Introduction of the Poem:
The Poem No. 8 entitled “The Child Who Is Decked with Prince's Robes” is a beautiful devotional and love poem presenting great wisdom and practical value for parents and guardians of young children. The open and free show of expensive costumes worn by children of rich parents is the greatest obstacle in the way of the harmonious development of their children's personality. The expensive costumes not only create hindrance in their free movement, but also in their carefree enjoyment. Due to wearing expensive costumes, they have to be ever conscious about their expensive costumes.
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| Tagore’s Poem 8, The Child Who Is Decked with Prince’s Robes—A Critical Study |
They cannot play with the children of their age group. These expensive costumes also create a complex which makes the children vain. All these disadvantages hamper the national absorption of many vital lessons. These children remain very far from the practical life and humble humanity of this physical world. The poet stresses this point that in order to achieve any lofty goal, the ostentation and materialistic possessions are not only insignificant but also harmful. Simplicity, purity, good conduct, love to the fellow beings and equality can lead the way to God.
Some Critical Points of the Poem:
1. For a full enjoyment of life a child should be given the freedom to move about as naturally as possible.
2. The encumbrances of very costly dress and jewellery take away from the child that which is most vital and precious for a harmonious development of his personality.
3. The demonstration of wealth leads to the segregation of the child from his playmates thus depravity him not only from the enjoyment of life in a carefree manner which is health and happiness - giving but also keeps him away from learning vital lessons essential for life and its enjoyment.
4. The feeling of superiority in the child segregates him from the company of the playmates of simpler origin and lower social status.
5. Worldly wealth is not only an obstacle in the realisation of God but also an impediment in mundane matters as well.
6. The poet stresses the need of mixing with people of humble background for a comprehensive understanding of life.
7. If feelings of equality, co-operation, mutual respect and cordiality are engendered from early childhood a man can achieve anything in life and this is the surest way of achieving the union with God.
Summary of the Poem:
Stanza 1:
The child who is decked with princes robes and who has jewelled chains round his neck loses all pleasure in his play; his dress hampers him at every step.
In fear that it may be frayed, or stained with dust he keeps himself from the world , and is afraid even to move.
Explanatory Word - Meanings:
1. The child ... his play= the child who puts an expensive dress and precious ornaments, misses the pleasure of game. 2. Decked = decorated, covered. 3. Robes = fine and costly clothes as 4. Jewelled chains = golden chains studded with jewels and diamonds. 5. His dress ... step = he cannot mix and play with other children because his fine dress obstructs his free enjoyment of life. 6. Hamper = to impede, to hinder, to perplex. 7. In fear ... world = due to wearing costly dress, he fears that it may be soiled and his expensive dress keeps him away from the children of other groups. His superiority also becomes a great hindrance in the way of mingling with children of lower groups of society. 8. Frayed = be ragged at edges, became worn, worn off by rubbing. 9. Stained = tarnished. 10. And is ... to move = such child belonging to very rich family cannot move about because his precious ornaments may be robbed.
Paraphrase:
The poet says that the child who wears costly dress and precious ornaments such as golden chain and rings studded with pearls and diamonds cannot enjoy his games freely and thus loses all the pleasure of games. He remains hungry of that pleasure which is derived from the games. His fine and expensive clothes are the greatest obstacles in the way of his playing games. The child can never be able to enjoy because he pays his total attention towards his dress and ornaments. His dress and ornaments also create an obstacle in his movements and in mixing with his friends. The child leading a princely life fears that during his play his fine and expensive clothes may be frayed or stained with soil, so the child remains far from those things of this practical world which can teach him a lot. He does not move about for fear of robbing his ornaments.
Stanza 2:
Mother, it is no gain , thy bondage of finery, if it keep one shut off from the healthful dust of the earth, if it rob one of the right of entrance to the great fair of common human life.
Explanatory Word - Meanings:
1. Mother, it ... finery = the poet advises the mother of rich and prosperous family not to confine her child in such finery. 2. It is no gain = there is no benefit. 3. Thy bondage= the restrictions imposed by child's mother to remain in a limited place. 4. Finery = expensive dress and precious ornaments. 5. If it keep ... earth= because such finery keeps the child away from the healthful dust of the earth and the life - giving open air. 6. If it rob ... human life = the precious clothes and jewellery make the child vain and deprive him of the vital things which can be got only through mingling with the common folk. In other words such finery keeps the child away from the common and humble humanity, which may be dirty but is health - giving. 7. Rob= deprive. 8. The right of entrance= when the child is born in the world, it is its right to experience everything of life and nature.
