Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 2. 1938

Letter ID: 2130

Sri Aurobindo — Nirodbaran Talukdar

June 18, 1938

[Sri Aurobindo and the Mother]

This poem is either exceeding or damned – which?

Damned! that is to say, romantic.

Let me say again that in condemning things as romantic, it is because they are of the wilted echo kind. “Nectarous flow” “fountain music” “bright ethereal voices” “echoing notes” “far wind-blown lyre” “break upon my listening ear” etc. are perhaps new to you and full of colour, but to experienced readers of English poetry they sound as old as Johnny; one feels as if one had been reading hundreds of books of poetry with these phrases on each page and a hundred and first book seems a little superfluous. If they had not been written before, the poem might be pronounced very fine, but – I have tried my best with three of the stanzas to organise them, but except for stanza 2 out of which a very fine image can be made and the two lines marked, with no entire success. The third and fourth stanzas are hopeless. Where the deuce does your inspiration draw these things from? From remembered or unremembered reading? Or just anyhow? It looks as if some unknown nineteenth century poet from time to time got hold of you to unburden himself of all his unpublished poetry.

If you could spare, please send those cherries for T. I tasted one; they’re very good.

[Mother:] Sending 2 boxes –