Gitanjali · Chapter
LXVII explained
The poet contemplates the divine as both the infinite sky and the intimate nest, describing how love encloses the soul through sensory beauty, while beyond all form and color lies a timeless, wordless radiance.
What happens
The poet contemplates the divine as both the infinite sky and the intimate nest, describing how love encloses the soul through sensory beauty, while beyond all form and color lies a timeless, wordless radiance.
Themes in this chapter
Divine Love and Devotion
The divine's love encloses the soul with colors, sounds, and odors, reflecting intimate devotion.
Beauty of the Ordinary and Nature
Imagery of morning with a golden basket and evening carrying peace from the western ocean celebrates natural beauty.
Characters to notice
- The Poet
The speaker who reflects on the dual nature of the divine as sky and nest.
- The Divine
Addressed as 'thou,' the beautiful one who is both the encompassing sky and the loving nest.
Key passages
“Thou art the sky and thou art the nest as well.”
You are both the vast expanse and the intimate home.
Highlights the dual nature of the divine as both infinite and close.
“But there, where spreads the infinite sky for the soul to take her flight in, reigns the stainless white radiance.”
Yet in the boundless sky where the soul flies, a pure white light rules.
Describes a transcendent realm beyond time and form.