3.1 TAGORE'S "ENGLAND"

Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore was born in Kolkata (May 7, 1861). He was a Bengali poet, author, composer, philosopher and also a painter.

He was the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, in the year 1913.

Tagore started writing poetry at a tender age of eight, and when he was sixteen, he published his first poetry collection.

His interests included both personal and political topics.

He has written novels, essays, short stories, travelogues, dramas, and thousands of songs.

His most famous works include Gitanjali, Gora and Ghare-Bhaire, Mansi.

His compositions have been declared as the National Anthem of India (Jana Gana Mana song) and Bangladesh (Amar Shonar Bangla song).

His famous English poetry includes The Fugitive, Fruit-Gathering and The Gardener.

He has written numerous volumes of novels, short stories, musical dramas, dance dramas, essays, autobiography.

He also had a huge collection of paintings, which he made for his poetry.

Tagore did not have the best of health in his last few years.

The last five years that he lived, he sustained chronic pain and lost consciousness in the year 1937.

He remained in coma stage for some days, which again repeated in 1940, after which he passed on in 1941.

Even if he is not around today, his works continue to inspire millions of people around the globe.

3.1.1 INTRODUCTION

Rabindranath Tagore was born on 6th May 1861, on the same day Motilal Nehru (Nehru's father) was also born-a singular co-incidence.

Though Tagore is the most outstanding name in modern Bengali Literature, he belongs to Indo-Anglian literature too.

He gained a place for modern India on the world literary scene. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature for his collection of poems called "Gitanjali."

He left behind him a great institution, the Visvabharathi at Shantiniketan.

He was a poet, dramatist, actor, producer, musician, painter, an educationist, a reformer, philosopher, prophet, novelist, a short story writer and a prose writer.

The prescribed extract is taken from his “Remininiscences.”

The essay describes his experience in England when he was only seventeen years old.

The memory pictures are presented casually but they connect a history of his inner life.

3.1.2

SUMMARY

Tagore, a Young Bravado Rabindranath Tagore spent six months in Ahmedabad before he left for England.

He wrote letters about his journey to his relatives and to the Bengal Journal "Bharati."

Tagore forgot what he wrote in his letters.

Tagore was only seventeen at the time.

The greatest pride of mind lies in its power to understand things, to accept facts and to respect what is great.

Modesty and humility are the means of enlarging the mind.

At the age of seventeen, Tagore's mind refused to admit those facts.

To the young mind admiration and praise were the signs of weakness and surrender.

The articles that he wrote to the "Bharathi” were the result of his strong desire to discredit others with his fiery argument.

Tagore wanted to establish his superiority over others and so his censures of those writers lacked straightness and common courtesy.

His love for Nature and Children Tagore's association with the outside world was little.

So his life in England would have been miserable but for the presence of his sister in-law in Brighton.

Winter season was not far off.

One day when Tagore and his relatives were chatting, they were informed that it was snowing.

The author could see the sky filled with moonlight, and the earth covered with whites now.

It was also bitingly cold. Such a sight was unfamiliar to him.

The near places seemed as far off places and Tagore was steeped in deep meditation.

When he stepped out of the door, the charm of immense beauty of Nature was a sudden revelation to him.

Tagore spent his days happily under the affectionate care of his sister-in-law and in the boisterous rompings with the children.

He would whole-hcartedly join them in their Sames, and the children were greatly pleased and amused at his strange English pronunciation.

He could not explain to them that there were no logical means of distinguishing between the sound of 'a' in warm and in worm. The caprices of English spelling were responsible for the ridicule he had to bear in England.

To escape from the ridicules of the children, he invented new methods of amusing the children.

His new ways helped him in time of needs but in course of time he felt his capacity for new methods was decreasing.

He had the opportunity of unlocking his heart to the children.

This unlocking of his heart to the children, had the freshness and exuberance of a first gift.

