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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Rilke in letter eight, where does destiny originate?

2. Why has it taken so long for Rilke to reply to the young poet with his seventh letter?

3. From where is Rilke's sixth letter written?

4. What famous author does Rilke reference in letter eight?

5. In letter seven, what does Rilke say that love should be?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Rilke say about the amount of beauty in Rome?

2. What can be inferred about the mental and emotional state of the young poet from Rilke's reply in letter six?

3. Rilke says that young people can't understand love. What reason does he give?

4. Why does Rilke advise the young poet "to be lonely and attentive when one is sad" in letter eight?

5. Why does Rilke believe that women are responsible for a future change in humans' approach to romantic love?

6. Why does Rilke send a copy of the young poet's sonnet with letter seven?

7. What does Rilke say about fear?

8. What does Rilke mean when he says that the names of things are often misrepresented of what things are?

9. What advice does Rilke give the young poet for doctoring his sadness?

10. What does Rilke say that the average person will continue to do in regards to love?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the letters, and especially in letter eight, Rilke suggests that people are not truly living their lives--that their experiences are dulled from familiarity and security. What type of living is Rilke advocating? What is this type of living like?

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the advice Rilke presents to the young poet and the way Rilke takes his own advice based on research into Rilke's life.

Essay Topic 3

Explain to what extent the young poet seems to have followed Rilke's advice and how it seems he develops over the course of his correspondence with Rilke.

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