Charles Dickens Profile

Carolyn and I have appreciated the work of Bengali poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, painter, and social reformer Rabindranath Tagore, who reshaped Bengali literature and music, as well as Indian art, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His spiritually-inspired poetic songs and elegant prose were widely popular in the Indian subcontinent, and he was the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Tagore was also a strong advocate for Indian independence and global humanism, and his compositions, including the national anthems of India and Bangladesh, continue to inspire to this day.

Rabindranath Tagore was born in 1861 in Calcutta, Bengal. He was born into a prominent and wealthy family, and he was the youngest of 13 surviving children. Tagore’s father was an Indian philosopher and religious reformer, who was the founder of the Brahmo religion. His mother died in his early childhood, and his father traveled widely, so he was mostly raised by servants. Tagore’s family was at the forefront of the Bengal Renaissance, and they hosted the publication of literary magazines, as well as theatre and recitals of Bengali and Western classical music.

Tagore’s early years were shaped by the rich cultural environment of his family household. He was primarily educated at home, where he was exposed to classical music, literature, and the arts. Tagore’s father invited several professional musicians to stay at their house and to teach Indian classical music to the children. Tagore started writing poetry when he was eight years old. Although he attended various schools, Tagore disliked formal education and found traditional schooling restrictive, preferring instead to learn through exploration and observation of the world around him.

In 1873, Tagore accompanied his father on a journey for several months to northern India, which included a stay in the Himalayas, and this had a profound influence on him. During this period, Tagore began to write poetry more seriously, and in 1874, his first poem was published in a Bengali magazine.

Tagore began exploring different literary forms besides poetry. In 1877, he wrote his first short story, Bhikharini (The Beggar Woman), and his first drama, Valmiki Pratibha, which was based on the legend of Ratnakara, a thug who later became Sage Valmiki and composed the Hindu epic Ramayana. In 1882, he wrote Nirjharer Swapnabhanga (The Fountain Awakens from its Dream), which was a celebrated poem that marked his breakthrough into the literary world. During this period, his works reflected a blend of classical and modernist influences, and he helped to modernize Bengali literature.

In 1883, Tagore married Mrinalini Devi, with whom he would have five children. In the late 1880s, he also took over the management of his family’s estates in rural Bengal and did this for several years. This brought him into closer contact with the lives of common people, and he developed a deep connection with village life. This experience deepened his empathy with rural communities and it influenced his later works— particularly in his expressing themes of social justice and rural life— and he produced some of his most notable short stories, such as those in Galpaguchchha (A Bunch of Stories).

In 1894, Tagore wrote the collection Sonar Tari (The Golden Boat), a key work reflecting his evolving poetic style. By the end of the 1890s, Tagore’s literary reputation in Bengal had grown significantly, and he began to be recognized as a major cultural figure.

In 1901, Tagore founded a progressive school, Santiniketan, which focused on holistic, nature-centered learning, and aimed to combine traditional Indian education with Western ideas. During this period, Tagore’s literary output remained prolific, and he wrote several significant works, including Naivedya” and Kheya, which reflected his spiritual and philosophical ideas. In 1905, Tagore became actively involved in the Swadeshi movement, which opposed the British partition of Bengal.

In 1910, Tagore published Gitanjali (Song Offerings), a collection of deeply spiritual poems. Two years later, he traveled to England with his son and this collection of poems. During the long sea voyage from India to England Tagore began translating this latest selection of poems into English. Most of his work before that time had been written in his native tongue of Bengali, and he made the handwritten translations in a little notebook that he carried around with him.

When they arrived in England, Tagore’s son accidentally left his briefcase with this notebook in the London subway, and Tagore feared it was lost forever. Fortunately, an English woman turned in the briefcase and it was recovered on the next day. Tagore had one friend in England at the time, an artist that he had met in India named Rothenstein. When Rothenstein learned of Tagore’s translated poems, he asked to see them. As the story goes, Tagore was reluctant, but after much persuasion by Rothenstein, Tagore let him have the notebook, and the artist was blown away by the poems.

Rothenstein was so moved by the poetry that he contacted his friend, Irish poet, and writer William Butler Yeats, and he talked him into looking at the hand-scrawled notebook of poems. Yeats was also deeply impressed, so much so that he wrote the introduction to Gitanjali when it was published later that year in London. The poetry was an instant sensation in London literary circles, and it soon gained immense recognition and brought Tagore international acclaim.

