Taj Mahal Rabindranath Tagore

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal is considered as one of the seven wonders of the world. It is a work of art that excels time and history.

It is situated in Agra, Uttar Pradesh Taj Mahal was commissioned by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. It is situated in Agra, Uttar Pradesh

Shah Jahan Mirza Shahabuddin Baig Muhammad Khan Shah Jahan  was the fifth Mughal Emperor of India from 1628 to 1658. Shah Jahan erected many monuments, the best known of which is the Taj Mahal at Agra, built in 1632–1654 as a tomb for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal

Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal

Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore (1861 – 1941) was a Bengali writer who reshaped Bengali literature and music as well as Indian art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Author of Gitanjali and its ‘profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse’, he became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. In translation, his poetry was viewed as spiritual and influential.

About the poem The following lines are from Tagore's poem 'Shah Jahan'. In this poem Tagore speaks of the immortal creation, the Taj Mahal and the timeless appeal of that great monument. This poem is about the transcendental nature of art which has the power to enlighten the whole humanity which is transient.

Here, the Taj Mahal represents the intense aspiration of Emperor Shah Jahan to glorify his sorrow. It is also an eternal monument that immortalizes art.

Poem You knew, Emperor of India, Shah Jahan, That life, youth, wealth, renown All float away down the stream of time. Your only dream Was to preserve forever your heart's pain. The harsh thunder of imperial power Would fade into sleep Like a sunset's crimson splendour, But it was your hope That at least a single, eternally-heaved sigh would stay To grieve the sky.

Though emeralds, rubies, pearls are all But as the glitter of a rainbow tricking out empty air And must pass away, Yet still one solitary tear Would hang on the cheek of time In the form Of this white and gleaming Taj Mahal.

Word Meanings

Emperor: ˈɛmp(ə)rə/ Noun a sovereign ruler of an empire.

Crimson: Adjective of a rich deep red colour inclining to purple. ˈkrɪmz(ə)n/ Adjective of a rich deep red colour inclining to purple.

Emerald ˈɛm(ə)r(ə)ld/ Noun a bright green precious stone consisting of a chromium-rich variety of beryl.

Gleam ɡliːm/ Verb shine brightly, especially with reflected light.

Gleaming Taj Mahal

Solitary ˈsɒlɪt(ə)ri/ adjective done or existing alone. Solitary tear

Simile A simile is a figure of speech that draws comparison between two things using the words 'like' or 'as'.

Sweet as a honeybee Roar like a lion

Instances of similes from the poem ‘emeralds, rubies... as the glitter of rainbow tricking out empty air’ ‘imperial power... like a sunset's crimson splendour.’

References Taj Mahal. Retrieved from http://www.tajmahal.org.uk/ The Taj Mahal - A Shrine of Love. Retrieved from http://www.indif.com/India/tajmahal.asp

Thank You ! Prepared By: Lis Maria Baby Roll No. 14 B.Ed English 2016- 2018