Summary

In the poem Taj Mahal, the poet Rabindranath Tagore addresses the Emperor Shah Jahan. He tells that life, youth, wealth and renown, all float away down the stream of time. The pain of Shah Jahan’s heart, was the memories of his beloved Mumtaz. He wanted to preserve the love, by building a monument. Like sunset, the imperial power also diminishes. But he hoped that at least a single sigh would stay to grieve the sky. Emeralds, rubies, pearls are all like the glitter of a rainbow and they must
pass away. Shah Jahan’s wish was that the Taj Mahal would hang on the cheek of time, like a solitary tear.
Steady rhythm makes the poem perfect. It is divided into uneven-stanzas. Theyfollow a musical flow. The tone is traditional. Rhythm and figures of speech like alliteration(sunset’s crimson splendour), assonance (glitter…tricking), metaphor (stream of time, thunder of imperial power), and personification (cheek of time), make the poem charming. The imagery is brilliant. The word choice is simple.

Words and Meanings

Renown – fame
Imperial – related to an emperor, of superior excellence
Heave – lift throw upward
Emerald – bright green precious stone
Solitary – living alone, without company
Gleam – flash or light

Activity 1

In this poem the poet uses similes. A simile is a figure of speech that draws a comparison between two things, using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’.
Similes from the poem.
Ans: 1. ‘imperial power…….. like a sunset’s crimson splendour.’

‘emeralds, rubies…………… as the glitter of rainbow tricking out empty air’.

Activity 2

Poets use various images to lead the readers to a sensory experience. Images often give us mental pictures that appeal to our senses of sight, sound, taste,touch and smell.
visual (sight) and auditory (sound) images from the poem.
Visual images – Crimson Splendour, Rainbow, Solitary tear

Auditory – Thunder, sigh

Activity 3
EXAM BASED QUESTIONS FROM THE POEM

Analysing Textual Poem

1.What did Shah Jahan know ?
2.What all things do float away ?
3.What is the figure of speech used in “ the stream of time’?
4.What was Shah Jahan’s only dream ?
5.What would fade into sleep ?
6.What would happen to the harsh thunder of imperial power ?
7.What is the figure of speech used in the line ‘Like a sunset’s crimson
splendour’ ?
8.What was Shah Jahan’s hope ?
9.What is the figure of speech used in ‘But as the glitter of rainbow’?10.What are emeralds, rubies and pearls compared to ?
11.What will hang on the cheek of time ?
12.‘Cheek of time’; what is the figure of speech used here?
13.What form does the solitary tear take ?
ANSWERS

Shah Jahan knew that life, youth, wealth and renown float away down the stream of time.
Life, youth, wealth and renown float away.
Metaphor.
To preserve forever his heart’s pain.
Harsh thunder of imperial power would fade into sleep.
Harsh thunder of imperial power would fade into sleep.
Simile.
That at least a single, eternally heaved sigh would stay to grieve
the sky.
Simile.
They are compared to the glitter of a rainbow tricking out empty air.
One solitary tear would hang on the cheek of time in the form of this
white and gleaming Taj Mahal.
Personification (Time is described as a human being. Only human beings have cheeks).
The solitary tear takes the form of Taj Mahal.

Activity 5
Write a profile of Rabindranath Tagore.

Born : 7 May, 1861, Kolkata
Parents : Debendranath Tagore, Sarada Devi
Notable works : Gitanjali, Gora, Rabindra Sangeet
Notable awards : Nobel Prize for Literature, 1913
Founded : Santhiniketan (1901), Viswabharati (1921)
Died : 7 August, 1941.
Answer
RABINDRANATH TAGORE
Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali writer who reshaped Benagali literature and music as well as Indian art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was born on 7 May 1861. His parents were Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi. His notable works are Gitanjali, Gora and Rabindra Sangeet. He founded Santhiniketan in 1901 and Viswabharati in 1921. He became the first non European to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. He died on 7 August 1941.