'Most unsayable of all are works of art, mysterious existences whose lives
exist alongside ours' At the start of the twentieth century, Rainer Maria
Rilke wrote a series of letters to a young officer cadet, advising him on
writing, love, sex, suffering and the nature of advice itself; these
profound and lyrical letters have since become hugely influential for
writers and artists of all kinds. This book also contains the 'Letter from
a Young Worker', a striking polemic against Christianity written in letter-
form, near the end of Rilke's life. In Lewis Hyde's introduction, he
explores the context in which these letters were written and how the author
embraced his isolation as a creative force. Charlie Louth's afterword
discusses the similarities and contrasts of the two works, and Rilke's
religious and sexual wordplay. This edition also contains a chronology,
notes, and suggested further reading. Translated, edited and with notes and
an afterword by Charlie Louth Introduced by Lewis Hyde