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. The two never met, but over a period of several years Rilke wrote him these ten letters, which have been cherished by hundreds of thousands of readers for what Stephen Mitchell calls in his Foreword that 'vibrant and deeply felt experience of life' that informs them. Written when the poet was himself still a young man, with most of his greatest work before him, they were addressed to a student who had sent Rilke some of his own writing, asking for advice on becoming a writer.

🙂 It’s artsy fartsy and we all need a little bit of that in our lives.Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet are arguably the most famous and beloved letters of the twentieth century. This is one that can be tossed into a bag, brought on a trip, and read through a few times on a train in Europe. Even if you don’t, this book is a worthy read, a good thing to keep on a shelf. But let me tell you, this short (and cheap!) read is a game-changer, especially if you like to talk about art. Yes, this book is over 100 years old and yes, sometimes young adults roll their eyes at such things. Its discussion of the young soldier’s difficulties in finding his identity and vocation, mirrored in Rilke’s own life, have resonated with generations of readers for over a century, and it stands as one of the most beloved and widely read sets of letters in the world.

Written in Rilke’s early, struggling years, Letters to a Young Poet is a work of beauty and urgency. When a young student at a military academy mails some of his poetry to the great poet Rainer Maria Rilke, seeking advice, he initiates years of correspondence, during which Rilke expresses his most personal insights into the artist’s relationship with life, the interior needs of the individual growing towards maturity, and how the impulse to artistic creation can and should be a source of abiding and developing happiness even for those who cannot become artists. 🙂 Also, I’m building a window seat and feeding my small group, so… it’s hoppin’ over there. Just a little reminder that I’m keeping this list running over on Pinterest as well, if you are a pinterest kind of person.

Book letters to a young poet