Skip to main content

Thou art the sky and thou art the nest as well (Song 67) by Rabindranath Tagore (Poem, Summary & Analysis)

 

Thou art the sky and thou art the nest as well (Song 67) by Rabindranath Tagore (Poem, Summary & Analysis) 

Thou art the sky and thou art the nest as well.

O thou beautiful, there in the nest it is thy love that encloses the soul with colours and sounds and odours.

There comes the morning with the golden basket in her right hand bearing the wreath of beauty, silently to crown the earth.

And there comes the evening over the lonely meadows deserted by herds, through trackless paths, carrying cool draughts of peace in her golden pitcher from the western ocean of rest.

But there, where spreads the infinite sky for the soul to take her flight in, reigns the stainless white radiance. There is no day nor night, nor form nor colour, and never, never a word.

Thou art the sky and thou art the nest as well.  O thou beautiful, there in the nest it is thy love that encloses the soul with colours and sounds and odours.

 

Summary

God shows Himself through His creation, even in things that don’t live, like nature. The poet describes two sides of God: one is beautiful like a flower, and the other is powerful like a sword. In this poem, God also has another side, which is small and close to us. The sky represents the endless, and the nest represents the small, close part of God.

Humans are always looking for God and want to connect with Him. They don’t realize that they are already a part of God’s creation. We can never be far from God because we are a part of this world He made. But the illusion of life makes us forget this truth. We search for God, wanting to meet Him, not knowing He is already with us. Other mystics think that to connect with God, we must leave the world and its illusions behind. But the poet, Tagore, believes in the joy of life. He doesn’t reject the world around us. Instead, he says we can experience God through the beauty of the earth.

Tagore says that the earth, like a nest, is a shelter for the human soul, and God is present in this shelter. The earth, full of colors, sounds, and smells, takes care of us, just like a bird cares for its young in a nest. The morning, like a girl with a basket of flowers, brings beauty to the earth, while the evening, coming from the sea, brings peace. The poet loves and respects all of God’s creation, believing that human life is special. He is not focused on leaving the world behind but on celebrating life.

Tagore also says that God is both in the endless sky and on the earth. The human soul, like a bird, is growing in the nest of God, protected and loved. One day, when it is ready and wise, it will fly to the sky where there is no day, no night, no form, no color, and no words.

 

Critical Analysis

Tagore believes that we can become one with God's will through nature, which is not an illusion. He sees the Earth as a limited part of God, who shows Himself in many forms. One of His forms is tender and kind, caring for humans as they grow. Once people gain divine wisdom and enjoy His creation, God calls them to the sky to join His infinite form. If God represents death, He first represents life.

"But there, where the infinite sky spreads for the soul to fly, there is pure white light. It is neither day nor night, no form or color, and no words."

The poem reflects the ancient Indian belief that God and His creation are one. The world may seem like an illusion, but this illusion is still a part of God. That’s why Tagore begins the poem by saying, Thou art the sky and thou art the nest as well.

Tagore suggests that God is both infinite and finite. The sky represents God’s infinite side, and the nest represents His finite side. God is the nest where the human soul grows. He shows Himself in many things in nature, like the beauty of morning and evening. In the visible world, morning brings beauty, and evening brings cool, gentle air. But in the spiritual world, there is a different kind of light, neither day nor night, without form or color. This is pure white light, and the soul can fly freely in the infinite sky. The poem moves from the idea of the finite to the infinite.

Labels:
Location: India

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

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...
Post a Comment
Read more