Question

rainer maria rilke (1875 - 1926) was an austrian poet and novelist. this excerpt is from a series of letters rilke wrote to a 19 - year - old writer who asked for advice. the letters were later published in a collection called letters to a young poet.
you ask if your poems are good. you ask me this, and have asked others before me. you send them to journals. you compare them with other poems, and are anxious when certain editors reject your efforts. now—since you would have me advise you—i beg you to forego all this. you are looking outwards, and that above all things you should avoid right now. no one can advise or help you, no one. there is but the one remedy. go within. find the reason that you write; see if its roots lie deep in your heart, confess to yourself you would die if you could not write. ask yourself in the silence of night: must i write? dig deep for an answer. and if it should be in the affirmative, if you can meet this solemn question with a strong and simple i must, then construct your life in accord with that need.
what is the primary argument rilke makes in this letter?
choose 1 answer:
the best source of evaluation and critique for a young writer is the writer, not an outside reader or expert.
a young writer who wishes to improve should frequently seek the advice of more experienced writers.
writing is mostly creative, so thinking too much about their own writing can cause a writer to doubt their skills.
because opinions of a text can vary, there is no point in getting upset if an editor rejects your writing.

Explanation:

To determine the primary argument, we analyze Rilke's advice: he tells the young writer to stop seeking external validation (from others, journals, editors) and instead "go within" to find the reason for writing, asking oneself if one must write. Option A aligns with this, as it emphasizes self - evaluation over external sources. Option B is incorrect because Rilke says no one can advise the writer. Option C is not supported as Rilke's focus is on self - exploration, not over - thinking causing doubt. Option D misinterprets Rilke's message; he wants the writer to focus on internal motivation, not just not being upset about rejections.

Answer:

A. The best source of evaluation and critique for a young writer is the writer, not an outside reader or expert.