Rilke on Love

Rainer Maria Rilke’s poetry and letters have long inspired readers with their profound reflections on how art and love can expand human life beyond the limits of religion, politics, or ideology. Presented here in new translations, this collection gathers Rilke’s most candid and lyrical meditations on love — an experience he believed to be central to human existence, yet one for which we are almost never prepared. Drawn from both his poems and extensive correspondence, these selections trace the arc of love in all its forms: falling into it, living within it, losing it, and discovering the mysterious ways it endures.

Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926) was born in Prague and spent much of his life traveling across Europe, eventually settling in Switzerland. His Duino Elegies and Sonnets to Orpheus are widely regarded as masterpieces of world literature.

Ulrich Baer, University Professor at New York University, is an award-winning scholar, translator, and editor of Rilke’s works, including Letters to a Young Poet and The Dark Interval. He lives in New York City.