---
product_id: 8192073
title: "Letters to a Young Poet (A Penguin Classics Hardcover) Hardcover – March 26, 2013"
brand: "rainer maria rilkecharlie louthlewis hyde"
price: "5490 kr"
currency: ISK
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.is/products/8192073-letters-to-a-young-poet-a-penguin-classics-hardcover-hardcover
store_origin: IS
region: Iceland
---

# Letters to a Young Poet (A Penguin Classics Hardcover) Hardcover – March 26, 2013

**Brand:** rainer maria rilkecharlie louthlewis hyde
**Price:** 5490 kr
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

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- **What is this?** Letters to a Young Poet (A Penguin Classics Hardcover) Hardcover – March 26, 2013 by rainer maria rilkecharlie louthlewis hyde
- **How much does it cost?** 5490 kr with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.is](https://www.desertcart.is/products/8192073-letters-to-a-young-poet-a-penguin-classics-hardcover-hardcover)

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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐ 3.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Medicore translation, unnecessarily wordy, stripped of poetry, loss of meaning
  

*by A***S on Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2013*

Louth's translation of Rilke's 
  
Letters to a Young Poet







  
  
     is a mediocre translation, does not match that of M.D. Herter Norton's (
  
Letters to a Young Poet







  
  
    ), whose quintessential translation must be the standard for all others of Rilke's work. You cannot see it the following pages in the Look Inside feature, but the following famous passage in  Letter 8 is an excellent example. "Mr. Kappus," the young poet, might as well be us, and the passage can be read without the words "dear Mr. Kappus" and stands alone -- at least in the M.D. Herter Norton translation.M.D. Herter Norton's translation (
  
Letters to a Young Poet







  
  
    ), Letter 8, reads: "How should we be able to forget those ancient myths that are the beginning of all peoples? The myths about dragons that, at the last moment, turn into princesses. Perhaps all the dragons of our lives are princesses, who are only waiting to see us, once beautiful and brave. Perhaps everything terrible is, in its deepest being, something helpless that wants help from us. So, you must not be frightened, dear Mr. Kappus, if a sadness rises up before you, larger than any you have ever seen. If a restiveness like light and cloud-shadows, passes over your hands and over all you do. You must think that something is happening to you. That life has not forgotten you. That it holds you in its hand. It will not let you fall. Why do you want to shut out of your life any agitation, any pain, any melancholy, since you do really do not know what these states are working upon you? ..."Compare this to Charlie Louth's translation of this same passage in Letter 8 (
  
Letters to a Young Poet







  
  
    ):"How can we forget those ancient myths found at the beginnings of all peoples? The myths about the dragons who at the last moment turn into princesses? Perhaps all the dragons of our lives are princesses, only waiting for the day when they will see us handsome and brave? Perhaps everything terrifying is deep down a helpless thing that needs our help. So, dear Mr. Kappus, you shouldn't be dismayed if a sadness rises up in front of you, greater than any you have ever seen before; or if a disquiet plays over your hands and over all your doings like light and cloud-shadow. You must think that something is happening with you; that life has not forgotten you; that it holds you in its hand; it will not let you fall. Why should you want to exclude from your life all unsettling, all pain, all depression of spirit, when you don't know what work it is these states are performing within you? ... "Note that word order in changed in by Louth to give a different meaning, and this is often the case.Also, compare to Stephen Mitchell's translation of the passage in Letter 8 (
  
Letters to a Young Poet (Modern Library)







  
  
     and (
  
Letters to a Young Poet







  
  
    ):"How could we forget those ancient myths that stand the beginning of all the races, the myths about dragons that are at the last moment transformed into princesses? Perhaps all the dragons of our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love. So you mustn't be frightened, dear Mr. Kappus, if a sadness rises up in front of you, larger than any you have ever seen; if an anxiety, like light and cloud-shadows, moves over your hands and over everything you do. You must realize that something is happening to you, that life has not forgotten you, that it holds you in its hand and will not let you fall. Why to you want to shut out of your life any uneasiness, any misery, any depression. since after all you don't know what work these conditions are doing inside you?...."Really, "that wants our love"? Our LOVE? No reason for this translator's license, none at all.  Mitchell's translation likewise strips the Letters of poetry, and, of note, his introduction to the Letters is somewhat bizarre.If one goes further back in this letter, to Rilke's discussion of solitude, the demarcation between the beautiful and the mediocre translation is equally clear. I find M.D. Herter Norton's translation by far the most beautiful, poetic and meaningful, although reading other translations can add to the reader's understanding, or else, show the reader which translation speaks to him.On the other hand, here is an opportunity to compare, free of charge, three translations. I have chosen to confine myself to the translation by M.D. Herter Norton's of Rilke's 
  
Letters to a Young Poet







  
  
    , since I don't want to interrupt the flow of reading as I study these great letters, and feel it is best to choose one. It is a shame the M.D. Herter Norton translation is not currently in print in hardcover. Still, there are used copies to be found and I'd rather buy several paperback copies of Norton's than have a nice looking hardcover of a mediocre translation.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    “Try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms, like books written in a foreign tongue.”
  

*by B***E on Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2021*

I’m stunned.First, a few disclaimers. I’m not a poet or an academic.  Likewise, Rilke would likely tell you to put little stock in Amazon reviews as he writes of literary critics the following: “And let me at once make his request: read as little as possible in the way of aesthetics and criticism— it will either be partisan views, fossilized and made meaningless in its lifeless rigidity, or it will be neat wordplay, where one opinion will triumph one day and the opposite the next.”That said, I can only recommend you make the purchase, particularly if you stumbled upon this book.  Several passages moved me in a way that has genuinely expanded my interest in both literary works and personal introspection.  I’ve included below one of my favorites.There are several translations out there and I’m not in the position to assess one over the other.  I can only say I found the language rich and personal.  I compared three of my favorite passages to other translations and did not feel disserved by Louth’s work.

### ⭐⭐ 2.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Contents are fine but the book came damaged
  

*by J***E on Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2022*

I bought this as a gift since it had been recommended to me by professors and friends - it has arrived damaged. The inside looks fine but the spine is already cracked (leaving an ugly crease), there is a scratch in the cover that's yellow for some reason, and the the bottom right has what appears to be an oil stain (??) and is creased. The packing is fine so this must have happened before shipment.I don't have time to return this and get a new one since its for someone else.Overall I am very disappointed in the quality of what claimed to be a new book

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*Last updated: 2026-03-12*