Paraphrase:
The poet advises the mother of such a child that the restrictions of precious clothes and jewellery are not advantageous to the child. These encumbrances segregate the child from the natural and unhindered movement in the open air in the company of common children, who enjoy themselves with gay, not caring where they are, in the dust or in groves or gardens, in fields or riverbanks. The open air life gives these children health not disease. It gives them strength of self - reliance and not weakness. It teaches them co - operation and engenders the spirit of adventure. This life in the company of other children, unmindful of the worldly worries, is essential for a healthy moral and physical growth. Common life is like a fair, in which there is much that is dirty and foul, but enjoyment of this fair is essential for spiritual health and vitality. Isolation from one's fellow men, resulting from pride in one's wealth and rank is undesirable and harmful.
Critical Analysis of the Poem:
Introduction:
The poem entitled “The Child Is Decked with Prince's Robes” is not only a poem of devotion and love of God but also of great wisdom and practical value for parents and guardians of young children. In this poem the poet wishes to stress that the demonstration of wealth leads to the segregation of the child from his playmates thus depriving him not only from the enjoyment of life in a carefree manner which is health and happiness - giving but also keeps him from learning the vital lessons essential for life and its enjoyment. The encumbrances of costly dress and ornaments distract the child's attention. These also hinder the free movement and use of his limbs. Another and a more important disadvantages is the feeling of superiority in the child which segregates him from the company of the playmates of simpler origin and lower social status.
Thought - Content:
The poet observes that the child who is dressed in a costly dress, and decorated with costly ornaments cannot play freely and enjoy his life, for fear of soiling his costly dress. His fine dress is an obstacle in his way; it is an obstruction in the way of the enjoyment of life. The poet advises the mother of such a child, not to confine her child in such finery, because it keeps him away from the common, humble humanity, which may be dirty, but which is health - giving all the same. One derives life and vitality through communion with one's fellowmen, and isolation from them results in spiritual death and decay. This life is a great fair where petty and cheap wares are on view and sale along with costly items, and both are necessary. The precious clothes and jewellery make the child vain and deprive him of the vital things which can be got only through mingling with the common folk. The poet suggests that the men who live in an ivory tower does not know the pleasure of the life below. So, the great festival of life is to be enjoyed not in a secluded corner of an ivory tower but on the platform of the common man.
Moral of the Poem:
For a successful life it is necessary that a person should be allowed to lead a life in the company of his fellow beings from his early childhood. Such a life, in the proximity of Nature and in open air not only gives health and vitality but teaches vital lessons of living with equality, co - operation and cordiality. The encumbrances and ostentations not only hamper physical development and movements but also alienate the person from his own people and make him vain thus rendering him incapable of the full enjoyment of life and achieving his goals in life.
Universal Appeal through the Image of Child:
The poet wishes to say that worldly wealth is not only an obstacle in the realization of God but also an impediment in mundane matters as well. The poet stresses the need of mixing with people of humble background for a comprehensive understanding of life. He has chosen the image of a child dressed in costly clothes and ornaments to drive his point of integration with humble and common folk in an atmosphere of cordiality and mutual respect. If such feelings of equality, co - operation, mutual respect and cordiality are engendered from early childhood, a man can achieve anything in life and this is the surest way of achieving the union with God - through the love of humanity.
Language and Style:
Tagore's poetry is remarkable for the exquisite blending of the harmony of thoughts, feelings and melody of words. He chooses apt and highly suggestive words from a teeming treasure. Felicity and melodiousness of expression are the cardinal features of his style. His language is simple and is close to the everyday. Simplicity and sublimity run together in his poetry. He uses short words which are significant both for their sense and their sound. Imagery is all pervasive in Tagore's poetry and it gives a kind of unity. Image usually serves to make an impression more precise; it may, on the other hand, carry the mind from too close a dwelling on the original thought.
