Ever wondered what it’s like to receive life-changing advice from a literary genius? Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke is your chance to peek into the intimate correspondence between a celebrated poet and a hopeful young writer.
Title: Letters to a Young Poet
Author: Rainer Maria Rilke, translated by Reginald Snell
Published: May 8, 2002 by Dover Publications
Genre: Essays, Memoir, Nonfiction, Literary Fiction, Austria, Classics, German Literature, Translated Works
Summary
Review
I appreciate this book for the unique glimpse it provides into the life of a renowned poet through his conversational letters. These letters offer us fragments of Rilke’s thoughts on a range of topics, including solitude, love, religion, gender, rebellion, sex, and the struggles of being an artist.
The rich prose in this book is a delight to read, and the advices he wrote for a young poet might actually be something I could carry with my life as well.
There are moments when Rilke’s reflections echo the Chinese philosophy of Wei Wu Wei, which emphasizes letting things happen naturally and avoiding resistance. For instance, in the passage:
“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 the questions themselves like locked rooms, like books written in a foreign tongue. Do not now strive to uncover answers: they cannot be given you because you have not been able to live them. And what matters is to live everything. Live the questions for now.”
Furthermore, Rilke suggests that every experience, no matter how small, is crucial to the bigger picture of existence. So, embracing this view helps us appreciate the value in every moment and see each experience as a meaningful part of our journey.
Another major topic Rilke explores is solitude. He views solitude as a painful yet crucial aspect of personal growth and creativity. Rather than avoiding or resenting it, he encourages you to “sing out” with the emotions it brings:
“Therefore, dear Sir, love your solitude and try to sing out with the pain it causes you. For those who are near you are far away… and this shows that the space around you is beginning to grow vast… Be happy about your growth, in which, of course, you can’t take anyone with you. Be gentle with those who stay behind; be confident and calm in front of them and don’t torment them with your doubts and don’t frighten them with your faith or joy, which they wouldn’t be able to comprehend.”
I relate to this deeply because I’ve been trying to avoid doom scrolling to value time alone with my thoughts. Over the past few years, my relationship with solitude has changed. Due to constant anxiety, I used to dread being alone and feared the idle time at night when anxiety would creep in.
Rilke’s work highlights the value of solitude in creating art and poetry. Although I’m not deeply into art, exploring creative pursuits through this book has been valuable. It offers an intimate perspective rather than generic advice.
I have to admit, though, that Rilke sometimes come across a bit masochistic. His letters suggest that instead of avoiding grief or discomfort, one should fully experience and embrace these feelings. Confronting pain so directly might seem masochistic, but Rilke underscores a deeper truth: avoiding our pain and distractions hinders true artistic and personal development.
Final Thoughts
I confess I had a hard time finishing this book, despite how short it is. Rilke’s words are dense with thought-provoking ideas, and I found it challenging to grasp them fully in a noisy environment. The best time for me to read this was at night, when I could immerse myself in its depth without distraction. This may be partly the reason I have given it three stars.
Nonetheless, this book is truly enriching and I don’t regret reading this. I look forward to reading more of his work. This book offers advice not only to poets but also to contemporary readers on viewing the world through Rilke’s lens. I think this would be enjoyed by readers of poems, literary fiction, and those with creative pursuits.
I may be rambling a bit, but I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Please please please share them with me!
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