Collection: Rainer Maria Rilke Prints

Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926) was born in Prague and wrote in German, moving between Paris, Munich, Russia and Switzerland. The Duino Elegies, the Sonnets to Orpheus, The Book of Hours and the Letters to a Young Poet supply the lines here. He is the poet people reach for at turning points.

Every line but one is set in the German original; the English translation is on the product page. Rilke belongs in quiet rooms: a bedroom, a reading chair, a writing desk. The prints are a fitting gift for a graduation or for someone beginning something difficult.

Three to start with

• Du musst dein Leben ändern (You must change your life)
• Dass etwas schwer ist, muss ein Grund mehr sein, es zu tun (That something is difficult must be one more reason to do it)
• Liebe besteht darin, dass zwei Einsamkeiten einander schützen, grenzen und grüßen (Love consists in this: that two solitudes protect, border and greet one another)

Questions people ask

Are the attributions solid? Yes. Every line in this collection is traced to a named poem or letter and marked high confidence on the product page. Rilke is quoted less loosely than most poets.

Is the translation on the print? No. The print carries the original words and the author only; the English translation is on the product page.

What do I receive? A print-ready PDF with embedded vector type, in your choice of eight sizes from 5 x 7 inches to 24 x 36 inches, plus A4.