In 1913, Tagore became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, for his collection Gitanjali, which had almost been lost in the London subway. The incident highlights the serendipitous nature of the manuscript’s survival, which went on to change Tagore’s life and bring him international fame. Tagore used his Nobel Prize money to expand his school, Santiniketan, into a full-fledged university, Visva-Bharati, reflecting his continued commitment to education. Tagore gained greater prominence as an international intellectual, and he advocated for Indian independence, cultural exchange, and global peace.

In 1915, Tagore was granted a British knighthood for his exceptional contributions to literature. However, in 1919, he renounced his British knighthood in protest of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, signaling his strong opposition to British colonial rule. During this period, Tagore traveled extensively across Europe, America, and Asia, delivering lectures and promoting his ideas on cultural exchange, humanism, and education.

In 1921, at the age of 60, Tagore took up drawing and painting, and he had successful exhibitions of his many works. He made a debut appearance in Paris, and he had showings throughout Europe. It is thought that Tagore was likely red and green color blind, and his works exhibited unusual color schemes and off-beat aesthetics. He also continued writing prolifically, producing works like Gora in 1923, and The Religion of Man in 1922, which explored themes of identity, spirituality, and universalism.

Tagore continued to travel extensively, visiting countries such as Argentina, Japan, and China, as well as more of Europe, where he met with intellectuals, artists, and political figures, further spreading his ideas on humanism, cultural unity, and education. Tagore also continued his literary work, publishing notable pieces such as Fireflies in 1928, and The Home and the World in 1916, which explored the tensions between nationalism and personal freedom. In 1930, Tagore delivered the Hibbert Lectures at Oxford University, which were later published as The Religion of Man, reflecting his evolving philosophy on spirituality and human connection.

Tagore’s spiritual perspective was deeply rooted in a belief in the unity of all existence and a divine presence that transcends religious boundaries. He viewed spirituality as an intimate, personal connection with the divine, expressed through nature, art, and human relationships. Tagore rejected dogmatic religious practices, favoring a more inclusive and universalist approach that emphasized love, compassion, and the interconnectedness of humanity. His works often explore the divine, not as a distant entity, but as an integral part of everyday life, and he advocated for a harmonious balance between the material and spiritual worlds.

Tagore also helped to bridge science and spirituality. He was one of the first people to try and combine Eastern and Western cultures, as well as ancient wisdom and modern physics. He was quite knowledgeable of Western culture and science. Tagore was a good friend of Indian physicist Satyendra Nath Bose, and he had a good grasp of contemporary physics. He was so knowledgeable that he was well able to engage in a debate with Albert Einstein in 1930 on the newly emerging principles of quantum mechanics and chaos. Tagore’s meetings and tape-recorded conversations with Einstein, and other contemporaries such as H.G. Wells, stand out as cultural landmarks.

In 1934, Tagore published Char Adhyay and Shesher Kobita, which explored themes of love, identity, and modernity. In 1937, he suffered a severe illness but recovered, continuing to write poetry, plays, and essays that reflected his philosophical and spiritual musings. Tagore also remained deeply involved in his educational institution, Visva-Bharati, and maintained his commitment to social reform, particularly advocating for rural development and education.

In 1939, Tagore became ill, but he remained active in his literary work, producing some of his most reflective and introspective poetry, which meditated on life, death, and the nature of existence. He continued to oversee the activities of his school, Visva-Bharati, which had become a prominent educational institution. In 1940, Oxford University honored him with a Doctorate of Literature in recognition of his contributions to global literature.

In 1941, at the age of 80, Tagore died in Calcutta. He left behind a vast legacy as a poet, philosopher, educator, and cultural icon whose influence extended far beyond India. He revolutionized Bengali literature and music, bringing modernism and deeply spiritual themes into his works. His progressive educational model at Visva-Bharati University remains influential. Tagore’s advocacy for cultural exchange, humanism, and Indian independence left a lasting impact on global intellectual thought. His compositions, including the national anthems of India and Bangladesh, continue to inspire, and his ideas on spirituality, social justice, and education resonate worldwide today.

