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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
challenging
inspiring
fast-paced
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
“Letters to a Young Poet” is a collection of correspondence between Franz Zaver Kappus, a young military cadet unsure of his place in the world, and Rilke, a poet and dropout of the same military school. It chronicles advice about life, love, art, philosophy, and poetry. Kappus originally approached Rilke for poetry critique and advice on whether he should pursue becoming a poet or his military career. In his letters, Rilke encourages the young man to look inwards and explore his life’s purpose. He tells him to embrace his solitude and use it as a vehicle to understand himself. He advises him on love, life, and art.
Reading his letters, I felt envious of the experience of having such a tender and wise communication with an admired writer. I quickly got over it because of how brilliant his advice is and how lucky we are to have a record of such a correspondence. Each line was so personal and so encouraging I had a hard time not underlining every word. His language and understanding of what it means to be a writer are so evident. You can feel his poetic nature in the way he formulates his sentences. His approach to life, longing, and creating was so sure yet, so simple. In these few pages, I gained assurance that art and language were what I can’t live without. I was only frustrated when the letters ended and even then, I read them repeatedly throughout the next few days. I rewrote his advice and studied his philosophy and put off writing this review because I didn’t want to finish with this book. I don’t think I ever will be finished with it for I will read it again and quote it endlessly.
At the very least, every artist should read this book if not everyone. I wholeheartedly believe it will benefit everyone in finding themselves. If this hasn’t convinced you, I hope these quotes do.
“You are looking to the outside, and that above all you should not be doing now. Nobody can advise you and help you, nobody. There is only one way. Go into yourself. Examine the reason that bids you to write; check whether it reaches its roots into the deepest region of your heart, admit to yourself whether you would die if it should be denied you to write. This above all: ask yourself in your night’s quietest hour: must I write? Dig down into yourself for a deep answer. And if it should be affirmative, if it is given to you to respond to this serious question with a loud and simple ‘I must’, then construct your life according to this necessity; your life right into its most inconsequential and slightest hour must become a sign and witness of this urge.”
-Rainer Maria Rilke, Paris, February 1903
“A work of art is good if it has arisen out of necessity.”
-Rainer Maria Rilke, Paris, February 1903
I held back from writing just about every line for they are all just as valuable but that would probably ruin the experience.
challenging
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
