In 1902, a nineteen-year-old aspiring poet named Franz Kappus
wrote to Rilke, then twenty-six, seeking advice on his poetry.
Kappus, a student at a military academy in Vienna similar to the
one Rilke had attended, was about to embark on a career as an
officer, for which he had little inclination. Touched by the
innocence and forthrightness of the student, Rilke responded to
Kappus letter and began an intermittent correspondence that would
last until 1908.
"Letters to a Young Poet" collects the ten letters that Rilke
wrote to Kappus. A book often encountered in adolescence, it speaks
directly to the young. Rilke offers unguarded thoughts on such
diverse subjects as creativity, solitude, self-reliance, living
with uncertainty, the shallowness of irony, the uselessness of
criticism, career choices, sex, love, God, and art. Lette"rs to a
Young Poet "is, finally, a life manual. Art, Rilke tells the young
poet in his final letter to him, is only another way of living.
With the same artistry that marks his widely acclaimed
translations of Kafka s "The Castle "and" Amerika: The Missing
Person, " Mark Harman captures the lyrical and spiritual dimensions
of Rilke s prose. In his introduction, he provides biographical
contexts for the reader and discusses the challenges of translating
Rilke. This lovely hardcover edition makes a perfect gift for any
young person starting out in life or for those interested in
finding a clear articulation of Rilke s thoughts on life and
art.
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