The Dark Interval: Letters on Loss, Grief, and Transformation (Modern Library Classics)

A beautiful compilation of letters written by Rilke on just about every subject. Excellent.

Having recently read The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius I am struck by the overlap of their acceptance and even celebration of death. Death embraced for its contribution to insight and to spiritual growth.

Those familiar with Rilke will know what to expect. Those who are not should start elsewhere. In addition to containing letters on how to deal with loss, several of the letters replicate the symbols of his masterpieces, for that alone, they are worth getting.

A thought-provoking collection of letters composed by Rainer Maria Rilke on the subjects of death and grief. I found a lot of these passages inspiring although I didn’t always agree with his overall outlook on life and death. It has given me a new perspective on grief, though, and I’ve been thinking about his words a lot.

It is humbling and gratifying to serve as the medium for Rilke's voice to reach new audiences. I have carried these letters in my head and in my heart since 2001, when my father passed away, a few weeks after the events of 9/11 (though entirely unrelated to that terrible event). I could not find words to express my grief, and turned to Rilke to find solace. These letters encouraged me to find a way back "more deeply into life," rather than withdraw from life itself in the face of great pain.

Love the way I felt after reading it.

The Dark Interval is a short collection of 23 letters written by the esteemed poet Rainer Maria Rilke in the first quarter of the 20th century. The letters are generally written to console or prop up friends or acquaintances experiencing the loss of a loved one (to include pets). The writing is fairly formal and perhaps dated to an extent, although Rilke's ruminations are timeless and often thought-provoking. The letters are organized chronologically and include a brief paragraph on each of the letter's recipients. The preface by translator Ulrich Baer is really excellent and I honestly enjoyed it more than I did any of the letters. It's a wonderful introduction with plenty of insight of its own. If you love Rilke's style of letter writing, you will likely love this collection as the subject matter and his words are well-suited. Overall, I found it a occasionally moving, thoughtful, insightful, but more than a bit tedious by the time I finished.

This book of letters to those who are grieving gave me ideas on what to say to grieving friends and relatives!

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Rilke says it best and in so many forms. Grief is one of the most difficult emotions we face in life and who best but a poet to show us how to live through it.

It was a different edition of the book than the one pictured on line.