Michelangelo Gedichte und Briefe / In Auswahl herausgegeben von R. A. Guardini

The collection presents lyric poems and personal letters that expose a solitary creative mind wrestling with longing, moral striving, and ideals of beauty. The poems are mainly introspective, turning inward to describe the author's emotional conflicts, aesthetic aspirations, and an often idealized love; other pieces contemplate artistic process and spiritual reading. The chronologically ordered letters reveal practical concerns—family duties, friendships, and dealings with patrons—alongside devotion and austerity. Biographical excerpts and modern translations accompany the texts, while a thematic arrangement moves from outward matters toward the author's most intimate values.