Reviews - The Gitanjali (English): The Nobel prize Winner Book for Literature

137 reviews for:

The Gitanjali (English): The Nobel prize Winner Book for Literature

Before reading Gitanjali I firmly believed that translations don't have the same tone and depth of the original text, but that changed after I read this. Gitanjali is a small but sprawling book about devotion, love, despair, and about Life of the ordinary. These things are so well thought of and written that one would forgive the fact that there is no rhythm or rhyme in Tagore's Poetry. (Of course, that's an another class of poetry onto itself, but I always enjoyed the rhythmic superiority traditional poetry more.)

In Gitanjali, Tagore implores for the arrival, presence, and acceptance of his Lord. He needs these things for all of his time, in life, in death, and also whatever comes after that. He craves the love of his Lord, but he does in vain; He loves none but his Lord; He sings and writes for his Lord. What one might find astonishing his utter and uninterrupted devotion to his Lord. Tagore devotion seems s powerful that the reader is easily convinced that his devotion extends beyond his writings, well into and, as he believed, past his Life.

There are also Poems that reflect on provincial, Royal, and criminal life. Even through these poems, Tagore searches for the only thing he desires, the king of kings, his Lord. One might think that this recurring theme might get monotonous, but Tagore impeccable mastery of writing leaves this volume in the company of the immaculate works of poetry.

One of the other merits of Gitanjali is how easily it can be interpreted and understood. Unlike traditional Poetry, Gitanjali takes most its material from nature and Life and conveys it in the most explicit way. Tagore writes about the skies and seas, all the while providing the reader with a moral one finds in a simple fable. Like I wrote, this is small but sprawling volume about pure art.

ashfrxns's review against another edition

3.0

achei muito religioso, muito chato. com certeza eu não sou o público desse livro, mas deixo q recomendação pra quem for.

shriya_vn's review against another edition

4.25

inspiring mysterious reflective

staycee_franklyn's review against another edition

3.0

I read this for my Topics in World Literature class. Very interesting to see a devotional experience from a author outside of the Western culture. The poems felt familiar, like the Psalms, yet different.