(RE)READING RABINDRANATH TAGORE’S GITANJALI: MEANINGS FOR OUR TROUBLED, PANDEMIC STRICKEN TIMES

Abstract
The COVID 19 pandemic is far from over. The second wave of the virus is already adversely affecting counties such as England, France, Germany, and the USA. In India, people are suffering from the widespread impact of this disease for the last nine months. It has deeply affected our life, livelihood, health, economy, environment, and mental health. This grim scenario is not only specific to our country but can be witnessed globally. At this critical juncture, literature is extremely important as it can lift us from the nadir of depression and the abyss of nothingness. Hence, while critically engaging with the sub-theme ‘Pandemic and Literature’ we should not limit our studies to texts dealing with crises, pandemics and apocalypse. We must broaden our perspective to include texts that can emotionally heal us and generate feelings of positivity, faith, strength, and peace. Hence, this paper re-reads Tagore’s Gitanjali from the present position of being sufferers of a global crisis. The text is timeless and our contemporary. It contains Tagore’s deep engagement with philosophy and spirituality. We should re-read it and fetch newer meanings relevant to our present context. It is relevant and a necessary read for both ‘the home and the world’.

Keywords: Anxiety, Death, Fear, Heal, Spirituality, Peace, Salutation, Strength

https://doi.org/10.37948/ensemble-2021-sp1-a016