Tagore’s Song Offerings: A Study on Beauty and Eternity

Abstract

Gitanjali written by Rabindranath Tagore (and the English translation of the Bengali poems in it, written in 1921) was awarded the Novel Prize  in 1913. He called it Song Offerings. Some of the songs were taken from ‘Naivedya’, ‘Kheya’,  ‘Gitimalya’ and other selections of his poem. That is, the Supreme Being is complete only together  with the soul of the devetee. He makes the mere mortal infinite  and chooses to do so for His own sake, this could be just could be a faint echo of the AdvaitaPhilosophy.Tagore’s songs in Gitanjali  express the distinctive method of philosophy…The  poet is nothing more than a flute  (merely a reed) which plays His timeless melodies . His heart overflows  with happiness at His touch that is intangible Tagore’s song in Gitanjali are analyzed  in this ways - content analysis and dynamic analysis. Methodology of his present study were corroborated with earlier findings: Halder (1918), Basu (1988), Sanyal (1992) Dutta (2002).In conclusion it could be stated that Tagore’s songs in Gitanjali are intermingled with beauty and eternity.A frequently used theme in Tagore’s poetry, is repeated in the song,‘Tumiaamaydekechhilechhutir’‘When the day of fulfillment came I knew nothing for I was absent –minded’, He mourns the loss. This strain of thinking is found also in an exquisite poem written in old age.