My Favourite Poem-7: ‘No Man is an Island ‘ by John Donne

No man is an island entire of itself;
every man is a piece of the continent,
a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less,
as well as if a promontory were,
as well as any manner of thy friends or of thine own were;
any man’s death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know
for whom the bell tolls;
it tolls for thee.

This is a great favourite of mine. I came across this poem first while reading Hemingway’s ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’. This poem highlights the non-dualistic (‘advaidic’) outlook and stresses the interconnectedness of human beings. The inner core of all beings is the same and hence we are all one. It is illusion (maya) that makes us think we are separate. This illusion divides humanity and leads to all sorts of conflicts and blood-shed. Following article beautifully conveys the essence of this poem: ttp://isu.indstate.edu/ilnprof/ENG451/ISLAND/island.html
Authors Bio, Works and other materials: http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/donne/ and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Donne

My Favourite Poem-6: ‘A Smile costs Nothing ‘ (Anonymous)

A smaile costs nothing, but gives a lot.

It enriches those who receive it
Without making poorer those who give it.

A smile takes only moment, but
The memory of it can last for ever.

No one is so rich, or so mighty, that
They can get along without a smile.

And no one is so poor that
They cannot be made richer by a smile.

A smile brings rest to the weary,
Cheer to the discouraged, Sunshine to the sad,
And is nature’s best cure for trouble.

This is also from the collection of Prof.S.Raghunathan.

My Favourite Poem-5: ‘The Ladder of St.Augstine by H.W.Longfellow ‘

We have not wings, we cannot soar;
But we have feet to scale and climb
By slow degrees, by more and more,
The cloudy summits of our time.

…..

The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night.

This is from Prof.Raghunathan’s collection of favourite poems. This is my favourite too. For the full poem, click: http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poem/1330.html
Longfellow’s bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Wadsworth_Longfellow
Poetry of Longfellow: http://www.everypoet.com/archive/poetry/Henry_Wadsworth_Longfellow/longfellow_contents.htm Longfellow’s Works in Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/l#a16

My Favourite Poem-4: ‘Little Things’ by Mrs.J.A.Carney

Little drops of water
Little grains of sand
Make the mighty ocean
And the beateous land

Little deeds of kindness,
Little words of love,
Make our earth an Eden,
Like the heaven above.

This poem came to know through my respected friend, Professor S.Raghunathan. He has been a source inspiration for me for a long period now. I must thank for this poem, and many other goods things. Thank you, Sir, thank you very much!

My Favourite Poem-3: ‘Stopped by Woods’ by Robert Frost

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

WHOSE woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

This is a beautiful poem. The last four lines of this poem have become unforgettable to me. After his passing, these were the lines found on the bedside of Jawaharlal Nehru , written in his own hand. I learnt about this poem only then. As it appealed to Jawaharlal Nehru, it appealed to many people, including ordinary people like me. For the critical appraisal of the poem, click: http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/frost/woods.htm

For Robert Frost’s Biography: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Frost

North of Boston (Selected Poems of Robert Frost): http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext02/nobos10.txt

My Favourite Poem-2: ‘Religious Musings’ by S.T.Coleridge

The Best Prayer

He prayeth well, who loveth well
Both man and bird and beast.

He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small.

For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.

For the full poem, click:
http://www.usask.ca/english/barbauld/related_texts/religious_musings.html

My Photo Album-4: "Rajeev and Suri"

Rajeev is Suri’s another pet. Suri learned one of the greatest truths of life from Rajeev. When he was just less than 4 years old, Rajeev was travelling from Chennai to Karaikudi by a bus. As they boarded the bus at Tambaram, Rajeev’s family had to sit at different places in the bus. Rajeev’s neighbour was a mustachioed and authoritative-looking person. Rajeev immediately asked him whether he was a policeman and when he got a affirmative reply, Rajeev plied him with more questions like whether he had a gun in his house etc. Rajeev’s mother who was sitting two seats away, admonished Rajeev for botherering the fellow-passenger. When I learned about this incident, I asked Rajeev how he dared to talk like that to a policeman? His reply, which was a lesson to me, was: “Why should I be afraid when I have not done anything wrong?” Suri exclaimed, “Aha, not knowing this truth, I had wasted about 45 years of my life fearing everybody needlessly!”

I am uploading a few pictures, which Rajeev drew in MS-Paint. I liked them. Hope you will also like them. Now he is 14 years old and doing 9th Std. Alos uploading a photo of Rajeev taken a few years back. Thank you Rajeev, thank you very much!

My Photo Album-4: "Rajeev and Suri"

Rajeev is Suri’s another pet. Suri learned one of the greatest truths of life from Rajeev. When he was just less than 4 years old, Rajeev was travelling from Chennai to Karaikudi by a bus. As they boarded the bus at Tambaram, Rajeev’s family had to sit at different places in the bus. Rajeev’s neighbour was a mustachioed and authoritative-looking person. Rajeev immediately asked him whether he was a policeman and when he got a affirmative reply, Rajeev plied him with more questions like whether he had a gun in his house etc. Rajeev’s mother who was sitting two seats away, admonished Rajeev for botherering the fellow-passenger. When I learned about this incident, I asked Rajeev how he dared to talk like that to a policeman? His reply, which was a lesson to me, was: “Why should I be afraid when I have not done anything wrong?” Suri exclaimed, “Aha, not knowing this truth, I had wasted about 45 years of my life fearing everybody needlessly!”

I am uploading a few pictures, which Rajeev drew in MS-Paint. I liked them. Hope you will also like them. Now he is 14 years old and doing 9th Std. Alos uploading a photo of Rajeev taken a few years back. Thank you Rajeev, thank you very much!

My Favourite Poem-1 : Tennyson’s ‘Ulysses’

Tennyson’s Ulysses is one of my favourite poems. Whenever I feel depressed or disheartened, I recall this poem and I have read it often. Especially the last few lines of this poem are like a tonic to me.

The long day wanes; the slow moon climbs; the deep
Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends.
It is not too late to seek a newer world.
…….
Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are, —
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

To strive for the best in life; To seek the real meaning of this life; To find what this life is all about; There will be all sorts of difficulties, painful obstacles, formidable challenges; we will fight them all; overcome them all; surmount them all and we will never yield to them. The full poem is just a click away –
Text of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, “Ulysses”