Tagore at Brighton School He undertook the journey to England not to find a permanent stay but to study law and turn a barrister.

So he was put into a public school in Brighton.

The Headmaster of the school, after scanning his features remarked that he had a splendid head.

His sister-in-law had made him believe that he was not handsome.

She deliberately tried to keep in check vanity, especially in literary matters under check. He wants readers to count it to his credit that he implicitly believed her.

So he deplored God's stinginess in not making him physically attractive.

The English estimate of his features was different from the estimate of his sister-in-law at home.

So he worried his mind over the divergence of the taste between India and England.

What was one thing that seemed wonderful in the Brighton school was that the boys were kind and thrust oranges and apples into his pockets.

Tagore ascribed this unusual behaviour of the boys to his being a foreigner. Tagore in a Lodging House Tagore did not continue in the Brighton School for long.

Mr. Tarak Palit, (the friend of Tagore's brother) persuaded the author's brother to take him to London and leave him there in a lodging-house.

The lodging selected faced the Regent's park. It was winter season.

The row of trees, with their thin snow-covered branches stood staring at the sky.

There were no leaves on the trees. Such a sight chilled his very bones.

For a stranger, London is a cruel place in winter.

Neither he had acquainted persons nor could he move about in the new place. Sitting alone in his room, he was reminded of his childhood days in Calcutta. Through the window, he could see the turbid sky, the light lacking luster, and the horizon that shrunk upon itself.

The sight that presented itself through the window was desolate and dreary.

His room was not well furnished, but there was a harmonium which he used to play during night hours.

Indians, slightly acquainted to him would come to see him.

When, even the slightly acquainted took leave of him.

Tagore felt like engaging them in conversation for some more time.

Tagore felt home sick when he was in London.

Tagore with his Tutor A lean man with his worn-out dress came to teach him Latin.

The gaunt figure of the man might be compared to the naked trees and he gaunt figure) could withstand the grip of winter.

Tagore does not know the age of the man but he (the man) appeared older than his years.

While teaching, he would be at a loss for a word.

He was considered a crank at home.

He had become possessed of a theory. His theory was that one dominant idea manifested in every society in all parts of the world.

The idea may take different shapes under degrees of civilization but the theory is at bottom, one and the same.

The new theory is not taken from one by another because the truth holds good even where there is no conversation among persons.

His mind was obsessed with the idea of gathering and recording of ideas of facts to prove his theory.

His family was in poverty.

His daughters had no respect for his theory and they were upbraiding him for his infatuation.

When Tagore could see in his face that a new idea has struck in his mind, Tagore would begin the discussion on the subject.

When he was in gloomy mood, he refused discussion on Latin Grammar.

The author felt keenly for the Latin teacher and learning Latin was only a pretence but yet author could not get rid of him as long as he was at the lodging.

When the author offered to settle the dues of his Latin tutor, he refused to accept the payment for he did nothing and only wasted the author's time.

Only with great difficulty the author got his Latin tutor to take his fees.

The Latin tutor was convinced of his theory that the minds of men are connected by deep-lying continuous medium.

Any news is secretly communicated to the other. Mr. Barker and his wife Then Tagore was put under the care of one Mr. Barker who prepared students for their examinations. There was nothing attractive about the house Mr. Barker could find pupils because pupils had no chance of making their own choice. It was painful to think of Mrs. Barker who tried to console herself with a pet dog.

When Mr. Barker wanted to punish his wife he tortured the dog and this led to the enlargement of her sensibility for the dog.

His Poetic Instincts His sister-in-law sent for him from Torquay in Devonshire.

