An anthology of Rilke's strongest poetry and prose for both aficionados and new readers. Here is a mini-anthology of poetry and prose for both aficionados and those readers discovering Rainer Maria Rilke for the first time. John J. L. Mood has assembled a collection of Rilke's strongest work, presenting commentary along with the selections. Mood links into an essay passages from letters that show Rilke's profound understanding of men and women and his ardent spirituality, rooted in the senses. Combining passion and sensitivity, the poems on love presented here are often not only sensual but sexual as well. Others pursue perennial themes in his work―death and life, growth and transformation. The book concludes with Rilke's reflections on wisdom and openness to experience, on grasping what is most difficult and turning what is most alien into that which we can most trust. After Such Long Experience Let House Ah, Not Being Sundered Also To Affirm Even Rapture And All Never-belonging Be Yours Are Not The Nights Fashioned From The Sorrowful Being-silent. Who Keeps Innerly By The Sun-surrounded Road, Cheerful Gift From The Chillier Come You, You Last One, Whom I Avow Do You Also Ponder That We Are All Everything Is Play, And Yet Plays Force Of Gravity From The Cycle: Nights Give Me, Oh Earth, Pure Unmingling Gods Perhaps Are Still Striding Along Gong Greek Love-talk If You'd Attempt This, However: Hand In Hand To Be Mine Like The Pigtails Of Quickly Grown-up Girls The Lovers Magic Mausoleum More Uncovered The Land: On Every Way Is Hometurning Music Now It Would Be Time That Gods Should Step Out Play The Deaths, The Single Ones, Quickly The Poems Praise The Poet Praises The Poet Speaks Of Praising The Quinces Yellow From Their Gray Fluff The Seven Phallic Poems: 1 The Seven Phallic Poems: 2 The Seven Phallic Poems: 3 The Seven Phallic Poems: 4 The Seven Phallic Poems: 5 The Seven Phallic Poems: 6 The Seven Phallic Poems: 7 Since I Wrote You, Sap Sprang Free Somewhere Blooms The Blossom Of Parting And Bestrews Strong Star, Which Needs Not The Help Which That Which Offers Itself To Us With Starlight These Soft This Is The Mute-mouthed Mounting Of The Phalli Transform Stamen On Stamen Transformation The Voices Warned Me So I Desisted We Are Not To Know Why What Fields Are Fragrant As Your Hands Woman's Lament: 1 Woman's Lament: 2 You Declare You Know Love's Nights? -- Table of Poems from Poem Finder® Here is a mini-anthology of poetry and prose for both aficionados and those readers discovering Rainer Maria Rilke for the first time. John J. L. Mood has assembled a collection of Rilke's strongest work, presenting commentary along with the selections. Rainer Maria Rilke  (1875–1926), the author of Sonnets to Orpheus and Letters to a Young Poet , was one of the greatest poets of the German language.