OUR ORIGIN

Our name originates from a collection of letters between Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke and young soldier/poet Franz Xaver Kappus. The two men communicated from 1903 to 1908, during which time they exchanged much advice and poetic verse with one another. Through their correspondence, Rilke established a mentorship with the young poet, who wrote to him expressing his passion and desire to succeed in the literary world.

“Go into yourself. Examine the reason that bids you to write; check whether it reaches its roots into the deepest region of your heart, admit to yourself whether you would die if it should be denied you to write” (Rilke 9).

Perhaps Rilke's most significant contribution to the literary and artistic world, Letters to a Young Poet divulges the unwavering need for the artist to create. Through their correspondence, Rilke and Kappus demonstrate the influence of establishing community and interpersonal connection between artists as a method to expand skill.

Rilke, Rainer Maria. Letters to a Young Poet. Translated by Charlie Louth, Penguin Classics, 2023.