Tagore was born in Bengal. But the consensus was that he was Indian. Because when Tai Lao was alive, Bengal was still a province of India. Thai Lao's works were originally written in Bengali. It is said that no one in any place where Bengali was spoken did not sing his poems every day. However, his poems only achieved worldwide acclaim after he translated them into English himself. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913.
Tagore’s poetry collections published in English are roughly as follows: Gardener Jitanjali Crescent Moon Fruit-gathering Stray Bird Lover's Gift and Crossing "Lover's Gift and Crossing". There are many more written in Bengali. The English poems are only a small selection of them. For example, most of "Asuka Collection" comes from Kanika.
The Pastoral of Love - Appreciation of Rabindranath Tagore's "I Want Nothing"
Author: Xing Guang Popularity: 186 Date: 2005-11-24 19:55:52 Source: Member Forward [Large, Medium, Small]
Raindranath Tagore (1861-1941), India’s greatest literary figure in modern times, was especially famous for his poetry during his nearly seventy-year creative career. This poem comes from "Gitanjali" which he compiled and published when he was fifty. It was the huge influence of this collection of poems that made him the first Asian Nobel Prize winner in literature.
The name of the collection of poems "Gitanjali" originally means "poetry offering". To whom are these poems dedicated? Tagore, who was born in the Buddhist country, naturally dedicated it to "God". Moreover, he believes that this "god" is everywhere and all-encompassing, existing in all nature and among the poorest people. Based on this view of universal love, even the most ordinary and ordinary life is given a pastoral dreamlike color in his poems. "I Want Nothing" reflects this creative thought of his.
The poet sang his heart song at the beginning of the poem - "I want nothing". Why "I want nothing"? Because "I" already have the most mundane and precious life. Tall banyan trees, mango trees in full bloom, winding village paths, clear ponds, what a primitive and beautiful rural scenery! The sound of gurgling water, the jingling of women's bracelets, the buzzing of bees, the singing of birds, the chanting of pilgrims, and the sound of gongs in the temple constitute the most simple and natural sound of nature. Milking cows, fetching water, driving cattle, chanting scriptures, what hard-working neighbors and folks! What a simple yet laid-back lifestyle!
The poet chose a specific moment in the morning in the countryside, moving from stillness to movement, from near to far, to paint a pastoral, tranquil, primitive and vibrant picture. The most interesting thing is that the poet himself is in this picture, and it is the most unique image in the poem. It is unique because the "I" in the poem is always standing and still. This is an image characteristic of the external form, and it is also the key to interpreting the poet's inner world. This kind of stillness can be understood as the poet immersed in it, enjoying this beautiful morning light and enjoying this pastoral life. This is the appearance of the poem, that is, the shallow artistic conception. However, the poet's emotions and thoughts are always rushing and flowing.
In the first verse, at dawn, when everything seems to be still awake, the poet and his wife have come to the edge of the forest under the banyan tree. The wife is milking cows, while the poet "stands quietly" , this silence cannot be due to the poet's sleepy eyes, because his eyes are admiring the sleeping and waking appearance of nature like a beauty at this moment. At the same time, he was also admiring his wife--the wife who "squeezed milk with creamy and soft hands." In the lazy morning light, this hard-working woman looked so beautiful. In the second stanza, the poet is still standing quietly. At this time, nature has woken up, showing her various expressions and infinite vitality. Human beings are not to be outdone, and the day's activities begin with chanting scriptures. This hymn of the pilgrim's soul is as beautiful as the singing of birds and the buzzing of bees. Perhaps to the ears of poets, the latter is more beautiful. The poet's wife, who had milked a lot of milk, was about to put the jug on her lap. The baptism of the soul can be done through religious belief or labor. Labor can not only exercise people's physique and will, but also purify people's soul. In the third verse, as time goes by, the morning dawns, the morning prayers end, and the trivial daily activities of driving cattle and collecting water begin. The street dust raised by the hooves of cattle occupies the space that belongs to the mist. The sound of women's bracelets replaces the chirping of birds, and human activities stand out between heaven and earth. And all this happened in just a short moment, just as long as it took to squeeze a can of milk. The poet saw that his wife's milk jug was full and "milk foam overflowed the rim of the jug", but he still stood quietly, immersed in the scene in front of him and his own spiritual activities.
He watches, listens, and feels. He watched the activities of nature and human beings, they were so harmonious; he listened to the chorus of the sounds of nature and humans, they were so full of vitality; he realized the ancient Zen saying: All living beings have Buddha nature.
He stands in the picture he painted, but his mind is at a certain distance. This aesthetic distance is intentionally opened by the poet. He is observing his personal life, which is so harmonious and perfect; at the same time, he is observing the life of the public. , life is so simple and natural. He is praising nature and also praising human beings. This kind of praise lies deep in his soul without any trace of carving.
Although the poet uses the dialogue style of "I" confiding to "you" in form, "I, me, you, you" are all over the poem, but this is by no means just confiding to a close lover. , but also talking to nature, talking to his people, and talking to the highest god in his heart. Because of this, this pastoral song of love is so beautiful and touching.