There are eight Tagore museums, three in India and five in Bangladesh. Every year, many events pay tribute to Tagore. His birth anniversary is celebrated by groups across the globe. There is an annual Tagore Festival held in Urbana, Illinois. There are also walking pilgrimages in West Bengal, India, from Kolkata to Santiniketan, and recitals of his poetry, which are held on important anniversaries.

Some of the quotes that Rabindranath Tagore is known for include:

It is very simple to be happy, but it is very difficult to be simple.

I seem to have loved you in numberless forms, numberless times, in life after life, in age after age forever.

Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.

A mind all logic is like a knife all blade. It makes the hand bleed that uses it.

Let your life lightly dance on the edges of Time like dew on the tip of a leaf.

By plucking her petals you do not gather the beauty of the flower.

Music fills the infinite between two souls.

I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.

by David Jay Brown

Carolyn and I have appreciated the work of writer, speaker, poet, and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century and is considered one of America’s most influential thinkers. He was regarded as a champion of individualism and critical thought, and a critic of the societal pressures that push toward conformity. In other words, he was one of the original spokespeople for ‘doing your own thing’ and ‘thinking for yourself’.

Ralph Waldo Emerson was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1803. His father was a Unitarian minister, who passed away when he was only eight, leaving his mother to raise him and his five siblings in modest circumstances. Despite financial challenges, his childhood was marked by intellectual influence, particularly from his aunt, who encouraged his love for reading and philosophical inquiry.

Emerson attended the Boston Latin School, where he excelled academically, and in 1812, he entered Harvard College at the age of 14. During these years, he developed a deep interest in literature and writing, while also grappling with the pressure to follow in his father’s footsteps as a minister. In 1821, when he was 18, Emerson served as Class Poet, and he presented an original poem on Harvard’s Class Day, a month before his graduation. That year Emerson graduated from Harvard College and then briefly worked as a schoolteacher, although he found this occupation unfulfilling.

In 1823, Emerson entered Harvard Divinity School, following a path toward ministry. However, during this period, he began to question some of the traditional religious doctrines of his time. In 1825, he was licensed to preach, preparing for a career as a Unitarian minister. However, he wasn’t sure that he wanted to do this, due to the questions that he had about conventional theology.

In 1826, Emerson faced some health challenges, which led him to leave his ministry studies temporarily. He was ordained as a Unitarian minister in 1829, and in the same year, he married Ellen Louisa Tucker, whose death from tuberculosis in 1831 deeply affected him. This tragedy, combined with growing dissatisfaction with traditional religious practices, led Emerson to resign from the ministry in 1832. In 1833, he traveled to Europe, meeting influential thinkers like Thomas Carlyle and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, which deepened his philosophical insights. In 1835, Emerson settled in Concord, Massachusetts, and he began establishing himself as a leading voice in Transcendentalism, which he felt a strong resonance with.

Transcendentalism was a philosophical and literary movement in the early 19th century that emphasized the inherent goodness of people and nature, as well as the importance of individual intuition and spiritual experience. It rejected organized religion and materialism, advocating for self-reliance, personal freedom, and a deep connection to the natural world as pathways to understanding higher truths. Transcendentalists believe that true knowledge transcends empirical observation and can be accessed through inner reflection and communion with nature. The movement sought to challenge the conformity of society and inspire a more profound spiritual and intellectual awakening.

In 1836, Emerson published his essay Nature, which laid the foundation for Transcendentalist philosophy. In this essay, Emerson divides nature into four usages: Commodity, Beauty, Language, and Discipline. These distinctions define the ways by which humans use nature for their basic needs, their desire for delight, their communication with one another, and their understanding of the world. That same year, Emerson helped found the Transcendental Club, which gathered together like-minded thinkers.

In 1837, Emerson met poet and philosopher Henry David Thoreau. At that time, Thoreau was a young graduate from Harvard. Their initial meeting happened when Thoreau attended one of Emerson’s lectures. Impressed by Thoreau’s intellectual potential, Emerson invited him into his circle of Transcendentalist thinkers. The two became good friends as they shared common ideas about nature, individualism, and Transcendentalism. Emerson was a mentor to Thoreau, encouraging him to write and think independently. Their relationship deepened when Thoreau lived in a small cabin on Emerson’s land at Walden Pond from 1845 to 1847, during which time Thoreau wrote much of Walden. Although their friendship had occasional tensions— mainly because of differences in their philosophies— it remained a significant intellectual bond throughout their lives, and Emerson referred to Thoreau as his “best friend.”

