Duino Elegies and the Sonnets of Orpheus

Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) was born in Prague into a German-speaking family. While based in Paris, he traveled broadly until finally settling in Switzerland. Rilke's verse deeply influenced subsequent poets and writers. His Duino Elegies and Sonnets to Orpheus count among the great achievements in world literature. Some of Rilke's letters are available in English as Letters to a Young Poet, Letters on Life, and The Dark Interval.