Artist Auguste Rodin was fortunate to have for secretary Rainer Maria Rilke, one of the most sensitive poets of the early 20th century. This essay discussing Rodin's work as an artist is as revealing of Rilke as it is of its subject. Written in 1903, Rilke's meditation marks the entry of the poet into the world of letters. With an introduction by William Gass and photography of Rodin's work.