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Gitanjali
Rabindranath Tagore was a prominent Indian poet, playwright, and artist who played a crucial role in introducing Indian culture to the West and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. His notable works include 'Gitanjali', which reflects themes of freedom, patriotism, and human dignity, alongside other significant writings. He founded Visva-Bharati University and emphasized education, unity, and the pursuit of truth in society.
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Gitanjali
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- 9. Rabindranath Tagore (05071861– 08071941) Rabi - Bengali poet, short-story writer, song composer, playwright, essayist, and painter - highly influential in introducing Indian culture to the West - regarded as the outstanding creative artist of early 20th-century India - (1931) first non-European to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. - “Gurudev” ⎯ “a teacher embodying God-like knowledge”, a title conferred upon him by Mahatma Gandhi.
- 10. - Bhanusingha (sunlion) pen name - Kabi Kahini ()Tle of a Poet), 1878) first collection - Bhikharini (The Beggar Woman, 1877) – first short story - Nirjharer Swapnabhanga (The Fountain Awakened from its Dream, 1882) – one of his most famous poems - Founder of the school Shantiniketan (Visva-Bharati University, 1901), prestigious open air university - Nobel Peace Prize in Literature (1913) - Bestowed knighthood by the British Crown (1915), renounced it in 1919 - (1921) founded founded the Institute for Rural Reconstruction, “Shriniketan” [(Abode of Peace) with agricultural economist Leonard Elmhirst - Notable works: Gora, Ghare-Baire, Jana Gana Mana, Rabindra Sangeet, Amar Shonar Bangla (other works)
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- 13. গীতাঞ্জলি Song Offerings •Originally published: 14August 1910 (157 Bengali poems) •Published in English: 1912 (53 from the original Bengali poems and 50 poems from other collections) •“geet” song + “anjali” offering
- 14. 1 THOU hast mademe endless, such is thy pleasure. This frail vessel thou emptiest again and again, and fillest it ever with fresh life. This little flute of a reed thou hast carried over hills and dales, and hast breathed through it melodies eternally new. At the immortal touch of thy hands my little heart loses its limits in joy and gives birth to utterance ineffable. Thy infinite gifts come to me only on these very small hands of mine. Ages pass, and still thou pourest, and still there is room to fill.
- 15. 8 THE child whois decked with prince's robes and who has jewelled chains round his neck loses all pleasure in his play; his dress hampers him at every step. In fear that it may be frayed, or stained with dust he keeps himself from the world, and is afraid even to move. Mother, it is no gain, thy bondage of finery, if it keep one shut off from the healthful dust of the earth, if it rob one of the right of entrance to the great fair of common human life.
- 16. Word Synonym Antonym Fear Fragments (N):Plural form of the word “fragment”, that is, a small part broken off or separated from something Narrow (Adj): Limited in extent, amount, or scope Domestic (Adj): Existing or occurring inside a particular country; not foreign or international Depth Tireless (Adj): Having or showing great effort or energy Striving (V): Present participle form of the word “strive”, that is, make great efforts to achieve or obtain something Stretches (V): Third person singular present tense of the word “stretch”, that is, straighten or extend one’s body or a part of one’s body to its full length, typically so as to tighten one’s muscles or in order to reach something Stream (N): A small, narrow river Clear (Adj): (Of a substance) transparent; unclouded Dreary (Adj): Depressingly dull and bleak or repetitive Ever-widening (Adj): Constantly increasing in scope Freedom
- 17. 35 WHERE the mindis without fear and the head is held high; Where knowledge is free; Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls; Where words come out from the depth of truth; Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection; Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit; Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action ⎯ Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
- 18. WHERE the mindis fear and the head is held high;
- 19. Where knowledge isfree;
- 20. Where the worldhas not been broken up into fragments By narrow domestic walls;
- 21. Where words comeout from the depth of truth;
- 22. Where tireless strivingstretches its arms towards perfection;
- 23. Where the clearstream of reason has not lost its way Into the dreary desert sand of dead habits;
- 24. Where the mindis led forward by thee Into ever-widening thought and action;
- 25. Into that heavenof freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
- 26. • Poem No35, Where the Mind is Without Fear Title • Rabindranath TagoreAuthor • 11Number of Lines • 1Stanza • a yearning for an "awakened' country, one that is a heaven of freedom Central Idea of the Poem • stong patriotism, longingMood
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- 28. Heaven of Freedom citizens shouldbe free from fear of oppression and should have sense of self-dignity education should be inclusive, without restrictions; citizens should be free to acquire knowledge people should be united, not divided by prejudice, color, creed, religion citizens should be truthful where words come from the heart people should strive for perfection, leaving g behind prejudice reason should dominate the minds of the countrymen and not lost among outdated customs and traditions coutrymen should be progessive and broad-minded
- 29. Composition Writing: • Isthe Philippines a Heaven of Freedom? • What is your vision for the country? • What does a “Heaven of Freedom” means for the country, the Philippines? (thoughts on paper, can be prayer, a poem, an essay etc.)
