Letters to a 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 writers and artists of all kinds. This book also contains the `Letter from a Young Worker`, a striking polemic against Christianity written in letter-form, near the end of Rilke`s life. In Lewis Hyde`s introduction, he explores the context in which these letters were written and how the author embraced his isolation as a creative force. Charlie Louth`s afterword discusses the similarities and contrasts of the two works, and Rilke`s religious and sexual wordplay. This edition also contains a chronology, notes, and suggested further reading.