Nirodbaran

Correspondence with Sri Aurobindo

Second Series

2. Art and Literature

Poetic Inspiration and Yoga

We may have progressed in literature, but the outer nature remains almost the same.

Outer human nature can only change either by an intense psychic development or a strong and all-pervading influence from above. It is the inner being that has to change first, a change which is not always visible  outside. That has nothing to do with the development of the faculties which is another side of the personality.

So I am thinking of using my effort and labour in the direction of sadhana.

That is another question altogether. But such sadhana means a slow and laborious work of self-change in most cases (twelve years, you know), so why not sing on the way!

It seems one must have sensitiveness or sensibility in order to be an artist. Otherwise, one cannot create. Artists can't also stand criticism.

Not quite that. Sensibility, yes. One must be able to feel things. Exaggerated sensitiveness is not necessary. Men of genius have generally a big ego, can't be helped, that.

T weeps oceans if criticised. L goes red etc. It's the mark of the tribe.

I hear that James Cousins said about your poem “Rishi” that it was only spiritual philosophy, not poetry.

I never heard that. If I had I would have noted that Cousins had no capacity for appreciating intellectual poetry. But that I knew already, just as he had no liking for epic poetry either, only for poetic “jewellery”. His criticism was of “In the Moonlight” which he condemned as brain-stuff only except the early  stanzas for which he had high praise. That criticism was of great use to me, though I did not agree with it. But the positive part of it helped me to develop towards a supra-intellectual style. As “Love and Death” was poetry of the vital, so “Ahana”¹ is mostly work of the poetic intelligence. Cousins' criticism helped me to go a stage farther.

11.11.1936

¹ The reference is to the early version, not the one revised and considerably rewritten later (Nirodbaran).

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