Editor's Notes
- #10 Rabindranath Tagore was born on 7 May 1861 in Jorasanko (Tagore House), Calcutta, India. He was the fourteenth child born to Debendranath Tagore (1817-1905) and Sarada Devi (d.1875). Tagore’s grandfather Dwarkanath Tagore (1794-1846) was a social reformer and wealthy landowner. The Tagores were a progressive family, their home a hub of social activity and culture; they often hosted theatrical and musical performances in their mansion. Many of the Tagore children became respected authors, poets, musicians, and Civil Servants. Devendranath traveled widely during his career and was a proponent of the Brahma Samaj faith, a social and religious movement also known as the Bengal Renaissance; Rabindranath too would embrace its philosophy. Tagore’s childhood days were mostly confined to the family estate under the watchful eye of, sometimes abusive, servants. He rarely saw his father and his mother died when he was thirteen. After failing to flourish in the conventional school system, Rabindranath obtained his early education with tutors at home where he studied a wide array of subjects including; art, history, science, mathematics, Bengali, Sanskrit, and English, Hindu Scriptures Upanishads, Romantic poetry like that of Percy Bysshe Shelley and classical poetry, notably that of Kālidāsa (c.1st century BCE-5th Century CE).
- #11 At a very early age Tagore was writing his own poetry. Some poems were published anonymously or under his pen name “Bhanusingha” [Sun Lion], but he was soon a regular contributor to various magazines including Balaka and Bharati. His first collection Kabi Kahini [Tale of a Poet] was published in 1878. He also started writing short stories including his first: “Bhikharini”(1877) [The Beggar Woman]. Tagore would travel and lecture extensively to parts of Asia, Europe, North and South America during his lifetime—his first trip at the age of thirteen was with his father to various parts of India. Then, with the intent to become a barrister, he was off to England to attend the University College in London from 1878-1880, although he did not finish his degree. He wrote one of his most famous poems during these years: “Nirjharer Swapnabhanga” (1882) [The Fountain Awakened from its Dream]; At the age of twenty-two, on 9 December 1883, Tagore married Bhabatarini (later known as Mrinalini) Devi (1873-1902), with whom he would have five children; daughters Madhurilata (1886-1918), Rathindra (b.1888), Renuka (1890-1904), Mira (b.1892), and son Samindranath (1894-1907). In 1890 Tagore moved to the vast family estate in Shilaidaha, a region now part of Bangladesh. His wife and children joined him in 1898. He traveled by barge throughout the rural region among the Padma River’s sandy estuaries, collecting rents from the tenants and learning the villagers ways, charmed by their pastoral life working the rice fields, watching the fishermen with their nets, visiting school children, and attending feasts in his honour. He gained much inspiration from the people and the landscape and it became a prolific period of writing for him, works including Chitra: A Play in One Act (1896), Manasi (poetry, 1890) [The Ideal One], and Sonar Tari (poetry, 1894) [The Golden Boat]. The next period of Tagore’s life involved his founding of the school Shantiniketan (now known as Visva-Bharati University) in 1901, on part of the family estate lands near Bolpur, West Bengal. An experimental school, Tagore based it on the ashrama model with pioneering emphasis on learning in a harmonious and natural setting. He felt that a well-rounded education using all the five senses and not relying on memorising by rote was the better way to teach children. It is now a prestigious open air University, a universal meeting place for East and West. It claims many notable figures among its alumni including