Rainer Maria Rilke

Every line we carry

Each one links to its source, what it means, and the shirt in any of our looks.

1. Go into yourself.

   A young poet asked Rilke if his poems were good. Rilke said no one could tell him and sent him inward instead. The answers that matter are found inside, not in other people's approval.

   Letters to a Young Poet, Letter 1 (Paris, 17 February 1903), our translation from the German

2. In your stillest hour, ask yourself: must I?

   Rilke's test for a vocation: in the quietest hour of the night, ask whether you must do it. If the answer is a strong, simple yes, build your life around it. If not, you are free to choose another road.

   Letters to a Young Poet, Letter 1 (Paris, 17 February 1903), our translation from the German

3. Build your life around what you must do.

   Once you know your calling, Rilke says, let it shape even your smallest hours. Every part of the day becomes a sign of it. Arrange your life around what you cannot live without.

   Letters to a Young Poet, Letter 1 (Paris, 17 February 1903), our translation from the German

4. Your days seem poor? Be poet enough to call up their riches.

   Rilke says no place is poor for someone who creates. If your everyday life looks dull, the fault is in your seeing. Look harder and the riches appear.

   Letters to a Young Poet, Letter 1 (Paris, 17 February 1903), our translation from the German

5. Seek the depth of things. Irony never goes down there.

   Rilke warns against letting irony rule you. In front of serious, great things it shrinks and falls away. Go deep, and sincerity follows.

   Letters to a Young Poet, Letter 2 (Viareggio, 5 April 1903), our translation from the German

6. Ripen like the tree. Summer comes, but only to the patient.

   A tree does not force its sap; it stands calmly through spring storms. Rilke says ten years are nothing for real growth. Be patient and the summer comes.

   Letters to a Young Poet, Letter 3 (Viareggio, 23 April 1903), our translation from the German