Rainer Maria Rilke was born on December 4, 1875, in Prague. His parents placed him in military school with the desire that he become an officer—a position Rilke was not inclined to hold. With the help of his uncle, who realized that Rilke was a highly gifted child, Rilke left the military academy and entered a German preparatory school. By the time he enrolled at Charles University in Prague in 1895, he knew that he would pursue a literary career.
Rilke died of leukemia on December 29, 1926, in Valmont, Switzerland.
In his relatively short life, Rilke produced a body of poetry and writings unsurpassed in its genius. At the time of his death, his work was intensely admired by many leading European artists, but was almost unknown to the general reading public.
His reputation has grown steadily since and he has come to be universally regarded as a master of verse.
