Sri Aurobindo

Letters on Poetry and Art

SABCL - Volume 27

Part 2. On His Own and Others’ Poetry
Section 2. On Poets and Poetry
Comments on the Work of Poets of the Ashram

Amal Kiran (K. D. Sethna) [3]

Is this poem nearer perfection now?

“O thou who wast enamoured of earth’s bloom

And intimate fragrance and charmed throbbing voice

Of mutable pleasure now disdained by Thee —

Far-visaged wanderer, dost thou rejoice

Straining towards the empty-hearted gloom

To kiss the cold lips of Eternity?”

“Fruitless and drear has proved each carnal prize

When he who strove could bring no face of flame,

{{0}}And[[Better repeat the “No”; it will strengthen a little these two lines, which are rather weak compared with the rest.]] wild magnificence of youth’s caress....

Not with sage calm, but thrilled vast hands, I claim

The unfathomed dark which round my spirit lies —

And touch undying, rapturous Loveliness!”

The second verse is slightly better, but it is not at all equal to the first. Poetry that arrives at its aim gives the reader a sense of satisfying finality in the expression (even when the substance is insignificant); it is like an arrow that hits the target in the centre. Poetry that passes by the target or hits only the outside of it, either fails or gets a partial success, but in any case it does not carry that sense of satisfying finality. This is the difference between the two verses.

10 July 1931