:: Rainer Maria Rilke was born in Prague in 1875. His parents sent him to military school, hoping he would become an officer. Instead, Rilke left and entered a German prepatory school, publishing his first collection of poems in 1894. In 1896, Rilke left school and began traveling, first to Italy and then later to Russia. He traveled for the better part of his lifetime, befriending Tolstoy, Rodin, and others along the way. Rilke settled for twelve years in Paris, where his poetry developed a stronger lyrical style. When World War I broke out, Rilke was forced to leave Paris for Switzerland, where he stayed till he died of leukemia in 1926.