Ralph Waldo Emerson
If the red slayer think he slays,
Or if the slain think he is slain,
They know not well the subtle ways
I keep, and pass, and turn again.
Far or forgot to me is near,
Shadow and sunlight are the same,
The vanished gods to me appear,
And one to me are shame and fame.
They reckon ill who leave me out;
When me they fly, I am the wings;
I am the doubter and the doubt,
And I the hymn the Brahmin sings.
The strong gods pine for my abode,
And pine in vain the sacred Seven;
But thou, meek lover of the good!
Find me, and turn thy back on heaven.
1856 [1857]
One of my favourite poems. Its beautiful in itself, so i don't feel the need to write on it ( although I cant say that in class to my students) You are welcome to comment on it.
3 comments:
Awesome kutti, you will be enjoying teaching this!
Haven't heard of Emerson (not that I have heard of everybody else.). How come there is a transcendental movement here, much before even Swamiji Vivekananda came here?
Have any idea how they got all these plots of Brahma and all?
Emerson has read Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads :D
wonderful poem...the poem conveys it all!
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