Introduction of the Poem:
The poem No. 5 entitled “I Ask for a Moment's Indulgence” is a beautiful mystic poem of Rabindranath Tagore. In the present poem, the poet expresses his intense longing for communion with his Creator but not at the expense of his worldly commitments and duties. Here the poet blends the divine with the mundane.
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| Tagore’s Poem 5 Entitled I Ask for A Moment’s Indulgence—Summary and Critical Analysis |
While the poet is alive and conscious of his debt to his Creator, he is equally alive to his duties to the society in which he lives. The poet's devotion to God is not to turn his attention away from this world of misery but it is for the world itself. The poet is not escapist. The poet promises to perform his worldly duties after seeking and getting divine favour and inspiration.
This poem also reveals the poet's dislike of worldly activities which carry the soul apart from God. He longs for solitude and the close communication with nature, which will enable him to identify himself with God.
Some Critical Points of the Poem:
1. The poet yearns for communion with his Creator. In his enthusiasm for communion with his Creator, he does not overlook his worldly commitments and duties.
2. While praying for his Creator's company, he does not forget to promise to honour his mundane commitments.
3. In order to reinvigorate himself the poet wants to stop his worldly activities for a while and to spend his precious time in the contemplation of his Creator.
4. The poet's heart knows neither peace nor rest in the absence of the Divine, and worldly activities seem to be an unending drudgery in the immense sea of toil.
Summary of the Poem:
Stanza 1:
I ask for a moment's indulgence to sit by the side. The works that I have in hand I will finish afterwards.
Away from the sight of thy face my heart knows no rest nor respite, and my work becomes an endless toil in a shoreless sea of toil.
Explanatory Word - Meanings:
1. I ask ... side = the poet longs for union with the divine and begs for a moment's indulgence to sit by His side. 2. Ask for =to request. 3. Moment's= for a while, for a very short time. 4. Indulgence = gratification. 5. To sit by thy side = to sit near God. 6. The works ... afterwards= the poet is greatly tired of the worldly duties and joys, so he will perform his worldly duties after divine union. 7. Away ... respite= the poet's heart knows neither peace nor rest in the absence of the Divine. 8. Respite = relief, rest. 9. My work ... toil = the worldly activities seem to be an unending drudgery in the immense sea of toil. 10. Endless = infinite. 11. Shoreless = without having any shore. 12. Drudgery = toil.
Paraphrase in English:
The poet speaks of certain times and occasions in human life when the worldly activities appear to be a burden and the heart yearns after Divine union in solitary contemplation. The poet says that he will enjoy his worldly activities afterwards, but now he wants to enjoy the presence of God for some time. His heart is always yearning after Divine union, and in the absence of Divine, his work becomes an endless drudgery.
Stanza 2:
Today the summer has come at my window with its sighs and murmurs; and the bees are playing their minstrelsy at the court of the flowering grove.
Now it is time to sit quiet, face to face with thee, and to sing dedication of life in this silent and over - flowing leisure.
Explanatory Word - Meanings:
1. Today the summer ... flowering grave = beautiful scenes are found everywhere with the approach of summer. Soft breezes blow with a sighing sound and the streams flow with sweet murmurs, musical sound and the bees sing sweetly in the grove of flowering tree. 2. Sighs and murmurs = the sounds which are heard during the summer season on account of the movement of wind, water or animals, birds etc. 3. Playing their minstrelsy = rapturously singing. 4. Overflowing = abundant. 5. Leisure = spare time.
Paraphrase:
The summer has come with its pleasant scenes and sights. The atmosphere is also pleasure - giving. Soft breezes blow with a soft, sighing sound and there is the sweet music of the streams flowing with a murmuring sound. The bees sing sweetly in the grove of flowering trees. The contemplation of this beauty and glory turns the poet's thoughts to his Maker, and he yearns for divine presence. There is silence and peace in all nature. There is complete cessation of all activity. All creatures of nature are making their humble offerings of love and devotion to their Maker. Nature overflows with peace. At such a moment of peace and leisure, the poet, too, longs to dedicate his life to the service of his Maker.
Critical Analysis of the Poem:
Introduction:
The poem entitled “I Ask for a Moment's Indulgence” is a beautiful devotional mystic poem. In the present poem, the poet gives expression to the intense yearning for the company of his Master, his Creator. The poet is also conscious that mundane considerations and duties may pose problems in the fulfilment of his fervent desire for his Creator's company. In order to surmount that objection he promises that his worldly commitments will not suffer. He will fulfil all his commitments and discharge all his duties after enjoying the company of his Master. The poet also depicts the summer season which is the proper time to sit quiet, face to face with God and to sing divine song dedicating his life in its silent and overflowing leisure. The poet's devotion and humility are in evidence throughout this song. It also shows the poet's love of nature. The poet blends devotion and duty admirably and herein lies the greatness of this poet. In order to convey the state of his heart, the poet chooses effective images.
Thought - Content:
The poet longs for union with the divine. He begs for a moment's indulgence to sit by His side . He wants to defer his worldly activities for future. He is disgusted with the mundane duties of the world. His work is endless drudgery. In order to reinvigorate himself he wants to stop his worldly activities for a while and to spend his precious time in the contemplation of his Creator. The poet's heart knows neither peace nor rest in the absence of the Divine, and worldly activities seem to be an unending drudgery in the immense sea of toil . The summer has come with its pleasant breeze and songs. The bees are humming their songs in the garden full of flowers. The soft breezes blow with a sighing sound and the streams flow with sweet, murmurous, musical sound. At such a moment of universal peace and joy the poet wants to sit face to face with God and would rapturously sing songs dedicating his life to Him.
The Poet's Blending the Divine with Mundane:
While the poet is alive and conscious of his debt to his Creator, he is equally alive to his duties to the society in which he lives. He seeks his Creator's proximity, his favour, his blessings to give him the ability to perform his mundane commitments. The divine favour, the indulgence that the poet prays for is like rejuvenation so that he may perform his duties. So, the poet's devotion to God is not to turn his attention away from this world of misery but it is for the world itself. The poet is not an escapist. The poet promises to perform his worldly duties after seeking and getting divine favour and inspiration.
The Use of Images and the Beauty of Nature:
In order to convey the state of his heart, the poet has chosen a very effective image of ‘a shoreless sea of toil’ for the work or the performance of the worldly duties and commitments. The poet has presented the beautiful image of a court where the minstrels display their art of singing. Here the resplendent groves in the summer are the courts and the buzzing busy honey collecting bees are the minstrels. The beauty and charms of Nature have made the poet's yearning for meeting his Creator more keen and intense. The beauty of Nature catches the poet's attention and evokes admiration but it also whets his appetite for his Creator's presence and he longs for the communion.
Lyricism and Figure of Speech:
Tagore's lyrics in Gitanjali and other works have haunting music of their own. The repeated use of words with a vowel sound contributes to the music of his lyrics. The use of alliteration, onomatopoeia and liquid consonants enhances the musical effect of his poetry:
“Away from the sight of thy face my heart knows no rest nor respite, and my work becomes an endless toil in a shoreless sea of toil.
Today the summer has come at my window with its sighs and murmurs; and the bees are playing their minstrelsy at the court of the flowering grove.”