Tagore was too glad to run off to her. Tagore's joy knew no bounds to see the hills there, the sea, the flower-covered meadows, the shade of the pine trees and the children of his sister-in-law. His eyes were surfeited with beauty and his mind was saturated with joy but there was no call of poetry to him. To fulfill his poet's destiny, he sallied forth along the rocky shore. The place he selected was of undoubted beauty. There was a bit of rock reaching out over waters; the sunny sky slept to its lullaby, the pine trees spread their shadows. It is here that Tagore composed his poem 56 "Magnatari" (The Sunken Boat). The author humorously states that had he sunk it into the sea, he would call it a good poem. But the poem does exist, though it is not published. The possibility of its publication was not completely ruled out. Tagore's Admiration for Mrs. Scott's Family Tagore was called back to London and this time he found refuge in the house of Dr Scott. The two young daughters of Dr. Scott had gone off their relative's house as they were afraid of Tagore. They turned up to their home only when they learnt that Tagore was a man of noble qualities. Tagore received heartfelt kindness from all the members of the family of Mrs. Scott who treated him as her son.

Indians believe that an English wife is not devoted to her husband as an Indian wife is. What struck the author in Mrs. Scott's house in London was that human nature is the same everywhere.

Mrs. Scott was typical of an Indian wife and was devoted to her husband.

She would arrange her husband's arm-chair and woolen slippers before the fire with her own hands.

With the help of her only maid, she would scrub and polish attics, kitchen, the brass rods on the stairs and the doorknobs and fittings.

Apart from all the domestic routine, she had to attend not only to many calls of social duty but she also would join with enthusiasm in the evening readings and music of the family.

Participation in the evening readings and music of he family is one of the important duties of a good housewife.

Mrs. Scott would never forget what her husband liked and the behaviour, which pleased him.

She attended to every detail of her husbands wants herself.

The qualities of Mrs. Scott Tagore would join the girls of the family in table-turning seance.

Mrs. Scott did not like this because she had her doubts about things that began to quake and quiver, when they were touched.

When they put their hands on Dr. Scott's chimney-pot to make it turn, Mrs. Scott got angry and prevented them for touching it.

Like a Christian, Mrs. Scott thought that it was the work of the devil. Tagore admires her-self abnegation and her reverence for her husband.

Her self-sacrifice and love make the author generalise woman's love that grows into worship, if it's development is not hampered by extraneous matters.

In the midst of luxury and its accessories, this love is degraded and a women's nature does not find the joy of its perfection.

After spending some months there.

Tagore was delighted at the prospect of returning home with his brother.

When he took leave of Mrs. Scott, she wept and said "Why did you come to us, if you must go so soon”. By the time some members of Doctor's family had gone to the celestial world and others were scattered in places unknown to the author.

But his stay at the Doctor's house would ever be green in his memory.

Honesty of Londoners Tagore admires the honesty of Londoners.

When Tagore was passing through a street in Tunbridge Wells, a poor man with shabby dress partly covering his body and decadent shoes, looked at the force of the author as if he needed some help.

Begging was forbidden in London and so he asked nothing. Tagore gave him a coin but the man turned up to return it saying that the author, by mistake gave him a gold piece. He had a number of similar experiences in London.

In the Torquay railway station, he gave the porter half-a-crown as he had no small change in his purse.

As the cab started, the porter came running after it.

The author thought that he came to demand something more but the porter thought that the half-a- crown was too much for him.

So he said that the author might have mistaken half- a-crown for a penny.

Tagore is also aware of the other side of the coin of life in London.

Sometimes he was cheated in England but he had nothing specific in his remembrance.

He believed in the in the principle that those who are trust-worthy know how to trust others. Had he wished, he could have evaded payment of rupees to the shop keepers never mistrusted him.

Tagore rendered one English song into an Indian Rage Tagore was acquainted with the widow of some departed Englishman.

She called the author by the pet name Ruby. An Indian friend of the widow, composed an elegy over death of her husband. The composer indicated that the elegy was to be chanted to the mode of "Behaga."

The author accepted to sing the doleful poem.

Tagore also realised the ridiculous way in which the "Behaga" combined with the absurd verses.

Tagore had a horrible experience of rendering the English song into an Indian raga and sung it.

