Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 2. 1936

Letter ID: 1793

Sri Aurobindo — Nirodbaran Talukdar

December 7, 1936

Guru, yes, unfortunately I am “an infant”. But is infancy the reason, really? I thought it is a question of opening of some inner channel that is the secret. If that opens or is opened up, then the infant can grow old in a day.

Here you are illegitimately changing the metaphor. What has a channel to do with infancy and old age? You are doing in prose what you don’t want J to do in poetry.

J, you know, was no better than an infant and she ran equal with me in poetry, didn’t she? All of a sudden see where she is!

Because there are infants and infants. Some grow quick, others slowly.

She has not only caught the animal whole and alive, but most marvellously and rapidly, while I have not been able to catch even a hair of the tail!

My dear sir, she let the inspiration through and didn’t mind whether she understood it or not – or at least if she did mind, it didn’t stop her from following it.

She has written 4 sonnets today, and each one better than my single production of 2 or 3 days’ labour! Why haven’t I been able to do it?

Because of your mind which is active.

Next, what about D who couldn’t write a single line and flourished in so short a time?

That was his vital vigour and confidence. As for you, you refuse to enthuse.

Sir, the mystery is a little deeper, methinks. If you so wanted this instant, you could have made me an “old man” or at least more than an infant!

Have to work under the conditions you offer me.

I began this poem night before last, wrote 3 stanzas quickly, but had to stop, as it was rather late. Perhaps I should have finished it then somehow, as the flow was coming?

Yes, not good to stop the flow, unless you have got to the stage when you are sure of picking it up again.

By the way, I am thinking of reading some more English poems to be able to write better.

It should certainly be a helpful thing.

So shall I devote the afternoon to reading instead of writing?

Unless you feel a sudden inspiration. Then throw the book aside