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CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS
In the fourth chapter, the study presents the analysis of the poem. The first analysis is about the explication of each poem. This is also the analysis of the
surface meaning of the poem. The second analysis is about Tagore’s view of
education, which also analyze the deeper meaning of the poems. The analyses are presented as follows.
A. The Explication of the Poems
There are three poems, which are being explicated in this part. They are The Child Angel, When and Why, and Benediction. The explication focuses on the
poem’s form, figurative language, and vocabularies. Then, the discussion of each stanza will follow.
1. The Explication of The Child Angel
The Child Angel is one of Tagore’s poems. The poem consists of 15 lines. It
consists of six stanzas and one additional stanza in form of line. Therefore, the total stanzas of this poem are seven stanzas. The language of the poem is a
combination between imperatives and figurative language. The poet mostly uses imperative at the beginning of a stanza see line 3, 7, 10 and 12. The Child Angel
is a part of Tagore’s The Crescent Moon. This poem presents a relation between the poet and the child, as the main character that appear mostly in The Crescent
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Moon. In addition, the poem has three sentences statement that tell the situation around the child. They can be seen in the first, third, and the last stanza. In short,
this Tagore’s poem shows the child’s character as a loveable and pure creature. Starting with the title, The Child Angel, the writer finds it full of meaning.
The combination between two creatures, “Child” and “Angel”, arouses the writer’s idea that the poet uses simile in the title. The simile compares two
creatures. They are the child and the angel. A child often has the connotation of the beginning level of human beings. It has some characteristics, namely weak,
pure, and inexperienced. They know nothing about what happen in its environment or around them. As a weak creature, child still needs guidance from
the adults and encouragements to face their life and become good things or agent of change for their society. There are some encouragements on the second, fourth,
fifth and sixth stanza. However, since the child is still pure, they have yet understood the situation around them. Therefore, the poet gives clear situation
around the child. They are the image of cruelty and chaotic situation. The images are obviously seen by the writer at the first time reading the poem.
The other creature to compare is angel . The word “angel” always excites the
writer. It arouses the curiosity and excitement about this kind of creature. Though God creates human as a “perfect” creature, this kind of creature has a special
ability compared to human beings. That is why many people believe that angel is a God’s messenger. The angel often reminds human of God’s will and there are
some examples about its presence. The bible tells about the presence of angel at least three times. We can see it by the time it was sent to let mother Marry know
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that she would be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. Many stories depict angel as a very kind and good creature. No one will deny those truths, even Hornby 39
s tates that “angel” is a spirit who is believed to be the servant of God. In addition,
this term is also being used to depict a very good and kind person. In addition, the bible often depicts angel as the creature that fights Satan. Its
bravery saves human beings from Satan, which symbolizes anger, cruelty, horror, and many other bad things. The bible uses Michael as the symbol of angel that is
depicted as a good creature. However, some of the angels turned to be bad. Passion had made them turn into bad creature. One that is well known is Lucifer.
He turns into bad as he wishes to be like God. His greed and envy to human also become the reason of his becoming bad. The power and authority that God gave to
him made him lost control. “Child” and “angel” are compared because they have some similarities.
Basically, both of them are pure. Like a piece of paper, they are still white. However, a child still needs guidance so that they will not choose the wrong way
of life. The child is similar to the angel that has two types. They are good angel and bad angel. However, the angels are good basically. Some of the angels turn
into bad because they are greed. It is their passion that changed them. In the title, the poet uses simile to explain the similarities of those two creatures. The poet
arouses reader s’ interest to see the pureness of child and ask them to guide the
child, who is pure, to be a good person like a good angel. The depiction of them is a kind of simile that the poet did on the poem.
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In the discussion of each stanza, the study starts from the first stanza. The first stanza of The Child Angel explicitly explains the situation of the society.
This situation will continue to the third stanza. In those two stanzas, the poet presents “they” to point out to the society. In the first stanza, the poet tells about
many people demanding for something that makes them fight one another. They doubt and despair of what happens around them. The people told in the poem are
those who has lost their hope and do not know when they are going to stop their fight and quarrell. They doubt and despair of their life. The poet makes the iambic
meter predominate the first stanza, as if he wants to talk to the reader. However, the writer found anapestic in the first stanza. The poet uses anapestic to stress the
condition of the society. It functions as a door which opens the condition of the fights, clamor, doubt, despair and quarrelling to the stage that the reader can see it
as if it is in front of them. The spirit that the poet brings cannot be seen without entering the gate of the first stanza.
They clamour and fight, they doubt and despair, they know no end to their wranglings.
Next, in the second stanza, the poet invites the child to be the “flame of
light”. The symbol of flame means light for around it. It makes the situation around visible. In addition, the light means awareness of the situation around. The
symbol draws the poet’s expectation for the child to become the agent of change towards the situation of the society. For that reason, the poet presents the child
explicitly in the last part of the second line of the second stanza. In addition, the PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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child’s character. The symbolization
of spirit through “flame of light” is a simile. The poet compared “the flame of light” with living among the chaotic society. The poet’s
simile draws an invitation for the child. The poet invites the youth to burn their spirit and become a flame of light which could light up the people around them.
The youth must not be afraid of the situation around himher. The poet reflects the situation in the society by using
the word “unflickering”. Therefore, the poet invites the child to be brave in facing their life.
The poet has another expectation too. His other expectation is presented in the
final goal of “light”. It is located in the last part of the second stanza, “delight them into silence”. This part actually presents the idea to avoid any confrontation
and act calmly so that a peaceful situation appears. This idea is in agreement with the poet’s life.
