Rabindranath Tagore’s “The Child”

 “The Child” was originally written in English in a single night, and later translated into Bengali as Sishutirtha. The poem is significant as it is Tagore’s only poem written in English. Tanusree Shankar’s interpretation depicts it as “a flowing, rhythmic, spiritual journey of Man through the ages, from the bondage of ignorance, ultimately to the freedom of enlightenment and self realization. At the same time, it may also be considered a celebration of the mother – the feminine principle in the universe. “
The poem portrays man’s journey from the futility of existence and darkness of ignorance to the sprouting of new life as represented by the child. The first flush of dawn reflects on the dew-dripping leaves of the forest. ‘Flush’ connotes a strong emotion and a question, the response of which the sky seeks. The light of sky gets reflected in the objects of the earth. Parallel to this phenomenon is the man who reads the skies, forecasts the climate or predicts the future. “Friends, we have come!” Parallel to this is the saying that they have arrived.
In response to the earlier question, the ripe corn endeavours to respond reaching to the skies. The companions also have a searching gaze as though they are in a quest. On both sides of the road, one finds the corn. The time is ripe and so is the harvest. The ripe golden corn is the glad golden answer of the earth to the morning light. The corn is ripe and golden, and doubly because sunlight shines on the corn. On both sides of the road, the corn is ripe. In between the current of daily life moves on. ‘Current’ signifies kinetic as opposed to static. The word ‘current’ also signifies the latent energy beneath the Life that moves on between the village near the hill and the one near the bank. Here, the high and the low, and the terrestrial and aquatic are abridged. The motion also gives a zig-zag graph that is again representative of current. The word ‘daily’ makes the affair a quotidian one, and hence mechanical. The potter’s wheel goes round and round, and also symbolizes the routine revolution of the earth. The cow-herd takes his cattle to the pasture, and the woman with the pitcher on her head walks to the well.
However, one fails to fathom where the King’s castle is: this quest alludes to the kingdom of God. One fails to dig the mine of Gold, or locate the secret book of magic in this expedition of life. One cannot comprehend where the sage is, who knows love’s utter wisdom .The reader of the sky holds the conviction that the stars cannot be wrong. Their signal points to that spot. Their signal points to the ultimate destination or aim.