Critical Appreciation & Summary of When my play was with thee

Critical Appreciation & Summary

"When my play was with thee" by Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore’s poem "When my play was with thee" is a deeply moving spiritual song from his Nobel Prize-winning collection, Gitanjali (Song 97). The poem beautifully describes the poet's spiritual journey and his evolving relationship with God. It illustrates how a human being first experiences the Divine with childlike innocence and later awakens to realize God's supreme power and awe-inspiring majesty. The central theme of the poem is the transition of the soul from innocent familiarity to ultimate reverence.

In the beginning of the poem, the poet treats God simply as a close friend or a playmate. He recalls that during his early days of spiritual ignorance, he never bothered to question who God really was. Because they were like friends playing together, there was no fear, no shyness, and no formal distance between them. Their relationship was boisterous, full of noise, joy, and life. God would gently wake him up in the early morning like a loving comrade and lead him running happily through the beautiful forests and natural glades.

During those days of innocent childhood, the poet did not try to analyze or understand the deep, philosophical meanings behind the universe or God's creation. When God sang the mystical songs of nature and life to him, the poet just enjoyed the music without seeking its hidden meaning. His voice naturally followed the divine tunes, and his heart danced joyfully to the rhythm. He was completely carefree, living purely in the moment without any complex spiritual burdens.

However, this beautiful phase of innocent playtime eventually comes to an end. As the poet grows in spiritual maturity, he realizes that the "playtime is over." Suddenly, his inner eyes are opened, and he experiences a grand spiritual awakening. He is entirely shocked by a breathtaking new vision that appears before him. The casual, playful relationship completely vanishes, and it is replaced by a profound and overwhelming realization of the truth.

In the brilliant conclusion of the poem, the poet finally sees God in His true, Supreme, and Universal form. He realizes with a shock that his simple, everyday playmate is actually the Almighty Creator of the entire universe. He witnesses the entire world, along with the infinite and silent stars of the cosmos, bowing down in deep reverence at the feet of the Divine. The poem perfectly captures the emotional and spiritual shift from a joyful, careless friendship to a state of ultimate devotion, wonder, and absolute awe.