Indira Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi adopted many of it ways of teaching. When Tagore’s wife died just one year after its founding he wrote the poems in Smaran [In Memoriam]. Other works written or published during this period were; Katha O Kahini (1900) [Tales and Stories], Naivedya (poetry, 1901), Kheya (poetry, 1906), Raja (play, 1910) [The King of the Dark Chamber], Dak-ghar (1912) [The Post Office], The Crescent Moon (1913), Gitimalya (1914) [Wreath of Songs], Songs of Kabîr (1915), Stray Birds (1916), Sadhana: The Realisation of Life (1916), and Balaka (1916) [The Flight of Cranes], and the poems “Fruit-Gathering” (1916), “The Fugitive” (1921) and “The Gardener” (1915);
- #14 The original Bengali collection of 157 poems was published on August 14, 1910. The English Gitanjali or Song Offerings is a collection of 103 English poems of Tagore's own English translations of his Bengali poems first published in November 1912 by the India Society of London. It contained translations of 53 poems from the original Bengali Gitanjali, as well as 50 other poems which were from his drama Achalayatan and eight other books of poetry — mainly Gitimalya (17 poems), Naivedya (15 poems) and Kheya (11 poems) An offering of songs"; but the word for offering, anjali, has a strong devotional connotation, so the title may also be interpreted as "prayer offering of song"
- #19 In the very first line, the poet prays to the Almighty that his countrymen should be free from any fear of oppression or forced compulsion. He wishes that everyone in his country has his head held high in dignity. In other words, according to him, in a truly free country every person should be fearless and should have a sense of self dignity.
- #20 In the second line, the poet dreams of a nation where knowledge would be free. Education should not be restricted to the upper class only but everybody should be allowed to acquire knowledge. Not only that, the children should learn freely from the nature and the world around them. They should not be forced memorize some predetermined lessons. And this is Tagore’s typical concept of education.
- #21 In the next line, the poet emphasizes the unity of not only of his countrymen but also of the entire world. He thinks there should be no division among people based on their caste, creed, color, religion or other baseless superstitions. In other words, prejudices and superstitions should not divide the people in groups and break their unity.
- #22 In the next line, the poet emphasizes the unity of not only of his countrymen but also of the entire world. He thinks there should be no division among people based on their caste, creed, color, religion or other baseless superstitions. In other words, prejudices and superstitions should not divide the people in groups and break their unity.
- #23 the poet wants everyone to work hard to reach their goal, and in the long run to reach perfection. . He thinks they should not be tired by working. People should not be lazy and ignoring their work.
- #24 the poet compares ‘reason’ or logical thinking to a “clear stream’ and in the next line compares ‘dead habits’ or superstitious beliefs to a ‘dreary desert’. He wants the stream of reason not to lose its way into the desert of prejudices. In short, people’s thought should be monitored by rational thinking, not by superstition; logic should rule over old baseless beliefs.
- #25 the poet wishes his countrymen to be progressive and broad-minded. He wants that their minds are “led forward” to “ever-widening thought and action” by the Almighty. In short, we should be open-minded and do something unusual or extraordinary, overcoming the narrowness of mind.
- #26 In the final line of the poem, the poet addresses the God as ‘Father’. He asks him to awaken his country into such a ‘heaven of freedom’ where the above conditions meet.