Letters to a Young Poet

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Rainer Maria Rilke

Translated and with a foreword by Stephen Mitchell

Random House/Modern Library, New York, 2001, 1934 English; originally published 1929 in German

Nonfiction, General

ISBN: 9780679642329

From the Publisher. Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet are arguably the most famous and beloved letters of the 20th century. Written when the poet was himself still a young man, with most of his greatest work before him, they were addressed to a student, Franz Kappus, who had sent Rilke some of his own writing, asking for advice on becoming a writer. The two never met, but over a period of several years (1902-08) Rilke wrote him these ten letters, which have been cherished by hundreds of thousands of readers for what Stephen Mitchell calls in his Foreword the "vibrant and deeply felt experience of life" that informs them. Eloquent and personal, Rilke’s meditations on the creative process, the nature of love, the wisdom of children, and the importance of solitude offer a wealth of spiritual and practical guidance for anyone.

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Juhani Pallasmaa

On Juhani Pallasmaa’s Book List

A beautiful book that every student should read; it humbles and inspires the reader.

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