Page 80 - 視野 我的意外人生

Toastmaster

p
r
r
eting P
o
Interpreting Poetry—
In
etry—
e
t
a
Stray Birds
Str
y B
ds
ir
Tagore
40years ago, when I was a high school student, I was very fascinated by
the works of Tagore. His works accompany me for many years. Tonight I want to
share with you the wisdom of his poems.
First, I want to introduce you about the poet who won the Noble Prize in
Literature.
Tagore is from Bengal, lndia. He was born in 1861 and died at age 81. He
was born in a Brahmins class of India. He was a nobleman. His father was a
rich merchant.
He had contact with many poets、Scholars、painters、musicians、
philosophers and economists since his childhood. Tagore went abroad to
England at age17. During this period, he enjoyed English classic literature and
experienced English family life. 2 years later, he came back to lndia.
Tagore was a literary man and an educator. He was the greatest poet of
India. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature at age 52. He donated all the prize
money to set up an international university. And he devoted himself to the
independence of India.
Now I want to introduce some short and wise poems from the collection
of poems: Stray Bird. This collection of poems contains his most well-known
poems. It was translated from Indian to English by himself at age 56.
To interpret a poem, you must first understand the thought and image
inside the poem. Poetry can be one of the most challenging forms of literature to
interpret. Sometimes, a poet ignores logic and factual truth and uses symbolism
instead of realism. This can make interpretation more difficult.
1. Stray birds of summer come to my window to sing and fly away. And
yellow leaves of antumn, which have no songs, flutter and fall there with a sign.
2. I cannot choose the best. The best chooses me.
3. The bird wishes it were a cloud. The cloud wishes it were a bird.
4. Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of
man.
5. The woodcutter’s axe begged for its handle from the tree. The tree
gave it.
6. The road is lonely in its crowd, for it is not loved.
7. God’s great power is in the gentle breeze, not in the storm.
8. We live in this world when we love it.
9. Don not linger to gather flowers to keep them. But walk on, for flowers
will keep themselves blooming all your way.

80
80