Letters to a Young Poet

» Letters to a Young Poet is my bible. Someone gave it to me when I started acting. I read it over and over again.« Dustin Hoffman In 1902, Rainer Maria Rilke received a letter from a young man, Franz Xaver Kappus, a 19-year-old officer cadet with a talent for literature. Kappus was unsure which direction to take in life and therefore sought advice from the great poet, who was only a few years his senior. Instead of settling for a simple answer, Rilke followed up with a profound and detailed explanation of why it is so tempting—and also so harmful—to rely on the opinions and advice of others when one wishes to become the person one truly is. While the views of others can point one in a direction, according to Rilke, they distract from one’s own true calling. The collection of Rilke’s letters, published in 1929, marked an era and has inspired entire generations time and again. Even if you feel no inclination to become a poet, the advice to align every aspect of your life with the meaning you wish to give it is deeply empowering. It is a simple encouragement to overcome the hardest things in life in order to become who you are.