SOME TRIBUTES TO GOETHE

 

                SOME TRIBUTES TO GOETHE

            Goethe was a German poet and prose writer. His full name was Johann Wolfgang von GOethe. He was born on 28 August 1749 and died on 1832. He was also a great orientalist. When he received  in 1791 a copy of the first German translation of  Kalidasa’s  Sakuntala published by Georg Forster, he expressed his appreciation in the following poetic lines which are the English translation  of the original in  Germany:

             Shall I embrace the blossoms of spring, the fruits of the autumn,

            All that enchants and that charms, all that nurtures and fills,

            Shall I embrace in a name all heaven and whole of the earth:

            Call I, Sakontala, thee --- all is comprised in one name.

 

              Goethe’s most famous book is two-part tragic play Faust, and an other German  book Translated as West-Eastern Divan  is a collection of lyrical poems published in 1819 and expanded in 1827.

 

            Now what follows are a few tributes to Goethe who is famous all over the world for his vast wisdom on many subjects.

 

1.     We consider Goethe to be a richly educated Poet, no less than a richly educated Man; a master both of Humanity and of Poetry; one to whom Experience has given true wisdom, and the “Melodies Eternal’ a perfect utterance for his wisdom.---Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881).

 

2.     In the width, depth and richness of his criticism of life, Goethe is by far our greatest modern man.----Matthew Arnold  (1822-1888).

 

3.     Whenever a Virgil, a Dante, a Shakespeare, a Goethe is born, the whole future of European poetry is altered. ---T. S. Eliot (1888-1965).

 

4.  Never was there a time when it seemed more necessary that Goethe’s spirit should be kept alive among us now when international relations between the leading powers of the world are severely strained and when ideological fanaticism are darkening all wise counsels and extinguishing human sympathies.----Dr. S. Radhakrishnan . (1888-1975).

 

5.     Goethe goes much deeper than Shakespeare; he had an incomparably greater intellect than the English poet and sounded problems of problems of life and thought Shakespeare had no means of approaching even, ----Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950).

                                         

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G.R.Kanwal

17 April 2026

ADMIRABLE THOUGHTS

 

          ADMIRABLE THOUGHTS

            In his book of song offerings called Gitanjali  (1913), the Indian poet, philosopher and political thinker Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)  prayed in a song, at a time when India was under the British rule :

            Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;

            Where knowledge is free;

            Where the world has not been broken

            up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;

            Where words come out from the depth of truth;

            Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection :

            Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into

            the dreary desert sand of dead habit ;

            Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and         action---

            Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

 

India became free from the British rule on 15 August 1947. But even today after about 79 years of freedom, the minds of most of the people are not without fear and their heads are not held high. Narrow domestic walls are still there.  Words are not coming out from the depth of truth.  The clear stream of reason has still lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit; and the country is not being led forward by God.

 

Morality has rather declined. Selfishness more than selflessness is on the rise.

 

People look at their fellow citizens as strangers and do not help them if they see them being killed by criminal wayfarers before their very eyes.

 

Unfortunately, the whole world which should have embraced Tagore’s prayer is becoming violent and unethical . Deadliest weapons are being manufactured and sold like other goods and chattels.

 

War-minded leaders feel proud that they have crippled  some  weaker country by using their powerful military power.  

Peace-makers are  now rare. Apostles of non-violence like the Indian freedom fighter Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, also known as Mahatma Gandhi  (1869-1948),  are nowhere to be seen.  

 

            Finally, here is a relevant quote:

Non-violence is a powerful force for change, emphasizing strength, compassion, and the rejection of retaliation. It is a sword that heals and a means to transform conflict through love rather than force.       

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G. R. Kanwal

16 April 2026

                

 

                                                  

                                 

A HYMN OF TRUST

 

 

                                    A HYMN OF TRUST

 

            “A HYMN OF TRUST” was  written by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1804- 1894).  He was an American  physician physician, poet and polymath based in Boston. According to available details he was grouped among the fireside poets and was regarded as one of the best writers of the day.

 

            The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table (1858) is regarded as one of his best known prose works, and his most famous quotes are:

           

            “We do not quit playing because we grow old,  we grow old because we quit playing”. “ A moment’s insight is sometimes worth a life’s experience”. “I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving “.  “Wisdom is the abstract of the past, but beauty is the promise of the future”.  “Man has his will, but woman has her way”.

                

            The poem “A Hymn of Trust” focuses on divine help  in life’s hardships. It affirms the nearness of God in every unfortunate situation. Look at the third quatrain of the four-quatrain poem, in which the poet says:

             

            When drooping pleasure turns to grief,

            And trembling faith is changed to fear,

            The murmuring wind, the quivering leaf,

            Shall softly tell us, thou art near.

           

            As the title indicates the poem is a hymn of trust in God’s helpfulness during  our difficult situations .   

 

            By definition, a hymn is a spiritual lyric of praise, adoration, or prayer directed toward a deity or saint.

