Lately if I have been in a mind to read poetry, it has been that of Rainer Maria Rilke. A collection of selected poetry was given to me as a gift a
while back, might have been Christmas; but I think that it is one of the only gifts that is still giving as much as the day I got it. I was not very familiar with Rilke before I received this collection but now he fascinates me beyond most. Coming on the scene in the late 19th century he became one of many powerful transitional figures of the time, along with his mentor and friend Rodin. Rilke is able to paint his poems in such a beautiful way and communicate the goods. I made the mistake of reading one of his Elegies over lunch one time, and I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to come back down. Lines like:
Angels (they say) don’t know whether it is the living
they are moving among, or the dead. The eternal torrent
whirls all ages along in it, through both realms
forever, and their voices are drowned out in its thunderous roar.
have a tendency to put a hitch in your giddyup. It is easy in our time to scoff at anything that resembles a Romantic “troubled soul,” but if one is so inclined there 
is much to gain concerning our own troubles. It has been a wonderful benefit of picking up his Letters To A Young Poet. I like to do. I like to write music and what not, but still consider myself very much an amateur. And this collection is like having a renowned artist write me several letters. Even though it was written a century ago, young artists tend to be very similar in nature and problems. Its been a very useful tool in swinging around a few curves and decisions. Bottom line really is that, if you like poetry, you can’t go wrong with this guy: if you’ve read him, you can read him again; if you haven’t read him, read him.
-John P.
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