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Letters To A Young Poet is a very influential compilation
of letters by
Rainer Maria Rilke. It consists of 10 letters (a five year
correspondence) written to a young man considering entering the German
military. His name was Franz Kappus, he was 19 years old, and he wrote to
Rilke looking for guidance and a critique of some of his poems. Rilke was
himself only 27 when the first letter was written.
Although the first letter from Kappus asked for literary criticism,
Rilke gave him very little during their correspondence. He also
discouraged Kappus from reading criticism, advising the boy to trust his
inner judgement.
The majority of the letters respond to personal issues which Kappus
revealed to Rilke; their span is tremendous. A plethora of topics,
(including atheism, loneliness, sex, and career choices,) makes Letters to
a Young Poet a coming-of-age narrative which, remarkably, remains relevant
to people of all ages.
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