--- product_id: 11869360 title: "Letters to a Young Poet (Dover Literature: Poetry)" price: "¥2039" currency: JPY in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.jp/products/11869360-letters-to-a-young-poet-dover-literature-poetry store_origin: JP region: Japan --- # Letters to a Young Poet (Dover Literature: Poetry) **Price:** ¥2039 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Letters to a Young Poet (Dover Literature: Poetry) - **How much does it cost?** ¥2039 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.jp](https://www.desertcart.jp/products/11869360-letters-to-a-young-poet-dover-literature-poetry) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description In 1903, a student at a military academy sent some of his verses to a well-known Austrian poet, requesting an assessment of their value. The older artist, Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926), replied to the novice in this series of letters — an amazing archive of remarkable insights into the ideas behind Rilke's greatest poetry. The ten letters reproduced here were written during an important stage in Rilke's artistic development, and they contain many of the themes that later appeared in his best works. The poet himself afterwards stated that his letters contained part of his creative genius, making this volume essential reading for scholars, poetry lovers, and anyone with an interest in Rilke, German poetry, or the creative impulse. Review: Life Affirming words - This collection of letters written by Rainer Rilke should be given to young students in every educational institute in the world as material to help shape their own consciousness. It is a short (around 43 pages long), yet extremely meaningful and enlightening piece of work that features nearly no filler material due to its length. As the these were originally letters written by Rilke in response to a friend, Franz Kappus, who was on the road to a life in the military, they are direct in subject matter and act as if Rilke is speaking directly to you, rather than Kappus. The beauty of this is that the letters were written over 110 years ago, yet when you read them now they are written in such a timeless way that they could have been written at any point in history. The letters struck a cord in me quite promptly as I started reading them, and effectively finished the book in one sitting - fully engrossed in Rilke's writing. Rilke discusses many matters with Kappus, firstly stating how, when creating art, it needs to come from your innermost being: "go into yourself and see how deep the place is which your life flows; at its source you will find the answer to the question of whether or not you must create" Rilke continues to discuss love, how meaningless criticism is from outside sources are on art you have put your soul into to create, the importance of solitude, and how important it is to not get involved in questioning life constantly, as it will always answer your question in time. I'll end this review with a quote from the book that is conclusive and leaves you with an incentive to read this wonderful work! "I want to add just one more bit of advice: to keep growing, silently and earnestly, through your whole development; you couldn't disturb it any more violently than by looking outside and waiting for outside answers to questions that only your innermost feeling, in your quietest hour, can perhaps answer." Review: A must-read for anyone, anytime. - It seems to me a bit awkward and out of place to either rate this book or review it. There is no such thing as "a ranking" over such work. RMR has a talent some will see and others will not. His talent is to plainly materialize into words the deepest questions and interests one may manifest over existence. The ideas and principles he expresses in these 10 letters to Mr. Kappus (the "young poet") may serve as a reference for anyone who has ever thought why we are here and what is there to do because of it. Again, some will see the point, others will find it void. What I like about RMR is that -as a writer- he touches philosophy, psychology, literature, and poetry without any particular body of study, except his own intuition and inner voice. If we could all be in contact with our inner self to that extent, we may even decide according to our best. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #224,827 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #84 in German Poetry (Books) #171 in Gothic & Romantic Literary Criticism (Books) #179 in Literary Letters | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 243 Reviews | ## Images ![Letters to a Young Poet (Dover Literature: Poetry) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71n69CG4GRL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Life Affirming words *by M***N on June 19, 2011* This collection of letters written by Rainer Rilke should be given to young students in every educational institute in the world as material to help shape their own consciousness. It is a short (around 43 pages long), yet extremely meaningful and enlightening piece of work that features nearly no filler material due to its length. As the these were originally letters written by Rilke in response to a friend, Franz Kappus, who was on the road to a life in the military, they are direct in subject matter and act as if Rilke is speaking directly to you, rather than Kappus. The beauty of this is that the letters were written over 110 years ago, yet when you read them now they are written in such a timeless way that they could have been written at any point in history. The letters struck a cord in me quite promptly as I started reading them, and effectively finished the book in one sitting - fully engrossed in Rilke's writing. Rilke discusses many matters with Kappus, firstly stating how, when creating art, it needs to come from your innermost being: "go into yourself and see how deep the place is which your life flows; at its source you will find the answer to the question of whether or not you must create" Rilke continues to discuss love, how meaningless criticism is from outside sources are on art you have put your soul into to create, the importance of solitude, and how important it is to not get involved in questioning life constantly, as it will always answer your question in time. I'll end this review with a quote from the book that is conclusive and leaves you with an incentive to read this wonderful work! "I want to add just one more bit of advice: to keep growing, silently and earnestly, through your whole development; you couldn't disturb it any more violently than by looking outside and waiting for outside answers to questions that only your innermost feeling, in your quietest hour, can perhaps answer." ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A must-read for anyone, anytime. *by X***A on February 7, 2010* It seems to me a bit awkward and out of place to either rate this book or review it. There is no such thing as "a ranking" over such work. RMR has a talent some will see and others will not. His talent is to plainly materialize into words the deepest questions and interests one may manifest over existence. The ideas and principles he expresses in these 10 letters to Mr. Kappus (the "young poet") may serve as a reference for anyone who has ever thought why we are here and what is there to do because of it. Again, some will see the point, others will find it void. What I like about RMR is that -as a writer- he touches philosophy, psychology, literature, and poetry without any particular body of study, except his own intuition and inner voice. If we could all be in contact with our inner self to that extent, we may even decide according to our best. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great, impassioned advice *by J***C on May 26, 2008* This is a short collection of inspiring letters from the poet Rainer Maria Rilke to a young fan and aspiring poet. The letters were written between February 1903 and December 1908, as Rilke moved around Europe. The advice and Rilke gives the young man is inspiring in itself, but what is most moving is the passion with which Rilke writes. This book should be required reading for anyone entering any creative field, writing or otherwise, because Rilke's greatest piece of advice--to create something that comes from inside you and is for you, not something you think someone else will like or will want to buy--is the best artistic advice one can give. ## Frequently Bought Together - Letters to a Young Poet (Dover Literature: Poetry) - White Nights - The Bell Jar (Modern Classics) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.jp/products/11869360-letters-to-a-young-poet-dover-literature-poetry](https://www.desertcart.jp/products/11869360-letters-to-a-young-poet-dover-literature-poetry) --- *Product available on Desertcart Japan* *Store origin: JP* *Last updated: 2026-10-31*