The Poem first, as usual:
In childhood’s pride I said to Thee:
‘O Thou, who mad’st me of Thy breath,
Speak, Master, and reveal to me
Thine inmost laws of life and death.
‘Give me to drink each joy and pain
Which Thine eternal hand can mete,
For my insatiate soul would drain
Earth’s utmost bitter, utmost sweet.
‘Spare me no bliss, no pang of strife,
Withhold no gift or grief I crave,
The intricate lore of love and life
And mystic knowledge of the grave.’
Lord, Thou didst answer stern and low:
‘Child, I will hearken to thy prayer,
And thy unconquered soul shall know
All passionate rapture and despair.
‘Thou shalt drink deep of joy and fame,
And love shall burn thee like a fire,
And pain shall cleanse thee like a flame,
To purge the dross from thy desire.
‘So shall thy chastened spirit yearn
To seek from its blind prayer release,
And spent and pardoned, sue to learn
The simple secret of My peace.
‘I, bending from my sevenfold height,
Will teach thee of My quickening grace,
Life is a prism of My light,
And Death the shadow of My face.’
In childhood’s pride I said to Thee:
‘O Thou, who mad’st me of Thy breath,
Speak, Master, and reveal to me
Thine inmost laws of life and death.
‘Give me to drink each joy and pain
Which Thine eternal hand can mete,
For my insatiate soul would drain
Earth’s utmost bitter, utmost sweet.
‘Spare me no bliss, no pang of strife,
Withhold no gift or grief I crave,
The intricate lore of love and life
And mystic knowledge of the grave.’
Lord, Thou didst answer stern and low:
‘Child, I will hearken to thy prayer,
And thy unconquered soul shall know
All passionate rapture and despair.
‘Thou shalt drink deep of joy and fame,
And love shall burn thee like a fire,
And pain shall cleanse thee like a flame,
To purge the dross from thy desire.
‘So shall thy chastened spirit yearn
To seek from its blind prayer release,
And spent and pardoned, sue to learn
The simple secret of My peace.
‘I, bending from my sevenfold height,
Will teach thee of My quickening grace,
Life is a prism of My light,
And Death the shadow of My face.’
What's This?
This is a poem by Sarojini Naidu. In this poem, the poet tells us of the insignificance of man and advises us to cultivate humility in all we do.
The key plot of the poem (if poems have plots) is as follows: The protagonist of the poem is proud of who she is and feels she is capable of taking on all that the Lord can offer. She asks the Lord to let her have all the experiences that the Lord is capable of offering. God listens to her and tells her that I can and will grant you your wish, but know that such knowledge and swings of emotional extremes can bend your soul, break it, and leave you a mere shadow of whatever you think you are today. And then, your soul shall plead for freedom from the curse you yourself got on your head. And I shall grant you that redemption too, and you shall learn of my life-giving grace, and understand how, in the midst of all I am and create, I can retain my composure and remain peaceful.
The Poem, Line by Line
In childhood’s pride I said to Thee:
‘O Thou, who mad’st me of Thy breath,
Speak, Master, and reveal to me
Thine inmost laws of life and death.
The protagonist of the poem is drunk with pride, the pride of childhood. But is the protagonist a child? May be, may be not. The point is not how old the protagonist is biologically; the point is that she is like a child when it comes to knowing the truth of things. Note also that this poem is written in retrospect; in the past tense. All of this has already happened, and the protagonist is relating to us the story of this remarkable dialogue. Now that she has had the wisdom that the Lord gave her, she can see that her question was bred of the pride of a child. A child thinks she knows all there is to know. Like the kid said in Asterix In Spain, "My daddy is the strongest daddy in the world and silly old Julius Caesar is frightened of my daddy and silly old Julius Caesar had me brought to Gaul to frighten my daddy but that won't stop my daddy from bashing silly old Julius Caesar."
Notice also, that because the protagonist has the pride of a child, her language is rather pompous. If one were talking to the Lord, one would not use phrases like "speak, Master," and would perhaps ask for a little less than "Thine inmost laws of life and death."
Inmost laws of life and death? What is she talking about? How proud is that? The inmost laws of life and death, if there were such laws, would be the laws that govern who is born; how is one born; how one lives; how one dies; and, if you were a believer of the circle of life, after-life, and death (which Sarojini Naidu was!) how one is treated after death before (if one hasn't attained Nirvana) rebirth. The protagonist is asking for the ultimate knowledge of the Ultimate Being, and is being pompous about is too! Please also note that the request she makes of the Lord is actually a demand, a command, to be precise. It is an imperative sentence: a command given to God! In childish pride.
