Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 2. 1937

Letter ID: 1928

Sri Aurobindo — Nirodbaran Talukdar

May 3, 1937

Guru, from this quatrain you will see that I have tried a hell of a lot to improve or rewrite it and yet not successful!

“Plunge there like pearls in timeless trance-repose;

Culled from spring-garden of fire-coated seeds.

The nectar-rays of heaven’s golden Rose

Shower on the calm expanse – like pollen beads.”

So I see, but your plunging quatrain plunges and splashes a lot without arriving anywhere near coherence. There is still no possible connection between the ideas and images here and there that go before and after.

[The following questions were put by J:]

How may I learn the epic style of blank verse?

I suppose it is best done by reading the epic writers until you get the epic rush or sweep.

Is it too early for me to learn it? Kindly say a few words, and if there is no harm in my trying it at present, please give some force and inner guidance for it.

Epic writing needs a sustained energy of rhythm and word which is not easy to get or maintain. I am not sure whether you can get it now. I think you would first have to practise maintaining the level of the more energetic among the lines you have been writing ...