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Letters to a Young Poet

Letters to a Young Poet

by Rainer Maria Rilke

English and Spanish

A nineteen-year-old military cadet mails his poems to a poet he has never met and asks the question that haunts him: should I write? From Paris comes a reply unlike anything he expected. Over five years and ten letters, Rilke answers him on solitude, love, sadness, and patience, and in doing so writes one of the most beloved short books about the creative life.

Difficulty

Every chapter comes in five levels. Slide up whenever it feels easy.

  • Beginner
  • Elementary
  • Intermediate
  • Upper-Intermediate
  • Advanced

Chapters11

  1. 1IntroductionRead free
  2. 2Letter One · Must I Write?In the app
  3. 3Letter Two · Irony, and Two BooksIn the app
  4. 4Letter Three · Everything Is GestationIn the app
  5. 5Letter Four · Live the QuestionsIn the app
  6. 6Letter Five · RomeIn the app
  7. 7Letter Six · Solitude at ChristmasIn the app
  8. 8Letter Seven · To Love Is HardIn the app
  9. 9Letter Eight · Dragons and PrincessesIn the app
  10. 10Letter Nine · Let Your Doubt Be QuestionedIn the app
  11. 11Letter Ten · The Last LetterIn the app