Separation by Rabindranath Tagore

Separation by Rabindranath Tagore

Clouds heap upon clouds and it darkens. Ah, love, why dost thou let me wait outside at the door all alone?

In the busy moments of the noontide work I am with the crowd, but on this dark lonely day it is only for thee that I hope.

If thou showest me not thy face, if thou leavest me wholly aside, I know not how I am to pass these long, rainy hours.

I keep gazing on the far away gloom of the sky, and my heart wanders wailing with the restless wind.

INTRODUCTION -

'Separation' is one of the most famous poetic works of Gurudev, Rabindranath Tagore. It was published in his collection, Gitanjali in 1910. This poem is the 18th poem in the collection, therefore it is also known as Song 18. The poem is spoken by a lover who has been separated from his beloved. The pain of separation has made him depressed and injured. He wants to get rid of the darkness that surrounds him when he is all alone. This is possible only when he is reunited with his lover. Here the lover is no woman but God. He cries about being separated from God. His previous good spirits decline as he struggles to cope with the mundane world.

POET -

Rabindranath Tagore (7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali poet, writer, and philosopher. He is also known as The Bard of Bengal and Gurudev. He was awarded Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. Also, he was the first Non- European to be given such an honour. He was friends with the famous Irish poet, W. B. Yeats who later wrote an introduction to Tagore's Gitanjali. Rabindranath Tagore is most famous for his collection, Gitanjali which is a collection of many devotional, religious and mystic poems.

SUMMARY -

The poem begins with the speaker complaining about his problems which are heaping upon him just like clouds on a stormy day. These problems have filled his life with anxiety and darkness. He does not know what should be done. How can he ever find his way towards happiness and light in this darkness? The reason for these sufferings is that he has been left lonely outside the door of his lover's place. Here, the lover is no other than God Himself. The speaker wants to reach God and grow close to Him. But he is not allowed inside God's place i.e. heaven.

The speaker again says that as he is living in this earthly world, his days are spent along with humans, men, and women who are busy doing works for this mundane world and these works lack all morals. They accompany the speaker when his days are good and he is happy. But when the problems enter the speaker's life like darkness, they leave him alone to fend for himself. The speaker also understands this and so prays to God as He is the only one who can stand by him.

Next, the speaker says that even though the whole world has left him alone, he still hopes that God will always be by his side. However, if God disowns him and refuses to help him, he does not know how he will face these sufferings and pains. The hope that God is with him gives him the courage to face all obstacles. But if he is left alone, he won't be able to survive. So, he requests God to let him in through the doors.

The speaker's cries are however not answered by God which leaves him heartbroken and bewildered. He stares towards the far end of the sky and the horizon with eyes full of distress and tears. His heart breaks with the afflictions and misery and a piercing wail is heard which matches the sound of the wind. This reaction shows that the speaker is too far from God and they will never be reunited again.

THEME -

• Need for God - The speaker throughout the poem describes how he is far away from God. This detachment has caused him extreme pain and misery. He however hopes that God will again accept him under his rule and will save him from this pain. The poet also speaks about how he is left all alone in this time of need and only hopes for God to be his companion.

END -

The poem is a devotional poem. The poet treats God as his lover. He understands the power of God and is eager to be under his command. The poem, just like the others can be considered a jewel of Tagore's creation with its powerful words and emotions.