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By all means they try to hold me secure who love me in this world. But it is otherwise with thy love which is greater than theirs, and thou keepest me free.
Lest I forget them they never venture to leave me alone. But day passes by after day and thou art not seen.
If I call not thee in my prayers, if I keep not thee in my heart, thy love for me still waits for my love.
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| Gitanjali Poem no. 32 |
Summary
Tagore talks about love in the poem and differentiates between the possessive love of human and the pure, true love of God. He says that those people in this world who love him try to hold him in their power. But God's love is greater, He loves the poet more yet He leaves him free and doesn't bound him.
The poet says that the earthly love try to bind him more and more because they fear that he shall forget them but as far as God is concerned, days and days pass and he can't be seen. And then Tagore concludes saying that God's love is such that even if he doesn't call to God in his prayers to keep the thoughts or image of God in his heart, God shall always love him, no matter what.
Critical Analysis
Tagore talks about God's spiritual love and its unrestrictive nature and compares it to the shifting kind of love of human beings which is possessive rather than self-effacing or self sacrificing. Tagore brings out the glory and greatness of God's love. Pure love should always be self-effacing but the love that men and women show to one another in this world is a selfish kind of love, a love that instead of giving rather wants to take, instead of serving rather want to be served. This love is very possessive and never gives the, loved one any freedom. On the other hand God allows full freedom and is never possessive. Unlike in human love when if the loved ceases to love the lover, the lover cries, complains and eventually ceases to love, God doesn't need such constant attention. God's love shall always be there, no matter how many days, months and years the poet forgets to love him or think about him. Tagore in this way sings the greatness of God's love.
Annotation
To hold me secure: keep him on earth. Thou keepest me free : God's greater love keeps him free from all evil. Lest I forget.... to leave me alone: the poet's human relations never leave him free or alone because they are not sure, or confident that the poet shall remember them.