A common central idea of Letters to a Young Poet “Letter One” and the chapter “Solarium” from Black Swan Green is beauty. In “Letter One”, the author, Rainer Maria Rilke, tells the young poet that there is inner beauty in his inner thoughts, feelings, childhood, past experiences, and in himself. In “Solarium”, the character of Madame Crommelynck tells the main character, Jason, that truth is beauty. She believes that it is hard to speak the truth when it is painful, so when he does, Madame believes it is true beauty. Both writers generate a common idea about beauty in poetry. In “Letter One”, Rilke tells the young poet, “Go into yourself. Find out the reason that commands you to write…” (Rilke, 6). Rilke believes everything he thinks, feels, and has experienced will make his poems stronger. Rilke also believes he cannot change anything that has happened in the past. Experiences, feelings, and perspectives are unsayable. The young poet can only change how he feels about someone or something. Rilke wants the young poet to go deep in his mind. Rilke says, “Try to raise up the sunken feelings of…show more content… There is no real definition of beauty, it just exists. She says, “The potter can make the vase, but not the beauty in the vase”. Madame also believes that too many beautiful things ruin something. “A touch of beauty enhances a dish, but you throw a hill of it into the pot! No, the palate becomes nauseous…” (Mitchell, 147). Madame Crommelynck believes when you speak the truth, it is true beauty. When Jason and Madame are talking about truth, Jason says, “Anyone can be truthful” (Mitchell, 154). Madame responds with, “About superficialities, Jason, yes, is easy. About pain, is not” (Mitchell, 154). She believes poetry is truth, and truth is beauty. Madame Crommelynck says “Hangman” is Jason’s best poem because it speaks the truth about his struggle with
