"This is a book of meditative reading. Each of the sixty-one aphoristic entries aims to interpret Rilke's poetry as a musician might play Debussy's Clair de lune, to transpose into the key of language the song, the melody, and the refrain of Rilke's gentle disposition: his recognition of the transience of things; his acknowledgment of the vulnerability and fragility of people, animals, and flowers; his empathy toward those who suffer. The purpose of this essay is to experience and to examine gentleness, how it shapes and pervades Rilke's work, how his poetry might gently inspire us to become more gentle people."--Provided by publisher.