Letters to a Young Poet: Little Black Classics (Penguin Little Black Classics)

I loved it! It reminded of the literature I had to read many years ago, when I was in college. Notice I wrote the verb "had". I am feeling a little guilty of not appreciating the works I had to read, then, and puzzled, by how I admire them now. The content of these letters are timeless. "It is perhaps no use now to reply to your actual words; for what can I say about your disposition to doubt or about your inability to bring your outer and inner life into harmony, or about anything else that oppresses you-: it is always what I have said before; always the wish that you might be able to find patience enough in yourself to endure, and a single-heartedness enough to believe; that you might win increasing trust in what is difficult, and in your solitude among other people. And for the rest, let life happen to you. Believe me:life is right, at all events".I think it reads like a prayer. I have no knowledge of the German Language, but if this translation conjures this kind of emotion, imagine the impact it should have on the reader that reads the original. Thank you!

Raine Maria Rilke shows remarkable understanding of human state. The book has ten letters addressed to a Young poet. We don't get to read the letters which the young poet, Franz Kappus, seeking advice wrote to him.. In the course of reading the book, Raine makes references to what is on the mind of the poet seeking his advice. He is extremely polite, honest in his assessment of the seeker's work, conflicts in his mind, shares his own journey in life- his health problems, how to make the most of what life deals you. He is compassionate and forthright. The letters cover a whole range of thoughts that lead to turmoil, situations that impose loneliness. Rainer advises the poet to make most of every opportunity which offers stillness and solitude. His tone is gentle, not at all condescending, encouraging.. The lines- 'In every experience and action that lies before you it will, as a nameless influence, have a continued and imperceptibly decisive effect upon you, something after the manner in which our forefathers blood stirs unceasingly within us and joins itself to our own form that unique and unrepeatable thing, that we ourselves are in all the changes of our life'. As a poet and creative writer I relate to this profound work, and recommend it to consummate writers too, who so far haven't come across it. Mamta Agarwal

If you've never read this book, I recommend it for the experience. It's a quick read that gives you a glimpse into Rilke's perspective of life. It gives generally gives good life advice to the young poet writing him that I value today. For instance, Rilke tells the writer not to be too concerned with how others perceive him or whether they find his material worthy of accolades. I think today it's so easy to get caught up in being accepted and finding our worth from the eyes of others, but it's a dangerous trap. You'll live your life on a hamster wheel if you're constantly seeking approval of others without the self-confidence to take your own path. It's a great read and one that I'd return to periodically. A perfect gift for young people, especially. I think I'll get one for a cousin who's graduating high school soon.

“I have not had enough time to write a short letter therefore I will ask of you to be content with a long one” said Pascal, and I can’t help but think of what care and love these letters were written despite Rilke apologising for their short length.

"Letters to a Young Poet," newly translated by Mark Harman and published by Harvard University Press, is one of only three hardback editions solely devoted to Rilke's ten letters to Franz Kappus. One, with a translation by Joan M. Burnham ( Letters to a Young Poet ), has been criticized for compromising the beauty of Rilke's prose. The other is a Modern Library edition featuring a widely praised translation by Stephen Mitchell, which you can find at this link: Letters to a Young Poet (Modern Library) . Both Harman and the elder Mitchell are well respected for their craft. From what I've read of reviewers who understand the nuances and challenges of translating German to English, these two men have produced probably the best available translations of this work in English. If you don't want to buy a cheaper paperback version of "Letters to a Young Poet" (maybe because you predict the work will become an enduring addition to your personal library), or if your purchase is intended as a gift, here are some points to help you decide between these two excellent choices. Both books, as physical objects, are attractively made, printed on good quality paper, sturdily constructed to stand the tests of time. The Harvard University Press edition has attributes of a well-made book: its boards are fully cloth covered (the Modern Library book is half-cloth), and its page signatures are stitch-sewn. If you spread open the book at pages 64-65, for example, you'll see connecting thread running down the center, which helps the book lay flatter than the glued binding of the Modern Library book. But the Modern Library edition is a full one inch larger vertically (to see this size difference, please see the "customer photos" I've posted, linked to in the upper left corner of this Amazon page). The text of the Mitchell translation is printed in noticeably larger type than that of Harman, which for some readers will mean more comfortable reading experience. Mitchell supplies only a brief introduction to his translation, while Harman's introduction, at 20 pages, is longer than even the longest of Rilke's ten letters. Befitting its academic imprimatur, the Harvard edition includes an Index, although I'm not fully convinced of its utility. For example, consider this famous passage in Letter VIII as rendered by Harman: "How could we possibly forget those old myths that arise at the origin of all peoples, the myths about dragons, who at the point of greatest extremity transform themselves into princesses; perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses, who are merely waiting to see us just once as beautiful and courageous. Perhaps everything terrible is in essence only the helplessness that is seeking our help." If, months after finishing the book, you want a second look at that charmed observation and so turn to the Index for help, you'll come up empty handed. There's no listing for "dragons" or "princesses." Two more examples: throughout the letters Rilke comments on the season of spring, and he writes about pregnancy both as actuality and as metaphor; but "spring" and "pregnancy" are also missing from the Index. And yet, if you want to gain a sense of what these ten letters are all about, it's a revealing exercise to scan the Index and pick out the entries pointing to the most page references: Art, Childhood, Creativity, Doubt, Gender, God, Inspiration, Love, Nature, Patience, Questions, Sex, Solitude, and Sorrows. Is it by chance this alphabetical arrangement forms a kind of rough "life-stages of man" sequence -- an arc that doubtless would have pleased the poet? Maybe what this should remind us is that it is the enduring content of the letters themselves that matters most. To partake of Rilke's spirit, you really can't go wrong with either presentation of these "Letters to a Young Poet."

No he leído otra versión para comparar (de acuerdo a otros comentarios hay fallas en la traducción) pero creo que el concepto se transmite, es un libro hermoso para regalarle a un adolescente o adulto jóven

Very small in size but the font is big and bold Can’t wait to read it, sounds like my kind of book

This was probably the first classic piece of writing that I picked up at the right time. I would read a letter and meditate and take notes. Most of the advice here I still receive today from my therapists and it was nice seeing it written so poetically. My first pick from Rilke’s collection and I intend on reading more.

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Kam auch gut an. Und nicht zerrissen oder zercknitert. Das buch passt perfekt in der Tasche und die geschichte ist einfach toll