Rabindranath Tagore : Poetry : Arrival
A Critical Appreciation of the Poem
Question : Essay-type
Attempt a critical appreciation of ‘Arrival’.
Introduction
‘The Arrival’ is a famous poem by Rabindranath Tagore. It is a translation of the Bengali poem ‘Agaman’ from the anthology ‘Kheya’ [1906]. Like many of the poems of Tagore, the subject of the poem is God and God’s realization, a common theme of poems written especially during this period. Tagore was not the first person to deal with the subject of how a man’s soul should realise God. Devotional Indian poets like Soordas, Kabir, and Mirabai had done it before him. What is remarkable is the symbolism in the poem and how Tagore builds up the idea.
Critical Appreciation
In the beginning of the poem the poet says that after a hard day’s work when everyone was retiring for the day, a few had spoken about the fact that the ‘king of night’ was coming. However, the majority had refused to believe then and had even laughed at their words.
Even when the sighs of arrival were coming more and more obvious, the people did not pay heed and start to equip themselves for the arrival. When the ‘king of night’ did finally appear, it was almost too late. The final realization of the king’s arrival brought out a hurry of activity. There is a mad search for garlands, thrones, light and conches. But the delay and lack of preparation is obvious and irreparable.
The symbolism of the poem is interesting. The poem is about man’s discovery of God. The poem contains the paradox that on the one hand ourselves are free to accept or reject God; on the other hand God will reveal Himself and we will be forced to accept Him in our heart. The paradox manifest itself in the initial behaviour and the disbelief of the people and their final celebration when God ultimately arrives.
Tagore has used many traditional Bengali images in his poem. The description of God as ‘king’ is common in Tagore. The natural description is that of a typical stormy night in Bengal or anywhere in India. The people sleeping in ‘tattered blankets’ refers to the contemporary economic condition of the country of men living in poverty. The use of garlands and conches to welcome in honoured guests is also traditional.
Conclusion
The poem moves through a series of antithesis– sleep and activity, darkness and light, night and morning, rejection and acceptance. The poet’s craftsmanship is seen in the way he builds up the tension in the poem. The news of the arrival is circulated and met with disbelief. Some signs of the arrival– knocking at the door, the ‘strange approaching clangour’ are ignored. In the end the arrival of the king takes the poem to a shattering climax. The entire poem is rhythmic and the predominance of monosyllabic words underlines the earnestness of the poet’s voice. It is remarkable how the poem ends with particularization in the beginning to generalization in the end. The ‘one or two’ at the beginning of the poem become the entire multitude. The entire soul is converted.
