Oh how I believe in it, in life. Not that which makes up our time, but that other, the life of little things, the life of animals and of the great plains. -Rainer Maria Rilke

I discovered Rilke many years ago, as I was browsing through a used bookstore. I found a little book entitled “Rilke on Love and Other Difficulties”, which introduced me to the world of Rilke and changed my life. To this day Rilke, a native Austrian poet,  remains one of the greatest poets of the 20th century, an intensely lyrical poet with extraordinary emotional depth.

This site started out in 1996 as an archival library project. It features a large selection of Rilke’s poetry, prose, and letters by several of my favorite English translations. Please be aware most translated works are copyrighted, however the original German is public domain. You may find Rilke’s poetry in his native German here. I hope you enjoy his poetry and writings as much as I do.  ~ Renate L