In 1837, Emerson delivered his lecture, The American Scholar at Harvard, calling for intellectual independence, and this was hailed by Transcendentalists as America’s “intellectual Declaration of Independence.” In 1841, Emerson also published Essays and a year later Essays: Second Series, which contained some of his most famous essays, like Self-Reliance and The Over-Soul, establishing his reputation as a major American thinker and writer.

Emerson’s spiritual perspective centered on the belief that divinity resides within each individual and that spiritual truth can be accessed through personal intuition rather than organized religion. He viewed nature as a direct manifestation of the divine, advocating for a deep, personal connection with the natural world as a means to understand higher spiritual truths. Emerson rejected traditional religious dogma, emphasizing self-reliance, inner wisdom, and the unity of all creation. His spiritual philosophy, influenced by Transcendentalism, celebrated the individual’s direct experience of the divine and the idea that every person has the capacity for profound spiritual insight.

In the 1840s, Emerson had a brief venture into beekeeping. Inspired by his deep connection to nature, he decided to try beekeeping at his home in Concord. However, the experiment didn’t last long. When one of his hives was destroyed by a bear, Emerson abandoned the endeavor. Despite this, the experience reflected his hands-on approach to understanding nature, which he so often wrote about.

In 1847, Emerson traveled to Europe for a second time, delivering lectures that further enhanced his international reputation. Upon returning to the U.S. in 1850, Emerson published his work Representative Men, which profiled historical figures like Plato and Shakespeare, exploring the nature of genius. Throughout the 1850s, Emerson increasingly engaged with social and political issues. In 1855, he read and praised Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, recognizing Whitman as a powerful new voice in American literature. Whitman called Emerson his “master.”

In 1857, Emerson co-founded the literary and cultural magazine The Atlantic Monthly with some of his friends, and the magazine is published to this day during the Civil War. Emerson strongly supported the Union cause and the abolition of slavery, sometimes speaking and writing against it, although he was hesitant about lecturing on the subject due to concerns about being in the public limelight about this. In 1862, Emerson delivered a eulogy for his friend Thoreau, who died at the age of 44 of tuberculosis. In 1860, Emerson’s The Conduct of Life was published, a collection of essays addressing themes of fate, power, and wealth. In 1867, Emerson‘s health began to decline, although he remained a prominent intellectual, celebrated for his contributions to American thought and literature. Friedrich Nietzsche said that he was “the most gifted of the Americans.” In 1870, Emerson published Society and Solitude, a collection of essays that reflected his mature thoughts on personal reflection and societal roles.

In 1871 or 1872, Emerson started experiencing memory problems and he suffered from aphasia, a disorder that affects how one communicates. By the end of the decade, he sometimes forgot his name. However, if asked how he felt, he would respond, “Quite well; I have lost my mental faculties, but am perfectly well.” Despite his declining memory and mental sharpness, he remained active in public life and continued lecturing until the mid-1870s. In 1872, his house in Concord was damaged by fire, but it was quickly rebuilt with the help of friends and admirers. Around 1875, Emerson’s public appearances became less frequent due to his deteriorating health. His last significant public event was in 1878 when he attended the unveiling of a statue of The Minute Man in Concord.

In 1882, Emerson fell ill with pneumonia and he passed away that year at his home in Concord. His death marked the end of an era for American intellectual life, and he was widely mourned. Emerson was buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, near the graves of other prominent Transcendentalists.

As a pioneering philosopher, essayist, and poet, Emerson profoundly shaped American intellectual and literary culture. As a leader of the Transcendentalist movement, he championed individualism, self-reliance, and the deep connection between humans and nature, influencing generations of thinkers, writers, and social reformers. Emerson’s ideas contributed to the development of American pragmatism, environmental thought, and the rise of social movements such as abolitionism and women’s rights, and his essays remain foundational texts in American philosophy, promoting personal freedom and spiritual exploration.

Some of the quotes that Ralph Waldo Emerson is known for include:

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.

For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.

Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.

What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.

Make your own Bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet.

The earth laughs in flowers.

Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.

Life is a journey, not a destination.

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.

Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.

by David Jay Brown