Selection: “Gitanjali” by R.

Tagore

The selection Gitanjali is a collection of poems that refer to song offerings. The
selection deserved the Nobel Prize in 1913 because of the message that captivates the
readers deeply, and this involves his romantic approach towards human nature and
divine nature. Each poem provides deep and spiritual connection, and it can give people
a feeling of meditation and reflection. In addition, this can highly provide people a
feeling of comfort especially during these dreadful days, and this can overwhelm the
readers through the words he used to impart his message. The three qualities that
made his poem exceptionally remarkable are his love, faith, and devotion to his creator;
hence, he showed how essential it is to live a life with honesty, purity, and simplicity
which simply reflects his adoration to his creator.
Tagore exhibited love intensely in various forms connecting it to the divinity, and
this includes the poems where he described his love for his lover, children, and
everyone. He encapsulates the poem in a very beautiful manner that it makes the
readers fill their hearts with authentic happiness. There are notable poems in the
selection that deeply captured my heart, and this includes song no. 1, song no. 10, and
song no. 40. In song no. 1, Tagore stated in the 1 st stanza that the human body is the
frail vessel that God continuously repair, and fill it out with fresh life. It basically sends a
message that God is the master of human being that he watches out for his people
intently, and help them at times of difficulty. In the 2 nd stanza, Tagore wrote, “This little
flute of a reed thou hast
carried over hills and dales,” which means that God is the flute player and we are the
flute that he breathes upon, and the melody that comes out is always new. Tagore
implies that human being will share an eternity with the Divine Being, and this
exemplifies his devotion and faithfulness towards God. In the 3 rd stanza, he describe the
Lord’s touch as something that can fill each and every hearts with immense joy or
extreme pleasure. In the last stanza, he explained that God is both omnipotent and
omnipresent wherein he bless his people with infinite gifts, and that he will undoubtedly
save and protect his people. The whole poem showcase God’s unconditional love and
care for his people, and that most people can fill his overflowing love if they willingly
submit themselves towards God. In poem number 10, Tagore exhibits his deep
admiration towards the Lord by writing how much God adores and cares for the lost,
poor, and sorrowful people, yet he also stated that those who have egoistic attributes
does not have God wholly in their lives because these attributes exemplifies selfishness
and superiority behavior. Thus, God can be found in the poorest of people, and if people
continuously welcome them by showing actions of humility and kindness then one can
live a meaningful life with God in it. Lastly, the song no. 40 highly speaks about
embracing God at time of desolation, and that when people seek for healing, God will
come naturally to impart it.
The themes that captivates people the most is how the author incorporated
natural and divine nature in his poems wherein he meditates with the wondrous nature,
and sees the divine being in there. Tagore also displays the beauty of common life
wherein one can never find God if he/she chose to remain in the dark. Lastly, the whole
poem exemplifies his love, faith, and devotion to God, for he clearly includes the
presence of God in every aspect of his life like when he found his lover, failures,
success, and every aspect of his life. The whole book of poems can really paved way to
new good feelings about divinity and life itself.