Two volumes from the Collected Works of Rainer Maria Rilke - in the original German language - "Gedichte (Gessammelte Werke Band 1) - Erster Teil, Erste Gedichte - Frohe Gedichte" (translates as "Poems (Collected Works Volume 1) - First Part, First Poems - Happy Poems") published in 1927 + "Briefe aus Muzot 1921 bis 1926" (translates as Briefe aus Muzot 1921 bis 1926) published in 1935

Both volumes published as part of the collected works of Rainer Maria Rilke. "Gedichte (Gessammelte Werke Band 1) - Erster Teil, Erste Gedichte - Frohe Gedichte" (translates as "Poems (Volume 1) - First Part, First Poems - Happy Poems") published in 1927. "Briefe aus Muzot 1921 bis 1926" (translates as "Letters from Muzot 1921 bis 1926") published in 1935. The latter volume mentions 'Herausgegeben von Ruth Sieber-Rilke und Carl Sieber" which translates as 'Published by'). ***Both volumes very good in brown limp cloth-covered boards, with gilt titles to the spine and gilt 'RMR' monogram to the front boards. The gilt has remained bright over the past 90+ years. The boards are relatively clean, with just a few light handling marks. No serious bumps or creases, but please note that "Gedichte" has some splitting along the fragile spine edge (please see scans). Corners sharp. The page block edges are quite clean without any noticeable foxing. Top edges stained yellow by the publisher. Bindings straight with no reading lean. ***Internally, both volumes are in very good condition, with clean pages. "Gedichte" has some vertical page creasing affecting some of the pages, and a few top corner page creases (please see scans). "Briefe aus Muzot" has the front free endpaper removed, and some foxing to the first few pages + some creasing to the top corners of a few pages (please see scans). No dustwrappers. ***185mm x 115mm. 413 + 410 pages. ***'René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke (4 Dec 1875 - 29 Dec 1926), known as Rainer Maria Rilke, was an Austrian poet. Acclaimed as an idiosyncratic and expressive poet, he is widely recognized as a significant writer in the German language. His work is viewed by critics and scholars as possessing undertones of mysticism, exploring themes of subjective experience and disbelief. His writings include one novel, several collections of poetry, several volumes of correspondence and a few early novellas.' (Wiki) ***Château de Muzot (also known as Maison Muzot or Muzot Castle) is a 13th-century fortified manor house located near Veyras in Switzerland's Rhone Valley. In 1921, it was purchased by Swiss merchant and arts patron Werner Reinhart who then invited Bohemian-Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) to live there rent-free. It was at Muzot, during a few weeks in February 1922, that Rilke after a long silence caused by severe depression finally completed the "Duino Elegies" and wrote the entire "Sonnets to Orpheus" (both published in 1923). He became gravely ill in 1926 and died on the morning of 29 December in Valmont. ***An interesting pair of volumes from the collected works of German poet Rainer Maria Rilke, in very good original condition - well-preserved for their age considering the fragility of the bindings from this period in inter-war Germany. ****For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc. …