Rainer Maria **Rilke's powerfully touching letters to an aspiring
young poet.
**
At the start of the twentieth century, Rainer Maria Rilke wrote a series
of letters to a young officer cadet, advising him on writing, love, sex,
suffering, and the nature of advice itself. These profound and lyrical
letters have since become hugely influential for generations of writers
and artists of all kinds, including Lady Gaga and Patti Smith. With
honesty, elegance, and a deep understanding of the loneliness that often
comes with being an artist, Rilke's letters are an endless source of
inspiration and comfort. Lewis Hyde's new introduction explores the
context in which these letters were written and how the author embraced
his isolation as a creative force. This edition also includes Rilke's
later work The Letter from the Young Worker.
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up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.