Analyzing Rainer Maria Rilke's Letter One

In letters to a young poet, “Letter One” by Rainer Maria Rilke uses specific word choices to create his tone and meaning towards the poet. Rilke tries to help the poet, considering that editors reject his work. He begs the poet to stop asking him and other people for advice. Rilke gives his advice in the form of commands, so the advices that Rilke is willing to give the poet is for him to stop writing poems about love and to stop looking outside of himself for approval and a benefit to his work. Rilke even mentions to “doesn't write love poems” (pg,7) because they’re the hardest to work with. Rilke informs the poet that it is better to stop writing about something that will not improve his writing due to criticism. Rilke states “Find out the reason that commands you to write; see whether it has spread it’s roots into the very depths of your heart; confess to yourself whether you would have to die if you forbidden to write.” (pg. 6 paragraph 3) This shows that Rilke is commanding the poet to find out what to make his poems of. For instance, he talks about “the things” surrounding him, his “dreams” and the “objects” that may invest around him (pg,7).

In other words Rilke tells the poet that he should be himself and start writing about the everyday beauty and nature that surrounds him to later help him realize how to criticize his own work and make him a better poet that only he can