‘Give me to drink each joy and pain
Which Thine eternal hand can mete,
For my insatiate soul would drain
Earth’s utmost bitter, utmost sweet.
‘Spare me no bliss, no pang of strife,
Withhold no gift or grief I crave,
The intricate lore of love and life
And mystic knowledge of the grave.’
She asks for every single joy and pain that the Maker can create. Note: Can, not has. She isn't just asking for what has already been created and made available; she is also asking for all the joys and pains that the Lord can create. Now that IS humble!!
She claims her "insatiate" (endlessly thirsty) soul would (like to + want to + and eventually actually) drain everything that the Earth can offer. I think it sounds more presumptuous than proud, but well ....
She wants to be spared nothing: all the bliss, all the pain of struggle, all gifts and grief. She really wants the Lord to reveal to her all that there is to know really.
Lord, Thou didst answer stern and low:
‘Child, I will hearken to thy prayer,
And thy unconquered soul shall know
All passionate rapture and despair.
‘Thou shalt drink deep of joy and fame,
And love shall burn thee like a fire,
And pain shall cleanse thee like a flame,
To purge the dross from thy desire.
And the Lord, who knows that behind the apparently pompous over-proud demand lies the pride of a little child who knows not what it asks, replies sternly in a low voice. "I shall hear your prayer and grant you your wish," he says, and your unconquered (unbeaten: connect with insatiate, still thirsty, above) soul shall know all joy and grief. But. Such knowledge shall leave you burnt and cleansed. You shall truly know; but you shall also suffer immensely.
‘So shall thy chastened spirit yearn
To seek from its blind prayer release,
And spent and pardoned, sue to learn
The simple secret of My peace.
So much shall you suffer, that your "chastened" spirit shall yearn to seek release from its prayer. Chastened twice over, actually. Chastened, as in purified, thanks to the divine knowledge the spirit has received; and chastened, as in punished and subdued, because of the pain and suffering through which such knowledge can be gained. Spent of its pride, and pardoned by me, your spirit shall sue (beg) to learn the secret of peace in the midst of the emotional storm it desired. Here the poet moves to the next level of knowledge. The desire for knowledge, of worldly joy and pain, can only bring infliction. If the soul is to evolve, it must "sue" for peace: peace in the midst of the emotional whirlpool of worldly mirages.
Another interesting phrase here is "the simple secret of my peace." God knows all, feels all, is all. Ergo, He is in the eye of every storm that ravages the soul. And yet, He is peaceful. He is always calm -- no, serene. The soul of the protagonist, which would be burnt and cleansed as if passed through a fire, will need to understand how the Force that unleashes it all and suffers it all maintains Its peace. Its simple peace.
‘I, bending from my sevenfold height,
Will teach thee of My quickening grace,
Life is a prism of My light,
And Death the shadow of My face.’
The poem doesn't tell us whether the protagonist finally got what she wanted, but it does tell us that the Lord gave her her ultimate answer even before she actually asked the question. Basically, he tells her that while He understands what she wants, He doesn't think it's a good idea to go frittering one's life going through more emotional trauma than one is designed for. Ultimately, the goal should be peace, and that can only come by understanding; and, until one is ready for such understanding, by faith. And STOP making dumb requests already!! You will only get hurt and come crying.
Notice also, that because the protagonist has the pride of a child, her language is rather pompous. If one were talking to the Lord, one would not use phrases like "speak, Master," and would perhaps ask for a little less than "Thine inmost laws of life and death."
Inmost laws of life and death? What is she talking about? How proud is that? The inmost laws of life and death, if there were such laws, would be the laws that govern who is born; how is one born; how one lives; how one dies; and, if you were a believer of the circle of life, after-life, and death (which Sarojini Naidu was!) how one is treated after death before (if one hasn't attained Nirvana) rebirth. The protagonist is asking for the ultimate knowledge of the Ultimate Being, and is being pompous about is too! Please also note that the request she makes of the Lord is actually a demand, a command, to be precise. It is an imperative sentence: a command given to God! In childish pride.
‘Give me to drink each joy and pain
Which Thine eternal hand can mete,
For my insatiate soul would drain
Earth’s utmost bitter, utmost sweet.
