The first of Rilke's prose works to be translated into English, this text is marketed by the Press as an autobiography, despite the fact that some of the particulars would seem to disguise Rilke's identity. The dust jacket nevertheless suggests that Rilke "thinly veils his own experience under a romantic record of the memories, impressions, and experiences of an impoverished Danish poet living in Paris. A masterpiece of creative art and delicate portraiture, it is also an important psychological document, throwing light on the genius of a great poet, whose work is a bold synthesis of Eastern mysticism and Western art."