“Society in its wisdom has found ways of constructing refuges of all kinds, for since it has been disposed to make the love-life a pastime, it has also felt obliged to trivialize it, to make it cheap, risk-free and secure, as public pleasures usually are.”

Austrian poet and novelist of the early 20th century, Rilke is best known for his lyrical, introspective work that explores the depths of human experience and the mysteries of existence. His poetry, including *The Book of Hours*, captures the quiet ache of longing and the sublime in ordinary moments.