Originally published by W. W. Norton & Company in 1975, the collection serves as an introductory "mini-anthology" for both new and longtime readers. Key Components of the Collection

The volume is widely available at retailers such as Barnes & Noble , Bookshop.org , and City Lights Bookstore .

Rilke famously argues that love is not about "merging" but is instead a "day labor" that requires two solitudes to "protect and touch and greet each other".

The text encourages readers to "live the questions" and embrace the "difficulty" of living and dying with openness.