Poems from the Book of Hours

About this book

A beautiful bilingual gift book of poems: selections from Rilkes legendary masterpiece The Book of Hours with a new introduction by Ursula K. Le Guin. Rilkes Book of Hours falls into three parts: The Book of Monkish Life (1899) The Book of Pilgrimage (1901) and The Book of Poverty and Death (1903). Although these poems were the work of Rilkes youth they contain the germ of his mature convictions. Written as spontaneously received prayers they celebrate a God who is not the Creator of the Universe but seems to be rather humanity itself and above all that most intensely conscious part of humanity the artist. This exquisite gift edition contains Babette Deutschs classic translations which capture the rich harmony and suggestive imagery of the originals allowing interpretations both religious and philosophical and transporting the reader to new heights of inspiration and musicality.