Selected PoemsThe poems of Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) are among the most haunting and tender in Indian and in world literature, expressing a profound and passionate human yearning. His ceaselessly inventive works deal with such subjects as the interplay between God and the world, the eternal and transient, and with the paradox of an endlessly changing universe that is in tune with unchanging harmonies. Poems such as 'Earth' and 'In the Eyes of a Peacock' present a picture of natural processes unaffected by human concerns, while others, as in 'Recovery - 14', convey the poet's bewilderment about his place in the world. And exuberant works such as 'New Rain' and 'Grandfather's Holiday' describe Tagore's sheer joy at the glories of nature or simply in watching a grandchild play. |
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Alakā Andrew Robinson beauty beloved Bengali Binu bird Brahmin Bride Calcutta clouds conch creation creative dance dark dawn Death Delhi described door Durgā dust Earth English essays eternal expression eyes feeling festival flowers forest Gandhi Gitanjali Glossary Golden Boat hair hand harmony heart Hindu human ideal India jiban-debatā Kālidāsa's Kāma khelā Kolkata land language leaves light literary Mahābhārata mantras māyā meaning Meghadūta mind Mohenjodaro morning mountain Musical rāga Nature never night paintings Pārvatī perfection personality play poem poet poetry prāns Rabindranath Tagore rāg rāga Rākhāl Rammohan reality religion religious rhymes rhythm river Sādhanā śakti Sanskrit Santiniketan says scent Sea-maiden singing Śiva Śiva's smile songs soul spirit suddenly Tagore writes Tagore's tears translation tree unity universe Upanisad verse Victoria Ocampo Visva-Bharati voice W. B. Yeats Wakening of Śiva William Radice wind word Yaksa