Read this when
Letters to a Young Poet
A 19-year-old asked Rilke if his poems were good. Rilke said: stop asking me, go into yourself. Rude? Maybe. Correct? Also maybe. ✉️
Who it's for
Franz Xaver Kappus, a nineteen-year-old military cadet, sends Rilke his poems and asks for judgment; Rilke instead turns him back on himself, telling him no one can advise him and he must go into himself and ask whether he must write.
Feelings it meets
What it is
This is a collection of ten letters that Rainer Maria Rilke wrote between 1903 and 1908 to Franz Xaver Kappus, a 19-year-old student at the Theresian Military Academy who had sent Rilke his poems for criticism. Rather than judge the poems, Rilke urges Kappus to look inward.
Where to find it
The German original (1929) is public domain in the US and freely available online (e.g., Internet Archive). English translations (Norton, Mitchell) are in print; libraries (Libby/Hoopla); audiobooks a.
Before you start
Age: Ages 14+
My person was hideous and my stature gigantic. What did this mean? Who was I? What was I? Whence did I come? What was my destination?Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, Chapter 15
