In this book, first published in 1946 as a second impression of a 1941 original, Butler profiles the influential poet Rainer Maria Rilke, seeing in him and his works a counteracting force to that of the destructive war in Europe. The biography addresses Rilke’s life and the influences on his poetry, especially his time spent in Paris and his traumatizing military service in WWI. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in Rilke.