Sri Aurobindo
Letters of Sri Aurobindo
SABCL 26
Fragment ID: 7953
I think the principle of this metre1 should be to say a few very clear-cut things in a little space. At least it looks so to me at present – though a more free handling of the metre might show that the restriction was not justifiable.
I had chosen this metre – or rather it came to me and I accepted it – because it seemed to me both brief and easy, so suitable for an experiment. But I find now that it was only seemingly easy and in fact very difficult. The ease with which I wrote it only came from the fact that by a happy inspiration the right rhythm for it came into my consciousness and wrote itself out by virtue of the rhythm being there. If I had consciously experimented 1 might have stumbled over the same difficulties as have come in your way.
The Bird of Fire32 was written on two consecutive days and afterwards revised. The Trance at one sitting – it took only a few minutes. You may have the date as they were both completed on the same day and sent to you the next.
1 Quantitative Trimeter.