Tagore's Welcome To Death

Tagore's Welcome To Death-Reference To Gitanjali

Twilight Of The Day
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 Rabindranath Tagore was one of the greatest poets and got Nobel Prize in 1913, composing 'Gitanjali'. He was the first  non European laureate.Tagore's concept of death considers that it is the continuous form of our journey. He has considered death as a 'breaker' which breaks the barriers of worldly life and as 'the light' which can show the way to the eternal life. Death is inevitable. It never feared the heart of the poet. The burden of age never made him fatigue. He dedicated his body and soul to welcome death.

 In his poem no-6, he had wished to overcome the affection of life. He was waiting for the doomsday.  He used the word 'drop' to signify 'death'. Flower like life will subdue within short span of time, colors will fade and smell will be faint. The poet also considered that he was in confusion whether he would get place in the garland,made for god. Addressing the God, he prayed to use his life like flower for His service and to pluck while there was time (Line 9-11,Gitanjali).

  In the opening stanza of poem no-21,he considered to launch out his life boat. His last stage of life; he considered with shore. The unhurried hours were passed by. Pain occurred in his mind to accept that (Line 1-3,Gitanjali). He also considered that the spring of his life has gone and asked God what he would do taking the basket of dropped flowers. The word  'dropped flowers' signifies the old age.

 The falling of yellow leaves in the shady lane implied the coming of death. The clamorous waves implied the transition of life. The poet's mind was waiting to accept the presence of death. He appreciated the notes of the song of death which was coming from another shore (Line 10-13,Gitanjali)

 In the poem no-74, he had considered his present stage of life with twilight of the day. The youth is gone and the last stage of life came. The shadow like death would devour him one day. He was waiting for that. He wanted to fill his pitcher from the stream (Line-1-3,Gitanjali). The evening gentle breeze also carrying the melancholic tune raised by the water. It made recall the poet the sun set of his life, that is death.  The poet also remorse that the waves of the water was becoming uncontrollable. At the end of the poem, the poet became suspicious about his return to life and to get chance to meet others at the living world. But he enjoyed that and heard the sweet twang of the lute of an unknown man (Line-9-13,Gitanjali).

 In the poem no-94, the poet’s mind was full of grief as he had to leave the living world. The day came. A tone of melancholy was playing in his heart. But he prayed to his friends to wish him. He also considered that nothing was to carry with him from world. He would start his journey with empty hands. He considered that the way of death was full of danger but the poet's mind was fearless. He believed that the joyous environment would be predominated by the evening star. The word twilight symbolized the end of life. The poet expressed that the  sad tune would be heard from the God's gateway (Line-12-15, Gitanjali).

 In the poem no-103, he made the unconditional surrender to the God and considered the realization of life. He appreciated and praised the eternal life. The poet payed salutation to the Almighty and wished that his earthly body would spread at His (God) feet after death (Line-1-3, Gitanjali).He happily confessed that his mind, like dark cloud of rainy season(Sraban), would bend down to His (God) feet and be free from worldly burden. He also wished that in one salutation, let all his songs with different stream could mix in a single flow and would dissolve in the sea of silence. His sense of eternity and acceptance of death was also expressed in the last stanza. He gladly accepted the death and prayed that his life could get its eternal shelter after death (Line-12-15,Gitanjali).

                                                               

 The poet’s acceptance of death implied that he realized the essence of life. Death is inevitable but never touched his heart. He considered ‘death’ as sea of silence where worldly life gets its eternal shelter. One day he had to go to next home and wished let his entire mind bent down at Lord’s feet in the living time.