To him it was a ridiculous performance.

But the widow was touched to hear the Indian's doleful poem for her husband, sang to its native melody.

She would ask Tagore to sing the “Behaga" in social gatherings and others in the gatherings made their requests.

The author calls the sang a fateful composition.

At the sight of the poem his ears would begin to redden and tingle.

Though it was doleful song, the singing of it made one sorrowful.

The audience thanked the singer profusely but they had to suppress their laughter not only out of respect for the widow but also because they did not want to offend the singer.

Singing the mournful song was punishment and a blow to the author because he made a laughing stock of himself by singing the English song of lamentation to the "Behaga" mode.

Tagore lost touch with the widow when he was attending lectures at the University College.

But he frequently received letters from her inviting him to her suburban locality.

The fear of singing the mournful song kept him from accepting the invitation.

He received a pressing telegram from her and his stay in England was also coming to its close, so he decided to meet her before he left England.

Tagore's Train Travel The author went straight to the railway station and the station he was bound for was the terminus of the line.

It was a horrible day, bitterly cold, snowing and foggy.

Tagore had seated himself comfortably reading a book.

The passengers got down at their destinations.

Then when the train stopped again there was no body seen nor any lights on platform.

But the author went on reading his book.

When the train moved backwards, Tagore criticised the railway for its eccentricity.

It was actually a shuttle train and it came right back to the previous station.

He was informed that there were no other trains for him to reach his destination and there were no inn for his stay within five miles.

He had his breakfast at ten in the morning and had nothing else since. He had to console himself and concentrate his attention on Herbert Spencer's Data of Ethics.

Tagore was cheered up by the news of the porter that a special train was running and it would reach the station in half an hour.

Cold Behaviour of the Widow When he reached the house of his hostess, it was nine.

He should have been there by seven.

His hostess asked him "what have you been doing with yourself?".

Tagore had to give an account of his wonderful adventures.

Dinner was over, his misfortunes was hardly his fault and he did not expect any punishment from hostess. But the punishment came when the widow offered him only a cup of tea when Tagore was extremely hungry.

He was never a tea drinker but he managed to swallow a cup of strong decoction so that it might be of some assistance to lesson his consuming hunger.

Tagore's Agony in the House of the Widow The hostess invited him for a dance.

Tagore was not in a mood and his bodily condition was not ready for such an exercise.

The dance was mainly for the benefit of engaged couple but the author had to dance with the ladies of advanced age.

All the time he felt hungry.

Tagore sarcastically comments that hospitality was not lacking in her because she aided him in finding inn for his stay. He made enquiries for food, flesh fish, or vegetable hot or cold, anything. But he was told that he could get any drinks but nothing to eat. Then he looked to slumber for forgetfulness. The next morning the hostess sent for him only to provide him with the remains of the previous night's dinner.

Had she offered a portion of this the previous night, that would have hurt none. Had she done it, the agony of dancing also would have been less.

The Widow is not an example of English hospitality The Anglo Indian widow informed the author that the lady for whose enjoyment he (Tagore) was invited to sing was ill in bed.

The author humorously and also irritatingly recalls his pathetic condition when he had to sing to the closed

59 doors. Tagore did not hear anything for the invalid", the lady in closed doors.

After his return to London he had to do penitence for the sin he had committed in showing deference to an eccentric woman.

The author believes that she is not a typical example of English hospitality.

Dr. Scott's girls attributed her inhospitable way to her residence in India and they tried to redeem the fair name of English hospitality

3.1.3

ANNOTATIONS

1. She could not bear the idea of Satan having anything to do even for a moment, with her husband's head wear.

(Page 7: 1123-25)

When Tagore speaks of his experience in London in his essay "England", he refers to a table turning séances, a spiritual investigation, in which sometimes he joined the girls. Mrs. Scott had her own doubts about the séance.

Mrs. Scott did not like the séance because she was ceptical about things that began to shake or vibrate when they were touched.

