Book Review: Letters to a Young Poet, by Rainer Maria Rilke, translated by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy

Letters to a Young Poet collects 10 letters that the poet Rainer Maria Rilke wrote to Franz Xaver Kappus from 1903 to 1908. The book, first published in 1929, has become a touchstone of artistic writing that’s even referenced in the classic 1993 movie Sister Act 2.  

Kappus wrote to Rilke and asked for his advice about a possible career as a poet. In the first letter, Rilke made it clear that he cannot judge the quality of Kappus’ work. Rilke wrote: “Nothing is less relevant to a work of art than the judgements of other people. Whether positive or negative, they will always reflect some measure of misunderstanding.” (p.13) Rilke has a point: an artist must be satisfied with their own work and not judge it based on how the public reacts to it. Of course, this is easier said than done. Everyone wants their work to be well received by the public, critics, or their peers, and it can be devastating to self-confidence and the ego when our art is not well received. Rilke is also quite right that critics will misunderstand works of art. Most of the time, the critic has no way of truly knowing what the artist’s intentions were, so it’s inevitable that there will be misunderstandings.  

Rilke wrote to Kappus: “Ask yourself why you pursue this thing you call writing...Ask yourself if you would die if you were forbidden to write...if you respond to this question with a strong and simple yes, then build your life according to this necessity.” (p.14-5) Rilke’s advice might sound a bit extreme, but he’s really asking Kappus if he has to write, if writing is truly essential to his life and well-being. When I read this, I thought to myself, “How would I answer Rilke’s question?” I would answer with a yes. Of course, I wouldn’t literally stop breathing if I was forbidden to write. But I would be quite unhappy, and I wouldn’t be the best version of myself. I would be miserable, honestly. I need an outlet for my thoughts and creativity.  

Rilke naturally writes in aphorisms, and it’s easy to see why Letters to a Young Poet has become such a widely quoted book. It’s natural to wonder what happened to Franz Xaver Kappus? Did he take Rilke’s advice and become a writer? He did. Kappus wrote poetry, novels, screenplays, and journalism. Ironically, Kappus’ most famous pieces of writing are the letters he wrote to Rilke that inspired these replies. The edition I read, published in 2021 and translated by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy, doesn’t even include Kappus’ letters, although there are some editions of the book that include Kappus’ letters as well. Oh well, artists can’t control how critics or posterity will deal with their work.  

If you’re an artist of any sort, you’ll find some wisdom in Letters to a Young Poet.