The Journey by Rabindranath Tagore emphasizes the
spiritual journey. The poem describes the human journey of
life. The poet tried to add positivity by telling the nature’s
connection with human, which we ignore in our fast pace of
life.
The poet starts a venture with his fellow beings and haste to
reach the destination but on the way, he tries to relax by
resting his body on the mother earth. But, to his surprise, he
notices none other needs rest as all were worried to reach
the destination.
The poet couldn’t accompany them as he is not having the
same level of energy and rather he wants to enjoy his
journey and move peacefully. During the whole journey, he
feels he is towing some kind of weight which he dislikes at
some corner of his heart.
Later, he realized it was a mere dream not the reality. Thus,
realizes the essence of life’s journey is to realize the inner
spiritual growth rather moving in haste towards an unknown
destination.
first Movement: Beautiful Morning Landscape
In the first movement, the speaker describes the beautiful
morning landscape that surrounds him and his fellow
travelers as they set out on their trek. The first line features
an exquisite metaphor; the early "silence" is compared to a
sea that breaks into "ripples of bird songs."
As the birds are singing, the flowers by the pathway appear
to be "all merry." The sky spreads out a golden glow that is
"scattered through the rift of the clouds." The speaker then
asserts that he and his fellow travelers are in a hurry to
begin their hike, and they therefore do not notice nor
appreciate the beauty that has already welcomed them.
Second Movement: Deadly Somber
We sang no glad songs nor played;
we went not to the village for barter;
we spoke not a word nor smiled;
we lingered not on the way.
We quickened our pace more and more as the time sped by.
The speaker then declares that he and his companions are
quite serious in their travel experience; thus, "[w]e sang no
glad songs nor played." They did not even bother to visit
anymore, nor did they go, "to the village for barter." They
were so deadly somber that they did not even bother to
speak or smile. They did not dawdle anywhere. They were in
such a great hurry that they "quickened [their] pace more
and more as the time sped by."
Third Movement: Taking a Breather
T
By noon, the speaker is paying attention to the position of
the sun, and he notes that doves are "coo[ing] in the shade."
He notices that a shepherd boy is reclining in the shade of a
tree. With the sun so hot and the doves and shepherd boy
partaking of a relief from action, the speaker decides to stop
his own trek; thus, he "laid [him]self down by the water / and
stretched [his] tired limbs on the grass."
Fourth Movement: Suffering Ridicule
The speaker's travelmates taunt him for desiring to rest, and
they continue on with their journey: "they held their heads
high and hurried on; / they never looked back nor rested; /
they vanished in the distant blue haze." The speaker,
nevertheless, keeps his position with the intention of
enjoying his rest as the others continue with their rushed
pace.
Fifth Movement: Continuing To Be Lazy
The speaker observes that his fellows are continuing to
march over "meadows and hills,"—not being lazy as he was.
The speaker's fellow travelers continue to move "through
strange, far-away countries." He gives them kudos for their
venturesome nature, and he admits that he had experienced
some guilt for remaining in leisure and not accompanying
them, but he just could not spur himself on to continue on
that particular journey.
Sixth Movement: Ambiguity
The speaker then testifies that he has ambiguous feelings:
on the one hand, he feels "lost" because he is not with the
crowd; but on the other hand, his possesses a "glad
humiliation," and he feels that he must be standing "in the
shadow of a dim delight."
Seventh Movement: Reconsidering Reason for the Trek
As the speaker continues to lounge about, he notices that
sunset is "spread[ing] over his heart," unveiling for a second
time his feelings of ambiguity: the gloom is "sun-
embroidered," similar to the expression, "every cloud has a
silver lining."
The loafing speaker then confesses that he can no longer
even recall why he set out on this trek in the first place, so
he just lets himself go, no longer combating his true
leanings any longer. He permits his mind and heart to go
musing through, "the maze of shadows and songs."
Eighth Movement: Approaching the Door of the Divine
At last, the speaker is awakened from his ambiguous stupor,
and he realizes that he has found what he was looking for.
He had feared that "the path was long and wearisome / and
the struggle to reach [the Divine Beloved] was hard."
But in the end, he has finally discovered that all he had to do
was allow his inner self to approach the door of the Divine
Beloved. All extraneous journeys become unnecessary in
that exalted environment.
Rabindranath Tagore’s Poem ‘The
Journey’-An Analytical Study
“The Journey” by Rabindranath Tagore is a reflective poem that explores the
experiences and emotions encountered on a journey. The poem takes the reader on
a metaphorical journey, delving into the experiences and emotions encountered
along the way. The poem captures the various stages of the journey and the
transformative impact it has on the speaker.
At the beginning of the journey, the scene is set with the morning sea of silence
breaking into ripples of bird songs, and the flowers by the roadside expressing their
merriment. The wealth of gold scattered through the clouds signifies the beauty
and abundance of the world around. However, the speaker and their companions
remain oblivious and focused on their path, paying no heed to these enchanting
surroundings.
As the journey progresses, the imagery of the sun rising to the mid-sky, withered
leaves dancing in the hot air, and the shepherd boy drowsing under a banyan tree
creates a sense of time passing and a weariness setting in. The speaker, feeling
tired, rests by the water and surrenders their mind to the shadows and songs of the
surroundings.
While the speaker takes this respite, their companions continue on the journey,
crossing meadows, hills, and distant lands. The speaker acknowledges their heroic
spirit but feels a sense of detachment from their hurry and determination. The
mockery and reproach of their companions fail to elicit a response from the
speaker, as they have given themselves up to a state of peaceful surrender and
delight.
In a moment of awakening, the speaker opens their eyes to see someone standing
by them, flooding their sleep with a smile. It is implied that this person represents
the destination or purpose of the journey. The speaker reflects on their initial fears
about the length and difficulty of the path, realizing that the struggle to reach this
point was not as arduous as anticipated.
To sum up, “The Journey” explores the transformative nature of a journey, both
external and internal. The poem delves into the sights, sensations, and emotions
experienced along the way, highlighting the moments of rest, surrender, and self-
discovery. It conveys a sense of the unexpected and the realization that the
destination might be closer and more fulfilling than initially perceived. 0 0 0
