When the warriors came out first from their master's hall (song 85) by Rabindranath Tagore (poem, summary & analysis)

 

When the warriors came out first from their master's hall (song 85) by Rabindranath Tagore (poem, summary & analysis) 

When the warriors came out first from their master's hall, where had they hid their power? Where were their armour and their arms?

They looked poor and helpless, and the arrows were showered upon them on the day they came out from their master's hall.

When the warriors marched back again to their master's hall where did they hide their power?

They had dropped the sword and dropped the bow and the arrow; peace was on their foreheads, and they had left the fruits of their life behind them on the day they marched back again to their master's hall.

When the warriors came out first from their master's hall, where had they hid their power? Where were their armour and their arms?

 

Summary

Life on earth is short and full of struggles. Eternal peace lasts forever and is found in God's home, far from earth. The "warriors" are people who are believed to come from God's place, the Master's hall. This lyric talks about the true origin of humans. The poet says that when they come to earth, they seem weak and powerless. The style of the poem is simple and casual, like in John Donne's poem where he says:

"Where were their armour and their arms?"

The poet says the earth is like a battlefield, and people are like warriors. As soon as someone enters this battlefield, their struggles begin. They have weapons but no strength to protect themselves from the many problems in life, like sadness, suffering, dangers, and difficulties. When their life on earth ends, they return to their master's hall, which is heaven, with peace on their faces. They leave behind all the worldly wealth they worked hard to earn.

 

Critical Analysis

The poem uses symbols to tell a story. Heaven is like the Master's house, humans are like warriors, and the arrows are the pains and struggles people face. As people go through these struggles, they become tired and weak. They work hard to earn money and things, but when they hear the Master's call, they leave everything behind with a calm face and heart. The poem shows that worldly wealth doesn't matter in the end. We should not be afraid of death. Death brings the loved ones to God, and it is the peaceful end of life.