The Day was When I Did not Keep.... by Rabindranath Tagore (Poem & Summary)

The Day was When I Did not Keep....

by Rabindranath Tagore

(Poem & Summary)

In this poem, Tagore woefully expresses his regret that he was not ready and remained unaware when God visited him. He is sad that he was ignorant of his spiritual longings and hopes that God has forgiven his lapse. He regrets the time lost wherein he was ignorant.

The Day was When I Did not Keep….

The day was when I did not keep myself in readiness for thee; and entering my heart unbidden even as one of the common crowd, unknown to me, my king, thou didst press the signet of eternity upon many a fleeting moment of my life.

And to-day when by chance I light upon them and see thy signature, I find they have lain scattered in the dust mixed with the memory of joys and sorrows of my trivial days forgotten.

Thou didst not turn in contempt from my childish play among dust, and the steps that I heard in my playroom are the same that are echoing from star to star.

Summary

The poet here talks with regret about his unreadiness to receive God's grace. The poet regrets the time when he did not keep himself ready for God's blessings. Then one day God entered his heart uninvited and without his knowledge, out of the common crowd and left, leaving the signs of God's presence and seals of eternity on many such insignificant moments of his life.

The poet then comes across these moments by chance and then sees that God has left his seal of eternity on them. He also finds that these moments had been lying about scattered and mixed with other trivial and insignificant memories of joys and sorrows.

The poet believes, that God did not turn away contemptuously on seeing his worldly activities and concerns and he is sure that God was near while he was a child playing in a play room and near now as he makes his journey through eternity.

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