From the author of Letters to a Young Poet, one of the greatest letter collections of all time, comes a new selection of the great poet''s writings to bereaved friends and acquaintances, reflecting on death and dying, providing comfort in a time of grief.

Gleaned from Rainer Maria Rilke''s voluminous, never-before-translated correspondence, this book collects the poet''s best writings on grief and loss in one place for the first time. The result is a profound vision of the mourning process and a meditation on death''s place in our lives, as well as a compilation of sensitive and moving expressions of consolation and condolence. Following the format of Rilke''s classic, Letters to a Young Poet, this volume arranges a series of letters to Rilke''s mourning friends, composed into a continuous, uninterrupted sequence, showcasing the full range of Rilke''s thoughts on finding meaning and, perhaps, some form of comfort in the process of grieving.