Rainer Maria Rilke on Death

Rilke was born shortly after the death of his older sister and found his place in the world through her absence. His mother even dressed him up in her girly frocks, brushed out his curls and encouraged him to call himself Sophie, in her stead.

Rilke led a solitary and transient life, prolific in his writings, particularly his letters (over 24,000!). He is said to have spent years suffering with undiagnosed lymphoma. One day as he was tending the roses he adored, Rilke pricked his finger on a thorn and the wound became infected, leading to sepsis and ultimately death.

Throughout his life, Rilke wrote many letters to both his friends and his readers. In 2018, Rilke’s reflections on grief, loss and the place of death in life were compiled for the first time in “The Dark Interval: Letters on Loss, Grief and Transformation”.

If you love Rilke’s work, this an en excellent grief companion.