Gitanjali

Rabindranath Tagore's Gitanjali ("Song Offerings")—the Nobel Prize-winning collection of devotional poems expressing the soul's longing for union with the Divine, presenting mystical verses of profound beauty and simplicity that blend Bengali bhakti tradition with universal spiritual yearning, establishing Tagore as one of the 20th century's greatest spiritual poets.

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), Bengali polymath, poet, philosopher, and Nobel laureate, published Gitanjali in Bengali in 1910, then translated and adapted it into English in 1912. The collection won him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913, making him the first non-European Nobel laureate. Gitanjali presents 103 devotional poems expressing the soul's relationship with God—sometimes intimate and joyful, sometimes aching with longing and separation. Rooted in Bengali Vaishnavism and the bhakti tradition, Tagore's poetry transcends cultural boundaries, speaking to seekers of all backgrounds with lyrical beauty and profound spiritual depth.

What you'll discover:

• The soul's longing for union with the Divine Beloved
• God as intimate presence—"Thou hast made me endless, such is thy pleasure"
• Devotional surrender and spiritual yearning
• The Divine dwelling in the ordinary—"In the poorest, lowliest, and lost"
• Mystical joy and the ache of separation from God
• Bengali bhakti tradition expressed in universal language
• Lyrical beauty blending Eastern spirituality with accessible English verse
• Themes of love, service, humility, and divine presence

Tagore's poetry in Gitanjali expresses the bhakti path—devotional love as the way to God. The poems move between intimacy and longing: God is both the beloved guest dwelling within and the distant lover for whom the soul aches. Tagore finds the Divine not in temples or rituals but in simple acts of service, in nature's beauty, in the faces of the poor. His language is simple yet profound, accessible yet mystical: "Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high... Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake."

What makes Gitanjali essential is its universal spiritual appeal and literary beauty. W.B. Yeats wrote the introduction to the English edition, praising Tagore's "whole people, a whole civilization" speaking through his verse. The poems influenced modern spiritual poetry, interfaith dialogue, and the global appreciation of Eastern mysticism. Gitanjali remains one of the most beloved collections of devotional poetry, offering timeless wisdom about love, surrender, and the soul's journey toward the Divine.

Perfect for: Students of Hindu mysticism and bhakti devotion, readers of devotional and spiritual poetry, those drawn to mystical verse expressing longing for the Divine, students of Nobel Prize-winning literature and Bengali culture, readers interested in interfaith spirituality and universal mysticism, anyone seeking beautiful poetry that speaks to the soul's relationship with God, and contemplative readers drawn to lyrical expressions of divine love and spiritual yearning.

This paperback edition presents Tagore's Nobel Prize-winning Gitanjali—the devotional poems that blend Bengali bhakti tradition with universal spiritual beauty, expressing the soul's eternal longing for union with the Divine.