“The Golden Boat” by Rabindranath Tagore

This essay will critically analyse the poem “ the golden boat “ by Rabindranath Tagore and
argue the poems view of life and how the formal aspects of the poem supports this view. This
poem has a human view of life and this essay will argue that although this poem can be
interpreted in various ways, it is primarily an allegory for the afterlife. This will be argued by
analysing the various symbols in the poem, such as the sheaves, the water and the river and
the boat and how the meaning of these symbols influence the meaning of the poem. This
essay will also analyse how these symbols and imagery relate to the themes of despair, hope,
desperation, the reality of human life and the struggle that people go through to obtain wealth
and happiness and not how not achieving this leads to disappointment.

On the surface this poem is an allegory for human desire. It is about a person who works very
hard for to obtain wealth, “My intense labour here by the river,” ( Tagore, line 23) but they
are still not happy with their life, and want to get away. Therefore when someone comes
along in the golden boat, the character becomes excited at the possibility that they might be
able to get off the river bank and essentially that they will escape their life, “take me aboard”
( Tagore, line 22). This speaks to the way that humans can become unsatisfied with their lives
and what they have, and the notion that money (wealth) does not buy happiness. It also
speaks to how, often, people try to find happiness in other places, if they are not happy with
what they have.

There are various symbols in this poem that can influence and enhance the way that is poem
is interpreted. These metaphors include the sheaves, which represent wealth as accumulated
from the hard work , “ the sheaves lie gathered, harvest has ended” ( Tagore, line 3). The
harvest represents the labour that this person had done to earn the sheaves (wealth). The
water and river may be the most important symbols, “the river is swollen and fierce in its
flow” (Tagore, line 4). This indicates the power of the river as an element of the natural world
because water is a symbol for purification, fertility and birth. Within the Indian context of the
poem, the river could be compared to the mythological Vaitarna river ( reference) this river is
similar to the mythological Greek “ river of Styx” ( reference). this river separates earth from
Nackara ( the underworld ). Once deceased, souls will cross this river in a boat ( reference )
this is similar to what is described in he poem, “waves break helplessly against the boat each
side” ( Tagore, line 14). Once the soul has crossed the river, they are judged by the weight of
their sins by Yama, the god of death. He is able to send people to heaven or hell and purify

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 sins ( Geller). It is said that if a soul cannot cross the river then they will be stuck on the
shore, unable to go to heaven or hell. They will be considered a ghost who cannot pass on and
they will be prevented from being reborn on earth (Geller). This is very similar to what
happens to the character in the poem after the boat leaves with their “ gold paddy” and then
the character is left alone on the river bank, “ on the care river-bank, I remain alone”
( Tagore, line 29). The character is then left with nothing and is stuck without the wealth or a
way off the shore. One way it is believes to increase the chances of getting into heaven is by
giving offering (Geller).

Upon further analysis, keeping in mind the meaning of these symbols, the poem may also be
interpreted as referencing the life of man and how they work their whole lives to accumulate
wealth but then when they die they cannot take it with them , this is supported by the line ,”
my intense labour here by the river- I have parted with it all” ( Tagore, line23-24).

Throughout most of the poem a feeling of sadness is relayed to us through the vivid imagery.
These images create a grim and overall feeling of hopelessness which is used to emphasise
the characters dissatisfaction. These images include the line,” clouds rumbling in the sky:
teeming rain”( Tagore, line 1) which indicates a possible storm. This image alone is
unpleasant, and creates a feeling of uncertainty and fear, especially since the character is
alone on the river-bank. Also the line, “the harvest has ended” (Tagore, line 3) creates an
image of death and draws attention to the lack of life around the speaker because they have
harvested the paddy and the life that had grown has been cut and destroyed. Another image
created by the line, “one small paddy-field, no one but me” (Tagore, line 6) is one of isolation
which can correlate with the line, “ one small paddy-field, no one but me” (Tagore, line 10).
This loneliness and isolation is emphasised by the depressing, grey visual imagery through
the lines, “trees on the far bank; smear shadows like ink on a village painted on deep morning
grey” (Tagore, line 8-9). This image can either represent someone who is miserable in their
life or it can represent one of these souls who are already ghosts , isolated and stuck in a
depressing and grey purgatory. This emphasises the line at the end where we realise that this
person is truly stuck on the shore and there is no way out after the boat has left,” on the bare
river-bank, I remain alone” ( Tagore, line 28). The use of language also emphasises the sense
of lonliness with the words “ sad and alone” ( Tagore, line 2).

As said previously, a way to increase the chances of getting into heaven is by giving an
ofereing ( Geller) These sacrifices can be in the form of cattle ( reference). This offering

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 could be represented in the poem in form of the Golden paddy or sheaves that the character
offers to the women in the boat as an attempt to make amends for his sins and get off the
shore and into heaven and find peace. This can be supported by the lines, “take away my
golden paddy when you sail. Take it, take as much as you can load”( Tagore, line 20-21).
Later we can see the characters desperation to get off the island with the line, “ now take me
as well, be kind and take me aboard”( Tagore, line 25). This is obviously the desperation he
has to get out of his situation but ultimately it is too late for him to make offerings so he
remains a ghost and alone on the shore (author unknown).

The character becomes excited and desperate when he sees sight of the woman in the golden
boat approaching and this is a noticeable excitement and attitude shit from the sadness, “oh to
what foreign land do you sail?” (Tagore, line 16). The attitude shift is made clear by the use
of language in the poem such as,” singing “and “ gazes” these words are brighter and have a
lighter and more positive connotation. This could speak to another interpretation of the poem.
On another level, this poem could be referring to a person who is nearing the end of their life.
this creates a sense of urgency to leave the island and a sense of danger is created with the
lines “clouds rumbling in the sky; teeming rain” (Tagore, line 1), “ the river is swollen and
fierce in its flow” ( Tagore, line7) and line, “ Across rain-sky clouds heave to and fro”
( Tagore, line 28).

To conclude, this essay can be interpreted in various ways depending on the interpretation of
the symbols.

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 Reference List

Author Unknown. “Yama-Hindu God of Death | Mytholoy.net. Mythology.net. Retrieved from

Geller, Adrian. 2016. "Yama - Hindu God Of Death | Mythology.Net". Mythology.Net.

https://mythology.net/hindu/hindu-gods/yama/. Accessed: 12/03/2020

Intext _ (Geller 2016)

Author Unknown. “Cow donation ritual: Crossing the mythical river, Vaitarni”. Espírito
Kashi. Retrieved from https://espiritokashi.org/2015/01/18/gau-daan-gift-of-a-cow-and-
vaitarna-river/ on

Kashi, Espírito. 2015. "Cow Donation Ritual: Crossing The Mythical River, Vaitarni". Espírito Kashi.
https://espiritokashi.org/2015/01/18/gau-daan-gift-of-a-cow-and-vaitarna-river/. Accessed:

11/03/2020

Intext (Kashi 2015)

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