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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Rilke say about Professor Horacek in his first letter?

2. What does Rilke view as a challenge of the young poet's new profession?

3. During what decade does the correspondence contained in this volume take place?

4. Where is Rilke when he writes the third letter?

5. In the first letter, what does Rilke cite as the most disruptive hindrance to the young poet's progress?

Short Essay Questions

1. Rilke places emphasis on the importance of solitude. Why is solitude so important?

2. What does Rilke imply about irony?

3. What are Rilke's views on aesthetic criticism?

4. What does Rilke mean when in letter three he says his books "no longer belong to me"?

5. What does Rilke mean when, in letter four, he says that physical pleasure is not bad, but that physical pleasure is often "misuse[d] and squander[ed]"?

6. Rilke says that artists remains unaware of their best qualities. Why is this?

7. How does Rilke advise the young poet to approach works of art?

8. What type of writing does Rilke advocate for?

9. In letter four, Rilke says that "even the best err in words when they are meant to mean most delicate and almost inexpressible things." What does this mean?

10. What do letters two and three suggest about the young poet's interest in Rilke's advice?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is Rilke's view of the ideal sexual relationship? The ideal romantic relationship? The ideal parent-child relationship?

Essay Topic 2

In the first letter, Rilke suggests that the critical assessment of literary works is not a valuable practice. Do you agree with Rilke's statement? Why or why not? Do you think literary works should not be critically assessed?

Essay Topic 3

Explain to what extent the young poet seems to have followed Rilke's advice and how it seems he develops over the course of his correspondence with Rilke.

(see the answer keys)

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