The second stanza has variation in meter. The poet uses iambic in the beginning of the stanza and ends with anapestic in the second line of the second
stanza. Variations on the second line of the second stanza portray persuasion. The poet persuades the child to act calmly and peacefully. In addition, the variation let
the readers see the poet’s spirit. Thus, the persuasion in this stanza is presented using the variation of meter.
Let your life come amongst them like a flame of light, my child, unflickering and pure, and delight them into silence.
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Another situation around the child continues on the third stanza. The poet symbolizes a society that is full of greediness and envy. The representation of
chaotic situation and fearful situation is presented in a simile. It compares “words”
with “hidden knives”. A knife is often described as a short weapon used to attack enemy that is nearby. It is an effective weapon to attack the enemy. Like the
words, a knife also has another good function. Both knife and word are things, can be usefull or dangerous for others according to its user. The similarity of the
words and knives might be the reason of the poet to compare them. Then, a personification follows. “knives thirsting for blood” is a personification for knives
as a dead thing which cannot feel thirsty unlike human. However, the poet represents them as thirsty things. The word “thirsty” may be interpreted as
someone who is never satisfied with the things they got, as an adult who always chases power and anything that can be done by them. The anapestic meter in this
stanza presents terror to the reader. It brought up the chaotic situation which could kill someone inside the society. The lyrics of the stanza bring the reader deeper
into the situation of chaos. They are cruel in their greed and their envy, their words are
like hidden knives thirsting for blood.
In the fourth stanza, we can find another persuasion towards the child. The poet uses the imperative go and stand. The imperatives show direct order to the
children. The poet orders the child to go in the middle of unkind situation as presented in the first and the third stanza. What the child should do is the same as
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presented in the second stanza. A peace movement to end the chaotic situation is necessary. In this stanza, the poet stresses more about that situation. This stanza
ends up with retelling the situation of the society which is full of conflict as stated “The strife of the day”, which means conflict between people.
Another simile appears in this stanza. The poet compares “gentle eyes” and
“the forgiving peace” in the second line of the stanza. Gentleness is related to kindness or good will. Then, a person who acts gently means a person who is able
to show mild movement like a child’s character that is gently. The gentleness of the people hopefully makes them create peaceful situation. Those characters
belong to the child. If the characters are followed by the people, there will be peace in the society.
The simile presents poet’s expectation that the child is able to bring peace to the society.
In this stanza, the poet is talking to the reader at the first line of the stanza. The poet shows his talking through iambic meter. Then anapestic appear in the
last line of the stanza. It slows the rhyme of the stanza. This stanza flows as a tired condition after arguing or fight for something.
Go and stand amidst their scowling hearts, my child, and let your gentle eyes fall upon them like the forgiving peace of the
evening over the strife of the day.
The fifth stanza of The Child Angel depicts the poet’s persuasion towards
the child as also appears in the second stanza. It shows the poet’s persuasion to the
child so that heshe could show up to the society and tell them that there is love above all. The poet wants the child to show up because they have what the society
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do not. It is love. It is also poet’s expectation for the people that they can follow
the love that the child taught. The use of “let” soften the persuasion. “Let,” means a direct attention to other people. It also means a polite instruction to others. In
addition, the poet draws his persuasion for the society. The poet wants them to love one another.
Thus, the stanza presents poet’s expectation to the child and the society.
This stanza combines anapestic and iambic meter. The combination of anapestic and iambic presents a harmony which flows calm but full of love. The
image is strengthened through the use of child’s character which is loveable. It is stated in the last line of the stanza. That is why the imperative looks mild. It does
not persuade the people harshly, but just slowly. Let them see your face, my child, and thus know the meaning of
all things; let them love you and thus love each other.
Just before coming to the last stanza, the poet presents an additional line. This line is located between the last stanza and the fifth stanza. It functions to
implicitly draw another character other than the child and the society. It is a character of an adult who becomes the child’s protector. The poet uses the word
“bosom”. It means women breast. This symbol means the mother in child’s world. “The bosom of the limitless” means an unlimited love of mother towards the
child. This also means that the child would be ready to face the world when the adults or mother taught
them. The word “bosom” can also be interpreted as protection or care. This independent line brings a message to the reader that the
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child needs love, care and protection from adults. So, creating a peaceful situation as the poet’s expectation is necessary.
This line contains trochaic and anapestic meter. The combination makes the reader feels that they are invited to the mother’s hug. The combination of the
meter creates an effect of affection. Come and take your seat in the bosom of the limitless, my child.
To end the poem, the poet uses simile to compare things with the nature. The poet presents flower, sunrise and sunset as the comparison with heart and
head. Sunrise is often symbolized as a new hope or the beginning of a working day. When the sunrise comes
, hopefully the child’s heart could grow mature or have been ready to face the world. Sunset often symbolizes the end of days. For
Moslems, sunset means the time to pray. It is also the time for people to come home and meet their family. The last sentence
of the stanza “complete the worship of the day” means that the poet regards life as a prayer. Everything he did is
presented to God. So, it must be the best thing that we do since it is for God. The religious aspect of the poem is presented smoothly in the last paragraph.
At sunrise open and raise your heart like a blossoming flower, and at sunset bend your head and in silence complete the worship
of the day.
In conclusion, the poet presents the condition of a chaotic situation around the child. There are three characters presented in the poem. They are the child, the
society and the mother. This poem regards the child as an agent of change for the PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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society. However, in order to realize it, the society or adults have to teach them in a peaceful condition. A peaceful condition is a situation which is conducive to
learn. As in many poems of Tagore, this poem also presents religious aspects of the poet.
2. The Explication of When and Why
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