Letters to a Young Poet
by Rainer Maria Rilke
Ten letters Rilke wrote between 1903 and 1908 to a young officer who asked whether his poems were good. Rilke's answer, that the question is wrong, that one must go into oneself and ask whether one must write, and that solitude, patience and loving the questions are the work, has guided artists and seekers for a century. Short, and perfect.
Read it if…
you are at a threshold and want counsel on solitude, patience and vocation.
Skip it if…
you want career advice; this is about the inner life.
Three things you will actually use
- Love the questions themselves.
- Go into yourself; ask whether you must.
- Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart.
Do this first
Read the first letter and answer its question honestly: must you?
Our verdict
Brief, beautiful, essential.
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