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is a tribute to one of my all time favourite poets. Let me begin with one of his magnificent poems-- “Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but for the heart to conquer it. Let me not look for allies in life’s battlefield, but to my own strength. Let me not crave in anxious fear to be saved, but hope for the patience to win my freedom. Grant me that I may not be a coward, feeling your mercy in my success alone; But let me find the grasp of your hand in my failure.” - Rabindranath Tagore Yes, I’m talking about Tagore, the poet, philosopher, playwright, artist, dramatist, novelist, educationist – the list is fairly endless – Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) got international recognition when his ‘Gitanjali’ (Song Offerings) – an anthology of spiritual lyrics, originally written in his mother tongue, Bengali, later translated by the poet himself into English, was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature – the first ever to an Asian – in 1913. The anthology has an introduction by W.B. Yeats, who was the first westerner who kind of discovered him, and revealed him to the West. By the time the 51 year old Tagore was discovered by the West, he was already an established celebrity in Bengal, (though he was still obscure outside Bengal, in India) – and he had produced more than 20 or so books of verse, nearly a dozen plays, a substantial collection of essays and short stories, and three major novels. Being a Bengali, like the faint blue fumes of burning incense, Tagore has been a constant fragrance in my life. My home always resonated with the mellifluous tones of his songs.
Approximate Word count = 1178
Approximate Pages = 4.7
(250 words per page double spaced)
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