Duino Elegies

By Rainer Maria Rilke, Edward Snow (translator),

Book cover of Duino Elegies

Book description

Who, if I cried out, would hear me among the angelic
orders? and even if one of them pressed me
suddenly to his heart: I'd be consumed
in that overwhelming existence. For beauty is nothing
but the beginning of terror, which we can just barely endure,
and we stand in…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked Duino Elegies as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

There are no other poems like Rainer Maria Rilke’s Duino Elegies. Lyrical and intense, they express the poet’s struggle with existence, and his deep belief in the transformative power of suffering. Rilke asks the question that all spiritual seekers ask: “Look, I live. And for what?” He offers the answer that we live to strengthen the soul. In the Duino Elegies, Rilke encourages the reader to use his or her suffering to become closer to God. Reading his work helps the seeker to understand that the spiritual journey is on a larger scale than that of one’s fleeting…

Want books like Duino Elegies?

Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 47 books like Duino Elegies.

Browse books like Duino Elegies

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in prophecy, angels, and the Bible?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about prophecy, angels, and the Bible.

Prophecy Explore 42 books about prophecy
Angels Explore 53 books about angels
The Bible Explore 332 books about the Bible