Gitanjali · Chapter
XLI explained
The poet waits in vain for her divine lover, who hides in the shadows while passersby take her offerings.
What happens
The poet waits in vain for her divine lover, who hides in the shadows while passersby take her offerings. She sits like a beggar maid, too ashamed to reveal her longing, dreaming of his glorious arrival yet growing weary as time passes and he does not come.
Themes in this chapter
The Pain of Separation and Longing
The poet's entire monologue is a cry of separation, waiting in vain for the divine lover who hides in shadows, causing heartache and shame.
Poverty and Humility
The poet embraces poverty as her dowry, sitting like a beggar maid, drawing her skirt over her face in humility and shame.
Characters to notice
- The Poet
The speaker waits in longing, offering flowers and enduring shame, dreaming of the divine lover's arrival.
- The Divine
The hidden lover who stands in shadows, promised to come but still absent, causing the poet's painful wait.
Key passages
“Where dost thou stand behind them all, my lover, hiding thyself in the shadows? They push thee and pass thee by on the dusty road, taking thee for naught.”
Where are you hiding, my beloved, behind all these people? They shove you aside on the dusty road, ignoring you completely.
The poet laments the divine's hidden presence, unnoticed by the world.
“I sit like a beggar maid, drawing my skirt over my face, and when they ask me, what it is I want, I drop my eyes and answer them not.”
I sit like a poor beggar girl, covering my face with my skirt, and when people ask what I desire, I look down and stay silent.
The poet's shame and humility prevent her from revealing her longing for the divine.
“Ah, I hug this pride in the secret of my heart. I sit on the grass and gaze upon the sky and dream of the sudden splendour of thy coming.”
I secretly cherish this pride. I sit on the grass, looking at the sky, dreaming of the glorious moment you will suddenly arrive.
Despite her poverty, the poet holds onto the pride of waiting for the divine's promised arrival.