Briefe an einen jungen Dichter
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Letters to a Young Poet
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or
Letters to a Young Poet
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Letters to a Young Poet is a compilation of ten letters written by Bohemian-Austrian poet, Rainer Maria Rilke. A young officer cadet writes to Rilke, requesting advice on his own writing as well as the choice of joining a military career or becoming a writer. It's interesting to witness Rilke's point of view change gradually throughout the course of the ten letters, that spanned about six years. In the first letter, Rilke respectfully declines the opportunity to critique the 19 year old boy's work, as he feels that the boy must first turn inward and develop a rich inner life.
"Go into yourself and see how deep the place is from which your life flows; at its source you will find the answer to, the question of whether you must create. Accept that answer, just as it is given to you, without trying to interpret it. Perhaps you will discover that you are called to be an artist," (Letter 1).
This sentiment resonated within me as I tend to work in isolation as an artist, and I find that turning inward can be a great tool to build momentum and honestly assess the actual reasons in which we work... I ask myself, does this give me joy? What are my intentions in releasing artwork to the world? What am I trying to accomplish? Although outside eyes can always strengthen a piece, especially when it comes to perceived message, harvesting energy and passion from deep within is the key to creating.
"Being an artist means: not numbering and counting, but ripening like a tree, which doesn’t force its sap, and stands confidently in the storms of spring, not afraid that afterward summer may not come. It does come," (Letter 2).
I found the above line from letter two to be such an impacting, yet comforting statement. Here, I really felt Rilke warming up to the boy and finding joy in their correspondence.
"It is also good to love: because love is difficult. For one human being to love another human being: that is perhaps the most difficult task that has been entrusted to us, the ultimate task, the final test and proof, the work for which all other work is merely preparation. That is why young people, who are beginners in everything, are not yet capable of love: it is something they must learn. With their whole being, with all their forces, gathered around their solitary, anxious, upward-beating heart, they must learn to love," (Letter 7).
These letters were not merely judgements of the boy's writing, they were Rilke's personal journal entries in a way, seeing himself reflected in this boy. He speaks to him as more than a critic, but a mentor. Rilke was young too, he hadn't figured it all out. The letters encourage the boy and also serve as momentum to push Rilke's practices further.
"Describe your sorrows and desires, the thoughts that pass through your mind and your belief in some kind of beauty – describe all these with heartfelt, silent, humble sincerity and, when you express yourself, use the Things around you, the images from your dreams, and the objects that you remember. If your everyday life seems poor, don’t blame it; blame yourself; admit to yourself that you are not enough of a poet to call forth its riches; because for the creator there is not poverty and no poor, indifferent place. And even if you found yourself in some prison, whose walls let in none of the world’s sounds – wouldn’t you still have your childhood, that jewel beyond all price, that treasure house of memories?"
In closing, above is a longer quote from Rilke that I related to. It is advice on where to seek inspiration. To Rilke, it's all about feeding an existing flame within. Find it, and use it to your advantage. Whatever emotion comes to be, push it as far as it can go and pull it from deep inside of your gut.
“Nothing is mysterious, no human relation. Except love.”
-Susan Sontag