‘Spare me no bliss, no pang of strife,
Withhold no gift or grief I crave,
The intricate lore of love and life
And mystic knowledge of the grave.’
She asks for every single joy and pain that the Maker can create. Note: Can, not has. She isn't just asking for what has already been created and made available; she is also asking for all the joys and pains that the Lord can create. Now that IS humble!!
She claims her "insatiate" (endlessly thirsty) soul would (like to + want to + and eventually actually) drain everything that the Earth can offer. I think it sounds more presumptuous than proud, but well ....
She wants to be spared nothing: all the bliss, all the pain of struggle, all gifts and grief. She really wants the Lord to reveal to her all that there is to know really.
Lord, Thou didst answer stern and low:
‘Child, I will hearken to thy prayer,
And thy unconquered soul shall know
All passionate rapture and despair.
‘Thou shalt drink deep of joy and fame,
And love shall burn thee like a fire,
And pain shall cleanse thee like a flame,
To purge the dross from thy desire.
And the Lord, who knows that behind the apparently pompous over-proud demand lies the pride of a little child who knows not what it asks, replies sternly in a low voice. "I shall hear your prayer and grant you your wish," he says, and your unconquered (unbeaten: connect with insatiate, still thirsty, above) soul shall know all joy and grief. But. Such knowledge shall leave you burnt and cleansed. You shall truly know; but you shall also suffer immensely.
‘So shall thy chastened spirit yearn
To seek from its blind prayer release,
And spent and pardoned, sue to learn
The simple secret of My peace.
So much shall you suffer, that your "chastened" spirit shall yearn to seek release from its prayer. Chastened twice over, actually. Chastened, as in purified, thanks to the divine knowledge the spirit has received; and chastened, as in punished and subdued, because of the pain and suffering through which such knowledge can be gained. Spent of its pride, and pardoned by me, your spirit shall sue (beg) to learn the secret of peace in the midst of the emotional storm it desired. Here the poet moves to the next level of knowledge. The desire for knowledge, of worldly joy and pain, can only bring infliction. If the soul is to evolve, it must "sue" for peace: peace in the midst of the emotional whirlpool of worldly mirages.
Another interesting phrase here is "the simple secret of my peace." God knows all, feels all, is all. Ergo, He is in the eye of every storm that ravages the soul. And yet, He is peaceful. He is always calm -- no, serene. The soul of the protagonist, which would be burnt and cleansed as if passed through a fire, will need to understand how the Force that unleashes it all and suffers it all maintains Its peace. Its simple peace.
‘I, bending from my sevenfold height,
Will teach thee of My quickening grace,
Life is a prism of My light,
And Death the shadow of My face.’
The protagonist does not know the secret; her Maker doesn't tell it to her. She has to pass through the fires of her desire (of: her desires are like fire, and what she desires is fiery!) and, chastened, beg for redemption. And then, says the Lord, "I, bending from my sevenfold height, will teach thee of my quickening grace." I do not really know why Naidu uses the word "sevenfold", but I can think of two explanations. One, Christianity has a conception of "the sevenfold spirit of God," referring to the seven churches in Asia. (Source) Two, in the Hindu Pantheon, Indra governs His domains through seven vice-kings. (Source) I think the second explanation makes more sense given Naidu's religious background. Actually, I'm not very convinced by either. If sevenfold means either of these, what's height doing after that? Will keep looking.
Anyways, the Lord promises to then teach her of his "quickening" (life-giving) grace. Life, He says, is but a refracted colored version of My light (seven again,) and death is only a version of my Truth. Both life and death spring from me, exist because of me. I give life, and everything in it, and I take it away and restore order. The poet doesn't say it out loud, but by implication, the Lord says that because I know the truth about life, and the "imposters" of joy, sorrow, pain, and pleasure, and because I know that in death, there is no end but a new beginning, I know that all pain and all bliss is as transient as life itself, and do not allow any of these to cloud my brow.
In Sum
The poem doesn't tell us whether the protagonist finally got what she wanted, but it does tell us that the Lord gave her her ultimate answer even before she actually asked the question. Basically, he tells her that while He understands what she wants, He doesn't think it's a good idea to go frittering one's life going through more emotional trauma than one is designed for. Ultimately, the goal should be peace, and that can only come by understanding; and, until one is ready for such understanding, by faith. And STOP making dumb requests already!! You will only get hurt and come crying.
