Critical appreciation of Light, oh where is the light? Song 27 Gitanjali 27

Critical Appreciation: "Light, Oh Where is the Light?"

The poem "Light, oh where is the light?" is a deeply spiritual song from Rabindranath Tagore’s Nobel Prize-winning collection, Gitanjali. It expresses the intense agony of a human soul that is separated from God. The poet finds himself in total darkness and desperately searches for divine light to guide him. The central theme of the poem is spiritual longing, known in Indian tradition as "Viraha." The poet feels that his life is incomplete without God’s presence. He compares his body to a lamp that exists but has no flame. A lamp without a flame is useless, just as a life without faith is meaningless. The poet even says that death would be better than living such an empty and godless existence.

The imagery in the poem is very powerful and sets a mood of gloom and urgency. The setting is a stormy night with thunder, screaming wind, and ceaseless rain. This external storm reflects the internal turmoil and confusion within the poet's mind. The darkness is described as being as black as a "black stone," which symbolizes the hardness of ignorance that blocks the light of knowledge. However, the poet introduces a unique idea about suffering. He says that misery is not a punishment but a messenger. Misery knocks at his door to tell him that his Lord is awake. The pain he feels is actually God calling him to a love-tryst or a secret meeting in the darkness. This suggests that God often uses suffering to wake us up from our spiritual sleep.

In the conclusion of the poem, the poet realizes the solution to his darkness. He understands that he cannot simply wait for the light to appear from the outside. The flashes of lightning only make the darkness feel deeper afterward. Therefore, the poet decides to take action. He declares that he must kindle the lamp of love with his own life. This means that true enlightenment requires total self-surrender. One must burn their own ego and selfish desires to create the divine light. The poem ends with a powerful message that spiritual union with God requires personal sacrifice and the burning fire of devotion.