8/8/2019 The Barrister Lit Folio

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-barrister-lit-folio 1/2

Tothosewhostillhaven'tsubmittedtheircontributionsforthefolioandtothosewhostillwanttorevisetheirworks,pleasetaketimetoreadthis:)

LettersToAYoungPoet(RainerMariaRilke)StephenMitchellTranslation

LetterOne

ParisFebruary17,1903

DearSir,

Yourletterarrivedjustafewdaysago.Iwanttothankyouforthegreatconfidenceyouhaveplacedinme.ThatisallIcando.Icannotdiscussyourverses;foranyattemptatcriticismwouldbeforeigntome.Nothingtouchesaworkofartsolittleaswordsofcriticism:theyalwaysresultinmoreorlessfortunatemisunderstandings.Thingsaren'tallsotangibleandsayableaspeoplewouldusuallyhaveusbelieve;mostexperiencesareunsayable,theyhappeninaspacethatnowordhaseverentered,andmoreunsayablethanallotherthingsarework

sofart,thosemysteriousexistences,whoselifeenduresbesideourownsmall,transitorylife.

Withthisnoteasapreface,mayIjusttellyouthatyourverseshavenostyleoftheirown,althoughtheydohavesilentandhiddenbeginningsofsomethingpersonal.Ifeelthismostclearlyinthelastpoem,"MySoul."There,somethingofyourownistryingtobecomewordandmelody.Andinthelovelypoem"ToLeopardi"akindofkinshipwiththatgreat,solitaryfiguredoesperhapsappear.Nevertheless,thepoemsarenotyetanythinginthemselves,notyetanythingindependent,eventhelastoneandtheonetoLeopardi.Yourkindletter,whichaccompaniedthem,managedtomakecleartomevariousfaultsthatIfeltinreadingyourverses,thoughIamnotabletonamethemspecifically.

Youaskwhetheryourversesareanygood.Youaskme.Youhaveaskedothersbeforethis.Yousendthemtomagazines.Youcomparethemwithotherpoems,andyouareupsetwhencertaineditorsrejectyourwork.Now(sinceyouhavesaidyouwantmyadvice)Ibegyoutostopdoingthatsortofthing.Youarelookingoutside,andthatiswhatyoushouldmostavoidrightnow.Noonecanadviseorhelpyou-noone.Thereisonlyonethingyoushoulddo.Gointoyourself.Findoutthereasonthatcommandsyoutowrite;seewhetherithasspreaditsrootsintotheverydepthsofyourheart;confesstoyourselfwhetheryouwouldhavetodieifyouwereforbiddentowrite.Thismostofall:askyourselfinthemostsilenthourofyournight:mustIwrite?Digintoyourselfforadeepanswer.Andifthisanswerringsoutinassent,ifyoumeetthissolemnquestionwithastrong,simple"Imust,"thenbuildyourlifeinaccordancewiththisnecessity;yourw

hilelife,evenintoitshumblestandmostindifferenthour,mustbecomeasignandwitnesstothisimpulse.ThencomeclosetoNature.Then,asifnoonehadevertriedbefore,trytosaywhatyouseeandfeelandloveandlose.Don'twritelovepoems;avoidthoseformsthataretoofacileandordinary:theyarethehardesttoworkwith,andittakesgreat,fullyripenedpowertocreatesomethingindividualwheregood,evenglorious,traditionsexistinabundance.Sorescueyourselffromthesegeneralthemesandwriteaboutwhatyoureverydaylifeoffersyou;describeyoursorrowsanddesires,thethoughtsthatpassthroughyourmindandyourbeliefinsomekindofbeauty-describeallthesewithheartfelt,silent,humblesincerityand,whenyouexpressyourself,usetheThingsaroundyou,theimagesfromyourdreams,andtheobjectsthatyouremember.Ifyoureverydaylifeseemspoor,don'tblameit;blameyourself;admittoyourselfthatyouarenotenoughofapoettocallforthitsriches;becauseforthecreatorthere

isnotpovertyandnopoor,indifferentplace.Andevenifyoufoundyourselfinsomeprison,whosewallsletinnoneoftheworld'ssounds-wouldn'tyoustillhaveyourchildhood,thatjewelbeyondallprice,thattreasurehouseofmemor

8/8/2019 The Barrister Lit Folio

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-barrister-lit-folio 2/2

ies?Turnyourattentionstoit.Trytoraiseupthesunkenfeelingsofthisenormouspast;yourpersonalitywillgrowstronger,yoursolitudewillexpandandbecomeaplacewhereyoucanliveinthetwilight,wherethenoiseofotherpeoplepassesby,farinthedistance.-Andifoutofthisturning-within,outofthisimmersioninyourownworld,poemscome,thenyouwillnotthinkofaskinganyonewhethertheyaregoodornot.Norwillyoutrytointerestmagazinesintheseworks:foryouwillseethemasyourdearnaturalpossession,apieceofyour

life,avoicefromit.Aworkofartisgoodifithasarisenoutofnecessity.Thatistheonlywayonecanjudgeit.So,dearSir,Ican'tgiveyouanyadvicebutthis:togointoyourselfandseehowdeeptheplaceisfromwhichyourlifeflows;atitssourceyouwillfindtheanswertothequestionwhetheryoumustcreate.Acceptthatanswer,justasitisgiventoyou,withouttryingtointerpretit.Perhapsyouwilldiscoverthatyouarecalledtobeanartist.Thentakethedestinyuponyourself,andbearit,itsburdenanditsgreatness,withouteveraskingwhatrewardmightcomefromoutside.ForthecreatormustbeaworldforhimselfandmustfindeverythinginhimselfandinNature,towhomhiswholelifeisdevoted.

Butafterthisdescentintoyourselfandintoyoursolitude,perhapsyouwillha

vetorenouncebecomingapoet(if,asIhavesaid,onefeelsonecouldlivewithoutwriting,thenoneshouldn'twriteatall).Nevertheless,eventhen,thisself-searchingthatIasofyouwillnothavebeenfornothing.Yourlifewillstillfinditsownpathsfromthere,andthattheymaybegood,rich,andwideiswhatIwishforyou,morethanIcansay

WhatelsecanItellyou?Itseemstomethateverythinghasitsproperemphasis;andfinallyIwanttoaddjustonemorebitofadvice:tokeepgrowing,silentlyandearnestly,throughyourwhiledevelopment;youcouldn'tdisturbitanymoreviolentlythanbylookingoutsideandwaitingforoutsideanswerstoquestionthatonlyyourinnermostfeeling,inyourquietesthour,canperhapsanswer.

ItwasapleasureformetofindinyourletterthenameofProfessorHoracek;I

havegreatreverenceforthatkind,learnedman,andagratitudethathaslastedthroughtheyears.WillyoupleasetellhimhowIfeel;itisverygoodofhimtostillthinkofme,andIappreciateit.

ThepoemsthatyouentrustedmewithIamsendingbacktoyou.AndIthankyouoncemoreforyourquestionsandsinceretrust,ofwhich,byansweringashonestlyasIcan,IhavetriedtomakemyselfalittleworthierthanI,asastranger,reallyam.

Yoursverytruly,RainerM