Rainer Maria Rilke Letter One Poem Summary

Poetry has a role in society, not only to serve as part of the aesthetics or of the arts. It also gives us a view of what the society is in the context of when it was written and what the author is trying to express through words. The words as a tool in poetry may seem ordinary when used in ordinary circumstance. Yet, these words can hold more emotion and thought, however brief it was presented.

Franz Kappus, a 19-year old student, wanted to solicit a career advice and a literary critique for the poems he had written (“Rainer Maria Rilke: Letters to a Young Poet” 1). Kappus solicited the advice and critique of Rainer Maria Rilke, a pioneer Austrian poet (“Rainer Maria Rilke: Letters to a Young Poet” 1). Rilke wrote ten letters in order to provide assistance to the needs of Kappus. These letters were in Rilke’s work, entitled, “Letters to a Young Poet.”

In today’s modern view, poetry has become more than just paragraphs that rhyme at the end of each sentence. If the reader has an open mind and the ability to read in between the lines, they discover more than they have bargained for. Some poems might have stories of suffering or abuse, while others contain happy times and great joy. Regardless of what the poems contains, all poems display an expression. That very moment when the writer begins his mental journey with that pen and paper is where all feelings are let out. As poetry is continues to be written, the reader begins to see patterns within each poem. On the other hand, poems have nothing at all in common with one another. A good example of this is in two poems by a famous writer by

A well-written poem would help one to engage into the work with their senses. One should be able to ask themselves what the poem caused them to think, hear, see, feel, taste, and to determine what he or she learned from the poet’s words. Many people believe that because poetry is an enigmatic art, and that there is no way for sure to know the

In the book Letters to a Young Poet “Letter One” by Rainer Maria Rilke is about a young boy Franz Kappus from a military academy in 1908 who sent a collection of his poems he wrote to Rilke seeking for advice. In Rilke's letter back to Kappus he was explaining different things he could do to improve his writing. Rilke uses unique words in when he wrote back to Kappus. In Rilke's letter to the young poet he keeps the tone the same throughout. Rilke's use specific word choices on meaning and tone of his letter.

Rilke utilizes specific word choice to make his teachings more powerful like jewel and turning within. These words show what Franz should do to write better poems not fix his poems, and this illustrates the tone shift from compressive to

poem is not merely a static, decorative creation, but that it is an act of communication between the poet and

Unlike other forms of literature, poetry can be so complex that everyone who reads it may see something different. Two poets who are world renowned for their ability to transform reader’s perceptions with the mere use of words, are TS Eliot and Walt Whitman. “The love song of J Alfred Prufrock” by TS Eliot, tells the story of a man who is in love and contemplating confessing his emotions, but his debilitating fear of rejection stops him from going through with it. This poem skews the reader’s expectations of a love song and takes a critical perspective of love while showing all the damaging emotions that come with it. “Song of myself”, by Walt Whitman provokes a different emotion, one of joy and self-discovery. This poem focuses more on the soul and how it relates to the body. “Song of myself” and “The love song of J Alfred Prufrock” both explore the common theme of how the different perceptions of the soul and body can affect the way the speaker views themselves, others, and the world around them.

In Rainer Maria Rilke’s, Letters to a Young Poet “Letter One”, Rilke uses specific word choices to impact the central idea and tone of the letters. A poet, Franz Kappus, wrote to Rainer Maria Rilke for advice on his newest piece of poetry. Before finding what he enjoyed, Kappus was going to a military school in hopes to venture as an officer, but he had little interest in the school. Much of Rilke's criticism isn’t just revising writing, but rather telling Kappus to ask himself for the criticism. Rilke believes that judgment has no place in the world or on a work of art.

insight into his life and personality that he is not aware of giving. While the poet

This idea is further expressed in both the poems “Hope” and “Have You Got a Brook in Your Little Heart” through the use of

Widely recognized as one of the most lyrically intense German-language poets, Rainer Maria Rilke was unique in his efforts to expand the realm of poetry through new uses of syntax and imagery and in the philosophy that his poems explored. With regard to the

Introduction: Rainer Maria Rilke is the most influential and epoch making German poet of twentieth century. His “Duino Elegies” is the short sequences of ten poems. It is widely considered to be the century’s masterpiece of German lyric poetry. Rilke’s poetry explores the inner experience and the symbolic process of the psyche. Two things are important about these poems. Firstly, Rilke makes people conscious of their inner world. This is actually a process of healing of the mental suffering. The second important aspect is that is that a person’s dream helps him as the guide in the process of becoming conscious. This consciousness enables us to orient our lives according to our values. It also enables us to perceive a relationship with the divine

In the text “Letters To A Young Poet” Rilke seems to have a subtly rude tone in the passage. Rilke often criticizes Franz in a mature manner so it doesn't seem as such. Then, towards the end of the of the paragraph he begins to give him some advice and constructively criticize Franz. From the third paragraph to end of the text Rilke is giving genuine advice as to how to make his career to the best of his ability.

In Letters to a Young Poet, Rilke writes letters to Kappus giving him advice and helping him figure out solutions to deal with his problems. Themes such as solitude, childhood, criticism, and love tied in into his life lessons trying to give Kappus a different perspective. Rilke taught Kappus to enjoy solitude, maintain childhood innocence, ignore people’s opinions, and to value the true meaning of love. Not only does Rilke help and inspire Kappus but his readers as well. These letters allow readers to form a new perspective on life due to Rilke’s wisdom and knowledgeability.