TAJ MAHAL: A Tear Drop on the Cheek of Eternity

 Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal,one of the seven wonders of the world, heralds the beauty and magnificence of mughal architecture and creative power.  This artistic marvel is an embodiment of love and has therefore inspired many writers and poets to sing praises to its unparalleled beauty. "Shah Jahan" is a renowned poem written by India's most celebrated poet and nobel laureate- Rabindranath Tagore. The above lines have been taken from the full length poem Shah Jahan and is included in the English reader for standard eight of Kerala syllabus. 

   Summary of the poem

Tagore begins his poem addressing Shah Jahan, one of the popular Mughal emperors of India who built Taj Mahal in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz.The emperor knew that all the worldly assets including his power,wealth and youth would float away in the stream of time.Even the harsh thunder of his imperial power would fade into sleep like a sunset's crimson splendour.But the wise emperor wanted to immortalise the pain of his heart- his love for Mumtaz. With this hope in heart he built the wonder on white marble and hoped that the monument might resist the inroads of time.It was emperor's hope that this single,eternally heaved sigh would stay to grieve the sky. Tagore ends the poem eulogizing Taj Mahal as a "solitary tear" hanging on the cheek of eternity.

 

Analysis

The poem Taj Mahal is a literary wonder just like its subject of contemplation. Tagore's profundity and lofty imagination define his writing and poetry.The poem teems with poetic devices like simile,  metaphor, personification, imagery etc. which make the poem aesthetically appealing and sustain its grandeur. The poet makes use of stream metaphor and associates the passage of time to the flow of a natural stream.The imperial power is likened to a harsh thunder which would fade into sleep, like the crimson splendour of sunset. Here the glorious, yet transient nature of power is compared to the setting sun.  Beauty of this splendid simile is further accentuated by the alliterative trail of "sunset's crimson splendour. The image of emeralds,ruby and pearls and rainbow is evoked to highlight the volatility of material opulence. By describing Taj Mahal as a solitary tear on the cheek of time, Tagore brings out contrast between the impermanence of material wealth and permanence of art and love epitomized by the monument.

Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz

Click on the link below to listen to the poem Shah Jahan 

 https://youtu.be/FCfg2daIHi8

 Taj Mahal: A detailed study