Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 2. 1938

Letter ID: 2201

Sri Aurobindo — Nirodbaran Talukdar

October 1, 1938

[Sri Aurobindo and the Mother]

“From the grapes of sleep”, “God’s vineyard” sound funnily delightful, Sir! You seem to be trying to be modernistic!

Well, I’m blowed! What is there modern about “vineyard”? Vineyards are as old as Adam or almost, at any rate they existed before the flood.

By what modern alchemy do you make – “In God’s vineyard of ecstasies” 3 foot?

Why not? I have anapaestised the line, that is all. No alchemy needed modern or ancient. I don’t see what is the difficulty.

With “all” you use the verb in singular – harbours? Possible? We say “All are mad”, not “All is mad”.

What the deuce! You don’t know that all can be used collectively in the singular, e.g. “All he does is mad.” “All is beautiful here.”?

I have been asked to inform the workers that Thursday (8 a.m.) has been fixed for vaccination. Shall I tell Chandulal to circulate it among the workers so that those who want to be vaccinated may go there?

[Mother:] Yes.