Prayer for strength

-Rabindranath Tagore

class 8th poem

This is my prayer to thee my lord - strike,
Strike at the root of penury in my heart.
Give me the strength lightly to be here my joys and sorrows.
Give me the strength to make my love fruitful in service.
Give me the strength never to disown the poor or bend my knees before insolent might. Give me the strength to raise my mind high above daily trifles.
And give me the strength to surrender my strength to Thy will with love.

Glossary

Meanings of new words

Penury: extreme poverty; (here) hardheartedness, lacking love and compassion

Fruitful: bearing abundant fruit; producing results

Insolent: disrespectful; rude

Might: power

Trifles: things of little value or significance

Thee: you (old use)

Disown: to not own

Thy: your (old use)

Surrender: to yield; to give up

Summary Of the poem

The poem “Prayer for Strength” is short but beautiful poem written by Rabindranath Tagore. This inspiring poem from Gitanjali is known as Song 36 in the book Gitanjali. In this poem, the poet prays to God to strike at the core of his heart and remove the ignorance from there. He prays to God to give him strength so that he bears the joys and sorrows of life in the same spirit. It means that the poet wants to be stoic in his nature. He wants to be in the service of humankind with sincerity and humility. He wants to help the poor and never to bend before rude and disrespectful authority. He also prays for strength to raise his head above petty and ordinary things and surrender his strength before the will of God.

Summary Of the poem in hindi

कविता "शक्ति के लिए प्रार्थना" रवींद्रनाथ टैगोर द्वारा लिखी गई छोटी लेकिन सुंदर कविता है।गीतांजलि की इस प्रेरक कविता को गीतांजलि पुस्तक में गीत 36 के रूप में जाना जाता हैइस कविता में कवि ईश्वर से प्रार्थना करता है कि वह उनके हृदय के मूल में प्रहार करे और अज्ञानता को वहां से दूर करे। वह ईश्वर से प्रार्थना करता है कि वह उसे शक्ति प्रदान करे ताकि वह जीवन के सुख-दुख को उसी भाव से सह सके। इसका अर्थ है कि कवि अपने स्वभाव में स्थिर रहना चाहता है। वह ईमानदारी और विनम्रता के साथ मानव जाति की सेवा में रहना चाहता है। वह गरीबों की मदद करना चाहता है और कभी भी असभ्य और अपमानजनक अधिकार के सामने नहीं झुकना चाहता। वह अपने सिर को क्षुद्र और सामान्य चीजों से ऊपर उठाने की शक्ति के लिए भी प्रार्थना करता है और अपनी शक्ति को ईश्वर की इच्छा के सामने आत्मसमर्पण करता है।

Thinking about the poem

Question 1: Why does the poet want God to strike at his heart?

Answer: The poet wants God to strike at his heart so that he could bear the joys and sorrows of poverty and he also prays to God to remove hardheartedness and fill up his heart with love and passion.

Question 2: What does the poet want the strength for?

Answer: The poet wants strength to bear all the joys and sorrows of life, to provide the hand of help to the needy, to stand firm before the insolent people, to be free from the daily trifles and to submit his whole being to the will of God.

Question 3: According to the poet, how can love be made meaningful in one’s life?

Answer: If you love someone and your love changes the life of your beloved ones in a fruitful way then, you have made your love meaningful in one’s life. It can also be made meaningful by employing it in the service of the poor.

Question 4: What should our attitude be towards the poor?

Answer: We should be very helpful to them. We must not abandon them in their hour of need.

Question 5: What does ‘bend my knees’ signify?

Answer: ‘Bend my knees’ in the poem means giving up of one’s courage before insolent people.

Question 6: Why does the poet want to raise his mind high above ‘daily trifles’?

Answer: The poet wants to raise his mind high above ‘daily trifles’ because he wants to overcome the thinking about the things of little value and think about the great things that may be beneficial for the people. He wants to make a good use of his energy by directing it in the service of his Lord and the needy.

Question 7: Why does the poet ask for strength to surrender his will to God’s will?

Answer: The poet asks for strength to surrender his will to God’s will because he gets an utter pleasure in satisfying the will of his Lord. By doing this, his heart will get purified and he will get love from God and will lead a good life.