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4.0 

Letters to a Young Poet

By Rainer Maria Rilke
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke digital book - Fable

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Publisher Description

These ten letters, written by one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century, offer deep and sincere advice to the young poet. They touch on all aspects of life and are valuable to anyone wishing to be a poet and to those who are not. Written with power, style, and conviction these letters will guide and inspire anyone who reads them.

3979 Reviews

4.0
Thumbs Up“Letters to a Young Poet is a book that will be hard to forget. Even though I feel like I need to reread it to fully understand and immerse myself in every line Rainer wrote, the parts that resonated with me were deeply inspiring and enlightening. The way Rainer explores so many topics beyond poetry — loneliness, love, suffering, challenges, God, and nature — almost makes it feel like a philosophical book. His writing style is beautiful, almost novel-like, and it never really felt like I was reading letters. One passage in particular moved me to tears: ‘You must not be frightened, dear Mr. Capus, when a sadness arises within you of such magnitude as you have never experienced, or when a restlessness overshadows all you do, like light and shadow of clouds gliding over your hand. You must believe that something is happening to you, that life has not forgotten you, that it holds you in its hand. It shall not let you fall.’ Oh my god, I was in tears. That says everything about the emotional weight of this book. I do wish I had read it earlier in my life, as it would have helped me during my teenage struggles. Nonetheless, reading it now, it still inspires me greatly. This is a book I know I’ll return to in the future.”
“I wish someone would explain life to me like this—gently, but without restraint. Give me hope and meaning and strength, all in handwritten letters! This is one of those classics that I need to revisit multiple times to truly absorb what I’ve read.”

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