“And yet they, who passed away long ago, still exist in us, as predisposition, as burden upon our fate, as murmuring blood, and as gesture that rise up from the depths of time.”

A review of “Letters to a Young Poet” in 100 words by Catherine Stover

The great German poet Rainer Maria Rilke offered guidance on a range of subjects to a young poet in this collection of his letters. It’s one of my favorite books. This week I read Rilke’s advice on grieving for those we love. He writes, “Believe in a love that is being stored up for you like an inheritance, and have faith that in this love there is a strength and a blessing so large that you can travel as far as you wish without having to step outside of it” (43).  He believes that answers can be found from within ourselves.

Work cited:

Rilke, Rainer Maria. Letters to a Young Poet. Stephen Mitchell, translator. Vintage Books, 1986, p. 62.