A very fine collection of poetry from the modern master Rainer Maria Rilke. I was a bit worried that I would not enjoy it, because I didn't much like translator Stephen Mitchell's selection of Pablo Neruda's poetry in Full Woman, Fleshly Apple, Hot Moon. In that Neruda collection, Mitchell explicitly states he chose his personal favourites and the book lacks comprehensiveness, as well as Mitchell's lines lacking the silver that I found in other translations. Happily, such criticisms could not be launched at Mitchell here: not only are his translations gorgeous at times, but the book does achieve comprehensiveness. The inclusion of the entirety of the Duino Elegies and The Sonnets to Orpheus is particularly welcome, and there are parts of the latter book which now rank as some of my favourite poems.

Rilke tackles some of the most pressing existential and philosophical questions of our time, not least the all-important search for meaning in a material world, and he does so in a way that is both complex (in structure) and simple (in the formulation of the words). This must surely be deliberate, for the observations he makes often suggest that the answers to such daunting, complex questions can sometimes be found in the simplest, clearest ways of thinking.

At first, I found some of the 'god' stuff rather unappealing, but particularly in The Sonnets to Orpheus, Rilke is evidently looking for an expansive spiritual connection to something which is unknown, rather than seeking the stricture of narrow religious dogma. This is evident in his book Letters to a Young Poet (not included here, but it is highly recommended) and, here, it is expressed most beautifully in Sonnets XXIV – XXVI of the First Part of The Sonnets to Orpheus, a mini cycle-within-a-cycle which captures the conflicting emotions – bursting vitality and directionless worry – of a progressing society which is coming to the realization that its gods are dead. Rilke speaks to our age. ( )

Mitchell is a very able, poetic translator. From "The Sonnets to Orpheus": 'Song as you have taught it, is not desire, not wooing any grace that can be achieved; song is reality...Young man, it is not your loving, even if your mouth was forced wide open by your own voice - learn to forget that passionate music. It will end. True singing is a different breath, about nothing. A gust inside the god. A wind.' ( )

Rilke is the most personal of poets, and this dense volume is always close at hand. I love looking at the origianal German and the English translation side by side. At least I can get a sense of the orginal rhythm and rhyme.Modern, yet romantic and lyrical. ( )

This is probably my "desert island" book. This book has literally kept me breathing at times. Mitchell's translations of Rilke's works are transcendent, impeccable. I will pick up this book until I can no longer hold a book in my hands. ( )

By far the best collection and best English translation of Rilke's works. ( )