be pleased. I heard Ms. Houston on an NPR show and liked her immediately--her Midwestern sensibility, her sense of humor, the way she talked about writing. So I purchased this book, and I found it a terrific, engaging, and completely enjoyable reading experience.
The characters are likeable, slightly quirky, and believable. The story features a triple murder, and couple of other grisly deaths along the way, but the author loves her main characters so much, and writes so wonderfully about the locale, that the reader is almost more interested in the interactions of the cast of mostly amateur crime fighters who move from clue to clue to solve the crime. The book is well-paced and contains humor and local color--and some nicely written descriptions of fishing experiences--and the mystery unravels page by page.
Ms. Houston is a skillful writer. This book is a keeper. And I recommend it to anyone who likes the Midwest, the outdoors, character-driven fiction, and a good story.
look forward to each new Loon Lake story!.......2006-05-15
After reading all the previous Loon Lake series I waited a year for Dead Boogie to come out. It was, again, an engaging story well worth the wait. The action and the setting always bring a familiarity with the small community setting and characters making it seem like it is unfolding in my own backyard. Victoria Houston does a great job entwining the characters, setting and action in a story that compells me to read on late into the night. My only regret is that I will, again, have to wait another year for the next book.
Northwoods Mystery.......2006-04-25
Once again Ms Houston has captured her audience with the delightful trio: Lew, Doc and Ray. This adventure was intrigueing through out. Being a Northwoods Mystery lover I look forward to the next Loon Lake Mystery. Please keep this wonderful series going.
Product Description
Set of 4 paperbacks in Victoria Houston's Loon Lake Fishing Mystery Series: Dead Angler, Dead Water, Dead Boogie, & Dead Jitterbug.
Books:
- Mathematical Sciences After the Year 2000
- MATLAB(R) for Photomechanics- A Primer
- Matter in Equilibrium: Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics includes CD-ROM (Topics in Physical Chemistry)
- Metal-Catalysed Reactions of Hydrocarbons (Fundamental and Applied Catalysis)
- Nectar in a Sieve (Signet Classics)
- New Directions in Antimatter Chemistry and Physics
- Non-Equilibrium Entropy and Irreversibility (Mathematical Physics Studies)
- One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich: A Novel
- Optical Semiconductor Devices
- Optical Waveguide Analysis
Books Index
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