A Taste of Tagore

This year is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Rabindranath Tagore, the great Indian poet and mystic who was the first Asian to receive the Nobel Prize for literature. There has recently been a festival at Dartington. This book is the ideal introduction to his work, with a perceptive foreword by Deepak Chopra. The volume begins with some thoughts on life, education and art, moving on to a selection of poems, prayers and songs, many taken from his most famous work Gitanjali. Then there are contemplations, short reflections and aphorisms such as 'clouds come floating into my life from other days, no longer to shed rain or usher storm, but to give colour to my sunset sky.' A special poem is entitled 100 years from today or 1996, and features the poet sending his greeting to the poet of 100 years hence, beauty transferred across time and the sharing of common experience. If you're not already familiar with Tagore, you should certainly buy this book, which will provide many hours of pleasure.