”Then suddenly you're left all alone with your body that can't love you
and your will that can't save you.

But now, like a whispering in dark streets, rumors of God run through your dark blood.”

In this collection, Rilke carries over his propensity for introspection by weaving together aspects of human life with that of divine oversight. His poems exist at the intersection of mortality and immortality, mindful not to disregard one in favor of the other.

”It's here in all the pieces of my shame
that now I find myself again.
I yearn to belong to something, to be contained
in an all-embracing mind that sees me
as a single thing.
I yearn to be held
in the great hands of your heart—
oh let them take me now.”

Despite the fact that the “you” so frequently addressed in this collection does indeed refer to God, readers need not be religious to resonate with these love poems. I would even say there is further insight to be gained if one were not already heavily and solidly linked to religion or God. Rilke does not ever come across as overbearing or preachy, yet still conveys why God’s all-consuming, all-encompassing presence is a comfort to him in the midst of struggle. Common questions of faith posed by believers are also addressed in a way that is not belittling or unsympathetic. He does not answer these questions for the reader with a stubborn definitiveness, but rather tells of his own considerations whilst still leaving plenty of room for one to either work about why they might disagree or how to expand upon it further themselves should they find merit in it.

”Maybe all paths lead there,
to the repository of unlived things.
And yet, though we strain
against the deadening grip
of daily necessity,
I sense there is this mystery:

All life is being lived.”

I really enjoyed Rilke’s fusion of the natural universe with God, as well as his focus on cultivating a personal relationship with a higher being rather than on engaging in collective religion. His command over language and his ability to convey complexities of the human condition is beyond impressive and inspiring.

”Extinguish my eyes, I'll go on seeing you.
Seal my ears, I'll go on hearing you.
And without feet I can make my way to you,
without a mouth I can swear your name.

Break off my arms, I'll take hold of you
with my heart as with a hand.
Stop my heart, and my brain will start to beat.
And if you consume my brain with fire,
I'll feel you burn in every drop of my blood.”