Who said: "The purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things."

"The purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things."
- Rainer Maria Rilke

Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) is considered one of the German language's greatest 20th century poets. He was born in Prague (then part of the Austro-Hungarian empire) and studied in Prague, Munich and Berlin. His works in German include Das Stundenbuch (The Book of Hours), written after visiting Russia; Die Sonnette an Orpheus (Sonnets to Orpheus) and Duineser Elegien (Duion Elegies). He also wrote about 400 poems in French dedicated to Valais in Switzerland, his homeland of choice, where he died of leukemia at just 51 years of age.


More quotes by Rilke
This is the miracle that happens every time to those who really love: the more they give, the more they possess.

The only journey is the one within.

Love is like the measles. The older you get it, the worse the attack.

I hold this to be the highest task for a bond between two people: that each protects the solitude of the other.

More Quotes

This quote & biography originally ran in an issue of BookBrowse's membership magazine. Full Membership Features & Benefits.