Letters to a Young Poet

About the book

Letters to a Young Poet is a collection of letters written by the poet Rainer Maria Rilke to an aspiring poet Franz Xaver Kappus, a 19-year-old military cadet at Theresian Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt. Kappus wrote letters to Rilke to seek advice on his poetry. Even though Rilke avoided commenting on his work directly, he did give some general advice to him. Published in 1929, Letters to a Young Poet gives an insight about poetry, subtle observations required by a poet and the mysterious workings of the human heart. Rilke s advice to the young poet also reflects his sensitive observations of cruelty around him and his efforts to seek love, comfort, and truth in a complicated and treacherous world.