From Booklist
One of the best-known twentieth-century poets, Rilke is many things to many people: poet of solitude; poet of the misunderstood; above all, patron saint of adolescent angst. As early as the 1920s, critics ravaged his poetry as being read primarily by young girls and old maids. His work endured, however, to be embraced by contemporary pop culture, so that his words are recited in movies, at weddings, and during graduation ceremonies. Editor-translator Baer suggests treating this selection of Rilke as a user's manual for life, especially when something meaningful needs to be said. The book is arranged thematically, and those themes are numerous, ranging from work and art to faith and goodness to love and death. Besides familiar lines, Baer presents excerpts from Rilke's approximately 7,000 letters, translated for the first time into English from their original German and French. For anyone who admires Rilke and the timeless profundity of his messages, and for those who seek an introduction to his worldview, this is an indispensable resource. June Sawyers
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