When they put their hands on Dr. Scott's Chimney-pot to make it turn.

Mrs. Scott considered it to be the work of a devil.

So she prevented people from touching it.

Mrs. Scott's self-abnegation and her reverence for her husband are revealed.

Her self-sacrifice and love make the author generalise women's love that grow into worships.

To Tagore Mrs. Scott is not different from an ideal Indian wife. The given passage reveals her love for her husband.

She is typical of an Indian wife.

The country in which women live might be different but there is not much difference in their attitude, temper and love for their husbands.

2.

"It was the effect of India's salt they protested", (Page 13:II 1-3) In the concluding passage of his easy "England", Tagore refers to the inhospitable behaviour of an Anglo-Indian widow.

Dr. Scott's girls attributed her in hospitable way to her stay in India.

The Anglo-Indian widow offered only a cup of tea to the hungry Tagore, when he reached her house.

But the next morning she served him the remnants of last night's dinner. After breakfast, the widow informed him that the lady for whose enjoyment he was invited was ill in bed.

Tagore had to serenade her from her bed room.

Standing on the staircase, Tagore gave voice to 'Behaga' dirge.

The author received no response from the lady.

On reaching London, Tagore had to suffer the punishment for the mistake he committed in showing deference to an eccentric woman.

Dr. Scott's girls attributed the eccentric behaviour of the widow to her stay in India.

Like the girls of Dr. Scott, Tagore also seems to believe that the widow is not a typical example of English hospitality.

Her cold behaviour was due to the influence of India, during her stay in India.

3.

"I had done nothing, and only wasted your time, I cannot accept any payment from you"

(Page:5, II:1-2) Tagore admires the gentlemanly behaviour of Englishmen.

They are straight forwarded and honest.

In the given passage he is all praise for the Latin tutor who refused to accept fees for teaching Latin to Tagore.

When Tagore was in the Lodging-house; a Latin tutor came forward to teach him Latin.

At home his people considered him at eccentric.

In the course of teaching, sometimes he would be at loss for words.

He had his pet theory but his daughters were scolding him for his infatuation.

Whenever he was in mood, Tagore held discussions with his tutor on the subject.

But Tagore states that his learning Latin was only a pretence and that continued as long as the autho was in the Lodgings.

When Tagore vacated the Lodgings, he offered to settle his dues with the Latin tutor.

The tutor was typical English man and refused to accept any payment for his teaching Latin.

The Latin tutor was conscious that he wasted much of the time of the author.

He stated that he did nothing.

Tagore forced him to accept the payment Tagore was impressed by the honesty of Englishmen.

The Latin tutor was in poverty and yet was not enamoured of money.

Passages for Annotation

1. "I implicitly believed her and inwardly deployed the parsimony of the creator in the matter of my making."

(Page 3. II 2-4)

2. Who would have predicted at my birth or at his death what a severe below would be the demise the estimable Anglo-Indian. (Page: 9, 11 32-34)

3. Of what happened to the invalid as a result I have yet received no news (Page: 12, II: 32-33)

3.1.4 GLOSSARY

Bharati - the Bengali journal started by one of Tagore's brother Brighton a sea-side resort in East Sussex, England prevailed upon persuaded turbid not clear half-a-crown - A crown is a British coin worth with five shillings.

Half-a- crown was too big a sum to be paid to the porter In a great state - very angry of mind scroggy delectation Lean and skinny enjoyment

3.1.5 INTEXT QUESTIONS

a) What description does Tagore give of nature that he saw on his arrival in England?

b) What were his experiences at the public school at Brighton? c) Give a portrait of his Latin tutor in London. d) How does Tagore describe Mrs. Scott the ideal wife?

3.1.6 ASSIGNMENTS

e) Tell the story of Tagore's friendship with the widow of the Anglo-Indian Officer

1) What are the examples of the honesty of the English people that Tagore gives?