Analysis of The Gardener XLII: O Mad, Superbly Drunk
Rabindranath Tagore 1861 (Kolkata) – 1941 (Kolkata)
O mad, superbly drunk;
If you kick open your doors and
play the fool in public;
If you empty your bag in a night,
and snap your fingers at prudence;
If you walk in curious paths and
play with useless things;
Reck not rhyme or reason;
If unfurling your sails before the
storm you snap the rudder in two,
Then I will follow you, comrade,
and be drunken and go to the dogs.
I have wasted my days and nights
in the company of steady wise neighbours.
Much knowing has turned my hair
grey, and much watching has made
my sight dim.
For years I have gathered and
heaped up scraps and fragments of
things:
Crush them and dance upon them,
and scatter them all to the winds.
For I know 'tis the height of wisdom
to be drunken and go the dogs.
Let all crooked scruples vanish,
let me hopelessly lose my way.
Let a gust of wild giddiness come
and sweep me away from my anchors.
The world is peopled with worthies,
and workers, useful and clever.
There are men who are easily first,
and men who come decently after.
Let them be happy and prosper,
and let me be foolishly futile.
For I know 'tis the end of all works
to be drunken and go to the dogs.
I swear to surrender this moment
all claims to the ranks of the decent.
I let go my pride of learning and
judgment of right and of wrong.
I'll shatter memory's vessel, scattering
the last drop of tears.
With the foam of the berry-red
wine I will bathe and brighten my
laughter.
The badge of the civil and staid
I'll tear into shreds for the nonce.
I'll take the holy vow to be worthless,
to be drunken and go to the dogs.
Scheme | abcdebfghijklemnobpfqrsktusvwxyxxz1 k2 2 b3 4 5 6 7 xn8 9 k |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 111001 11110110 101010 111011001 01110110 111010010 11101 111110 101011010 11101001 1111011 011001101 11101101 0010011011 1101111 1011011 111 1111100 1110101 1 1101011 01011101 111101110 11100101 11101010 11100111 1011111 011011110 01110110 01010010 111111001 011110010 11110010 011110010 111101111 111001101 111010110 111011010 111111100 1011011 110110100 01111 10110101 11110101 10 01101001 11011101 1101011110 111001101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,613 |
Words | 305 |
Sentences | 18 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 49 |
Lines Amount | 49 |
Letters per line (avg) | 25 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 1,211 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 303 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 14, 2023
- 1:32 min read
- 100 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"The Gardener XLII: O Mad, Superbly Drunk" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/29576/the-gardener-xlii%3A-o-mad%2C-superbly-drunk>.
Discuss this Rabindranath Tagore poem analysis with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In