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Letter 2
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Letters to a Young Poet, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Solitude and Difficulty
Art, Life, and Uncertainty
Patience and Self-Assurance
Mentorship and Guidance
Summary
Analysis
Rilke is very happy to hear that Kappus has been reading Jens Peter Jacobsen. He’s pleased that the young poet has resonated with the work so much and applauds him for articulating a wise point—namely, a point that took issue with something a critic wrote in the introduction to one of Jacobsen’s books. Rilke agrees wholeheartedly with Kappus’s thought and even tells him to avoid reading criticism, which almost always fail to grasp works of art—which are, according to Rilke, full of “infinite loneliness” that can only be understood through “love,” not criticism.
Again, Rilke expresses his belief that art is full of mystery that can’t be summed up by analytical language. He thinks criticism reduces literature to something too simplistic and straightforward. According to him, literature and art are—like life itself—too strange and indescribable to simplify, which is why he thinks Kappus would be better off focusing on the art itself without paying much attention to criticism and analytical writing.
Themes
Having warned the young poet about reading criticism, Rilke tells him to trust his own feelings. Even if Kappus’s intuition is wrong, looking inward will eventually help him see his own errors—in other words, leading a reflective, introspective life makes it possible to really grow. For Rilke, being an artist means patiently waiting for ideas to blossom. And even when it seems like creativity will never come again, the young poet ought to wait and continue to reflect on life, knowing in his heart that something of beauty and value will eventually come to fruition.
In keeping with his earlier remarks about the importance of patience when it comes to writing poetry, Rilke now reassures Kappus by insisting that beauty tends to come about on its own—if, that is, an artist gives it time to grow. While it might be hard to practice artistic patience, then, the young poet should rest assured that giving himself time to ruminate will most likely lead to something beautiful and worthwhile.
Themes
Rilke goes on to both praise and criticize the author Richard Dehmel. He recognizes the power of Dehmel’s books, but often worries that the writing is too self-conscious and stylized. Kappus indicated in his previous letter that he found Dehmel’s writing a bit feverish, as if he’s writing “in heat.” Rilke builds on this idea, saying that experiencing art really is quite close to having sex, and though he thinks of this similarity as a good thing, he feels that Dehmel’s work is too lustful. For Rilke, both art and sex can reveal the beauty of humanity, but Dehmel’s writing doesn’t do that—instead, it focuses on feverish passion, which isn’t as pure and rewarding.
In a way, Rilke’s comments about Richard Dehmel’s writing mirrors what he has just outlined about patience. He likes Dehmel’s work, but he thinks it’s too urgent and passionate. In other words, he finds a certain lack of patience in Dehmel’s writing. This is not to say that Rilke frowns upon writing about sex. To the contrary, he sees many parallels between art and sex, but he doesn’t like the idea that sex is little more than a hotheaded rush of passion, since such an outlook reduces sex to its base parts in the same way that literary criticism reduces the mystery of literature to something lifeless and mundane.
Themes
Dehmel’s work, Rilke believes, will not stand the test of time. It will fade away, but so will most works of art. Rilke therefore urges Kappus to enjoy the many merits that do exist in Dehmel’s writing, though the young poet should be careful not to become too immersed in it. Turning his attention away from Dehmel, Rilke apologetically says that he can’t send any of his own books to Kappus—he would love to, but he doesn’t actually own any copies. And because he’s poor, he can’t buy them. Nonetheless, he encloses a list of his most recent books so that Kappus can seek them out. It brings him pleasure, he says, to think of his books in Kappus’s hands.
The conclusion of Rilke’s third letter to Kappus highlights his role as a mentor. He wants Kappus to be aware of the faults in Dehmel’s writing, but he also wants the young poet to absorb the many admirable aspects that do exist in Dehmel’s work. He thus tries to teach Kappus to approach whatever he reads with a certain kind of intellectual curiosity, never completely disregarding something without first considering its merits and—more specifically—how those merits might give him new insight into his own artistic approach.
Themes
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