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willowchloe's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
sowjanya07's review against another edition
5.0
"Perhaps everything terrifying is deep down a helpless thing that needs our help".
christinereichard's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
First off: Loved that he began virtually every letter with an apology for responding late and an explanation for why he took forever. Having a pen pal neeeever changes (Hi Charvee!)
Letters to a Young Poet is best read by first recognizing that Rilke himself was a relatively young poet, wading through life for the first time too. So, to be honest, I took some of what he wrote with a grain of salt whilst pocketing other pieces of wisdom.
I annotated a bit, and here is my little list of Rilke's beliefs that I want to carry forward:
Letters to a Young Poet is best read by first recognizing that Rilke himself was a relatively young poet, wading through life for the first time too. So, to be honest, I took some of what he wrote with a grain of salt whilst pocketing other pieces of wisdom.
I annotated a bit, and here is my little list of Rilke's beliefs that I want to carry forward:
- The idea that no place is more special than another, and that having a "boring" life is a simply veiled excuse for being incapable of finding riches in the days you live. In a later letter, he touches this point again after visiting Rome:
"...There is not more beauty here than elsewhere...but there is a great deal of beauty here, because there is beauty everywhere."
- Belief that your intellect remains a step behind your consciousness. Thus, do not obsess over understanding everything as it is impossible by mere choice...Instead live your moments fully to reach answers to life's questions. You'll comprehend the answers and lessons only after those experiences have washed over you
- Disagreement with the idea that changes come upon us externally. Instead, the idea that what changes occur have long been apart of us, despite however foreign they may feel. Once we accept that, we can feel closer to these new changes and work through them better.
- Listen, I don't like being depressed, but this mindset is at least slightly motivating:
"Why should you want to exclude from your life all unsettling, all pain, all depression of spirit, when you don't know what work it is these states are performing within you?"
The thing is, all of these ideas appear obvious and straightforward. However, in line with the second bullet point, they're hard to actually build into your life unless you experience them firsthand. Still, I hope I am able to carry tracings of these ideas through tough times, even if they haven't had the opportunity to settle deep within me yet.
Kind of a mess of a "review," more so a note to my future self so I can recall this book. All in all: I enjoyed reading Rilke's advice, as a 23 year old it was an applicable read to explore someone else's perspective on "how to live." Not like it was the Bible, but yeah. Very sweet to witness their care for writing each other. I'd like to read in the original German.
asililydying's review against another edition
4.75
"(...)the love consisting of two solitudes that border, shelter, and greet one another." (pg. 48)