Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 1. 1935

Letter ID: 1502

Sri Aurobindo — Nirodbaran Talukdar

December 20, 1935

Nishikanta has written:

“I am tuned in thy tremolo of dreamland, heaven and earth.”

Is the word tremolo all right?

It is rather strange, but perhaps it will do.

The credit of this poem goes entirely to him. You’ll be glad to see that your effort at metrical lessons has proved fruitful.

Evidently with a little care and practice Nishikanta ought soon to be able to handle English metre. He has the gift.

I have no objection to being the trait-d’union in the “mixed parentage”, but for heaven’s sake drop that appendage Talukdar¹, Sir. It is absolutely prosaic when I am trying to be poetic!

All right. Only it is a pity – it was such a mouthful! It may be prosaic in Bengali, but to one ignorant of the meaning it sounds as if you were a Roman emperor.

As for the next poem, it is as usual, of mixed parentage. Please see if it has blossomed as a beauty! Nishikanta finds it one of my best, but when I completed it, I said “Won’t do! Won’t do!”

[Sri Aurobindo underlined “Won’t do! Won’t do!”]

Rubbish! It is exceedingly fine and your won’t do is nonsense.

If NK is right, then my poetic sense is no good, or am I too self critical?

Your poetic sense seems all right when you judge NK’s or other poetry.

Not self-critical, self-depreciatory.

While I was having a nap in the afternoon, I had a vision of a very beautiful woman sitting under the sun. The rays of the sun were either surrounding her or were emanating from her body – I can’t precisely say which. The appearance and dress seemed to be more European than oriental.

It is not a woman. A woman does not radiate and is not surrounded by rays either. Probably a Sun-Goddess or a Shakti of the inner Light, one of the Mother’s Powers.

¹ A small land-holder.

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