# The Missed Divine Encounter explained — Gitanjali > Chapter companion for Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore. ## What happens The poet laments his failure to awaken when the Divine came and sat by his side during the night. He curses his deep sleep that caused him to miss the presence of the Divine, whose harp filled his dreams with melodies. The poet mourns the loss of these nights and the sight of the Divine whose breath touches his sleep. ## Themes in this chapter ### The Pain of Separation and Longing The poet's lament over missing the Divine's presence highlights the deep pain of separation and longing for union. ### Divine Love and Devotion The poet's intense desire to see the Divine and his regret over the missed encounter reflect profound devotion and love. ## Character check-ins ### The Poet The poet is the speaker who laments missing the Divine's visit due to his deep sleep. ### The Divine The Divine comes and sits by the poet's side, playing the harp and filling dreams with melodies, but the poet fails to awaken. ## Key lines > He came and sat by my side but I woke not. What a cursed sleep it was, O miserable me! The Divine arrived and sat beside me, but I remained asleep. I curse this sleep and my own misery for missing him. _The poet expresses regret for being spiritually unaware when the Divine was near._ > He came when the night was still; he had his harp in his hands, and my dreams became resonant with its melodies. The Divine came during the quiet night, playing a harp whose music filled my dreams. _The poet describes the subtle influence of the Divine's presence even in his sleep._ > Alas, why are my nights all thus lost? Ah, why do I ever miss his sight whose breath touches my sleep? Why do I waste every night in this way? Why do I always fail to see the one whose very breath reaches me in my sleep? _The poet laments his repeated failure to awaken to the Divine's presence._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/gitanjali_se/chapters/xxvi - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/gitanjali_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/gitanjali_se/chapters