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I Know thee as my God and stand apart (Song 77) by Rabindranath Tagore (Poem, Summary & Analysis)

 

I Know thee as my God and stand apart (Song 77) by Rabindranath Tagore (Poem, Summary & Analysis) 

I Know thee as my God and stand apart - I do not know thee as my own and come closer. I know thee as my father and bow before thy feet - I do not grasp thy hand as my friend's.

I stand not where thou comest down and ownest thyself as mine, there to clasp thee to my heart and take thee as my comrade.

Thou art the Brother amongst my brothers, but I heed them not, I divide not my earnings with them, thus sharing my all with thee.

In pleasure and in pain I stand not by the side of men, and thus stand by thee. I shrink to give up my life, and thus do not plunge into the great waters of life.

I Know thee as my God and stand apart - I do not know thee as my own and come closer. I know thee as my father and bow before thy feet - I do not grasp thy hand as my friend's.

 

Summary

The song is about humanity. Helping others and doing your duties brings you closer to God. God is near you in the form of your friends and family. Loving them is the same as loving God. The poet doesn’t understand that God can be found in humble, everyday people. He worships God like a father but doesn’t think of Him as a friend. He doesn’t see God as a brother, as someone who is part of our daily lives.

The poet ignores others and doesn’t share what he earns with them. When we go to God, we should do so with love, not fear. We should not feel separate from God but see Him as close, like a friend. We shouldn’t just bow before Him as a father but also hold His hand like a friend. We should see God as someone close to us, in our hearts. By standing with other people, both in happiness and in hard times, we are standing with God. We should not fear death, because death leads us to eternal life with God. After death, our soul returns to God and becomes one with Him.

 

Critical Analysis

Tagore came from a rich family, but he always believed in treating everyone with respect and equality, even the poorest people. He spoke out against the old Indian traditions that kept higher and lower classes apart. Tagore was influenced by the Brahmo Samaj, which taught that people should care for each other to find God. He believed God is with the farmer and the simple worker, not just with priests and princes. In his poems, he had mixed feelings about death—sometimes he was ready to accept it, but other times he was afraid of facing the unknown beyond life.

"I know thee as my God and stand apart - do not know thee as my own and come closer. I know thee as my father and bow before thy feet - I do not grasp thy hand as my friend's"

The poet feels sad that people fear God instead of seeing Him as a friend. The poet says we should love God like a lover, a brother, or a friend. God is in all people. He is humble like a poor person, loving like a friend, and caring like a brother. To truly love God, we must be kind to others, share their happiness and sadness, and help them. Living with love and kindness toward others is the way to love God and be close to Him.

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Location: India

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