The Time That My Journey Takes Is Long by Rabindranath Tagore (Summary)

The Time That My Journey Takes Is Long

by Rabindranath Tagore

(Summary)

Human life is a long journey. If we lead a simple and noble life, we can see the Lord Almighty. There is no need to search for him here and there. The Omnipresent Almighty can be felt through Divine music and noble living.

This is the twelfth song of Gitanjali.

The Time That My Journey Takes Is Long

The time that my journey takes is long and the way of it long.

I came out on the chariot of the first gleam of light, and pursued my voyage through the wildernesses of worlds leaving my track on many a star and planet.

It is the most distant course that comes nearest to thyself, and that training is the most intricate which leads to the utter simplicity of a tune.

The traveler has to knock at every alien door to come to his own, and one has to wander through all the outer worlds to reach the innermost shrine at the end.

My eyes strayed far and wide before I shut them and said 'Here art thou!'

The question and the cry 'Oh, where?' Melt into tears of a thousand streams and deluge the world with the blood of the assurance 'I am!'

Summary

The theme of this poem is a mystical quest for God. God can be found within oneself. The journey of the poet's soul is a long journey. The poet has started out with the first ray of the sun. while travelling through various worlds, he has left impressions on many stars and planets. Tagore, further, says, that as the musician's creation of a simple harmony is the result of a long process, the journey to the most distant place turns out to be that to the place nearest to oneself.

Tagore says, that in order to find His door, the traveler has to knock and check every stranger's door. In order to find the shrine that is within, one must travel to all the outer worlds.

The poet says, that he has looked everywhere with his eyes but finally he finds God, with closed eyes. He means to say, that man labourers hard in search of God only to find that God dwells within himself. God is the assurance, that He is present everywhere. God is everything and everywhere. The poet realizes that God is Omnipresent and Omnipotent.

Comments

The World is Too Much with Us by William Wordsworth (Poem, Summary & Analysis)

The World is Too Much with Us by William Wordsworth ( Poem, Summary & Analysis) William Wordsworth was born on 7th of April, 1770 at Cockermouth. His father was John Wordsworth and mother was Anne Cookson. He was second of the five children of his parents, the others being Richard, Dorothy, John and Christopher. He was educated at Hawkshead Grammar School and St. John College, Cambridge from where he did his B.A. in 1791. He went to France in 1791 and stayed there for a period of one year. During this time he was greatly influenced by the French Revolution which was at its peak at that time in France. He published his first volume of poems in 1793. In 1795 he got a chance to meet S.T. Coleridge and soon they became life time friends. Wordsworth along with his sister, Dorothy and S.T. Coleridge with his wife were neighbours to each other at Alfoxden and Stowey in Somerset for one year. In 1798, both the poets together published Lyrical Ballads which is consi...

To Nature by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Poem, Summary, & Analysis)

To Nature by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Poem, Summary, & Analysis) To Nature It may indeed be fantasy when I Essay to draw from all created things Deep, heartfelt, inward joy that closely clings; And trace in leaves and flowers that round me lie Lessons of love and earnest piety. So let it be; and if the wide world rings In mock of this belief, it brings Nor fear, nor grief, nor vain perplexity. So will I build my altar in the fields, And the blue sky my fretted dome shall be, And the sweet fragrance that the wild flower yields Shall be the incense I will yield to Thee, Thee only God! and thou shalt not despise Even me, the priest of this poor sacrifice. Summary The speaker begins by acknowledging that it might seem like a fantasy when he attempts to find deep, sincere, and inward joy in all created things. He tries to draw emotional and spiritual satisfaction from the natural world around him—such as leaves and flo...

Chandalika by Rabindranath Tagore (Summary & Analysis)

Chandalika by Rabindranath Tagore (Summary & Analysis) Rabindranath Tagore was a remarkable and multi-talented Indian personality who lived during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was a poet, philosopher, artist, musician, and playwright. Tagore was born in 1861 in Calcutta, India, and he came from a family of intellectuals and artists. He is widely celebrated for his contributions to literature and culture. Tagore's writing is known for its deep and insightful exploration of human emotions, nature, and spirituality. He wrote beautiful poems, stories, and songs that continue to inspire people even today. His most famous work is the poem "Gitanjali," which earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. This award made him the first non-European to receive such an honor. Beyond his writing, Tagore also played a significant role in India's struggle for independence from British rule. He used his creative talents to raise awareness about s...

Englit Guide 96

Search This Blog