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G.R.Kanwal

15 April 2026

 

THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SQUIRREL

 

                                THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SQUIRREL      

            “The Mountain And The Squirrel” is a humorous and satirical poem written by the American poet and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson . He was born at Boston on 25 May 1803 and died at Concord on 27 April 1882.

            Asa writer, he is best remembered for leading the 19^th century transcendentalist movement in his country.

            Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement. It emphasizes intuition, individualism, and the inherent goodness of people and nature.

            Emerson believed in a shared, universal divine spirit known as the “Over-Soul” which stands for a direct connection between the individual soul and God. It also lays emphasis on self-reliance and idealism whereby the superiority of the spiritual world has an upper hand over the physical one.

             In his poem “The Mountain And The Squirrel” which is reproduced below, Emerson deals with the relationship between the natural world and human beings; the former is represented by the mountain, and the latter by the squirrel.

            Both the mountain and the squirrel are unique due to  their individualistic .  Whether somebody is huge or small is immaterial. All beings are  to be judged by their own peculiar  qualities.  

            The poem ends with the following lines spoken by the squirrel which is a  much smaller creature than the mountain:

            Talents differ; all is well and wisely put;

            If I cannot carry forests on my back,

            Neither can you crack a nut.

 

                        What follows is the full text of the poem :   

The mountain and the squirrel

Had a quarrel,

And the former called the latter

"Little prig."

Bun replied,

"You are doubtless very big;

But all sorts of things and weather

Must be taken in together

To make up a year

And a sphere.

And I think it no disgrace

To occupy my place.

If I'm not so large as you,

You are not so small as I,

And not half so spry:

I'll not deny you make

A very pretty squirrel track.

Talents differ; all is well and wisely put;

If I cannot carry forests on my back,

Neither can you crack a nut."

 

                                                                        ********

G. R. Kanwal

14 April 2026      

   

WAR IN ALWAYS UNNESSARY

 

WAR IN ALWAYS UNNESSARY         

            Lord Buddha laid emphasis on right thinking and right doing. War is neither of the two. It is not simply wrong but undeniably criminal and unethical. Its causes death and destruction. Its ill effects are too many. The injuries inflicted by it on humanity, infrastructure, nature, birds and beasts last  for a long time. It is an enemy of prosperity and a friend of adversity. It is always a  game of tears, not of smiles.

            According a relevant  quote : War is a profound catastrophe causing massive loss to human life, widespread destruction of infrastructure, and lasting economic ruin. Beyond physical destruction, it inflicts deep psychological trauma, forces displacement and breaks down social order. It also fuels hatred, promotes brutality, and often targets innocent civilians.

            The causes of war belong to a combination of political, economic, social, and ideological factors. They do not need a war to disappear.

            Referring to inter-personal disputes, it is advised by a counsellor : The more quietly and peaceably we all get on, the better --- the better for ourselves ---the better for our neighbours. In nine cases out of ten the wisest policy is, if a man cheats you, quit dealing with him; if he is abusive, quit his company; if he slanders you, take care to live so that nobody will believe him; no matter who he is, or how he misuses you, the wisest way is generally to let him alone; for there is nothing better than this cool, calm, quiet way of dealing with the wrongs we meet with.     

            The above-mentioned suggestion may not be perfectly relevant to settle disputes between two countries; yet war will never be an effective and safe approach. It will create more problems than solve the existing ones. Here, dialogue and diplomacy, even with the help of a mutually acceptable third party will be surely helpful in settling the dispute and  avoiding war.

            War is certainly an unnecessary way to settle disputes.

             According to a  German Proverb : A great war leaves the country with three armies ---an army of cripples, an army of mourners, and an army of thieves.

 

                                                ********

G. R. Kanwal

13 April 2026

                                                     

 

AN ANCIENT PRAYER

 

                AN ANCIENT PRAYER  

                        “An Ancient Prayer” is an admirable poem written by Thomas Henry Basil Webb. His biographical details are not reliably available anywhere. But the full text of the poem is easily available at relevant sources. It is one of the best loved poems in anthologies consisting of faith and immortality poetry.

                         Here is the full text of the poem:

                Give me a good digestion, Lord, and also something to digest;

Give me a healthy body, Lord, and sense to keep it at its best.

Give me a healthy mind, good Lord, to keep the good and pure in sight;

Which, seeing sin, is not appalled, but finds a way to set it  right.

Give me a mind that is not bound, that does not whimper, whine or sigh.

Don't let me worry overmuch about the fussy thing called I.

Give me a sense of humor, Lord; give me the grace to see a joke,

To  get some happiness from life and pass it on to other folk.

                        The above-mentioned  prayer in the poem is mainly concerned with health and happiness which, according to the poet, depend upon “good digestion” and a mind that does not “whimper, whine or sigh” and also does not allow the poet  ”to worry overmuch about the fussy thing called I.”

                        It is not wrong to say: “We do not die but kill ourselves.”  According to a  proverbial quote : One man’s meat is another’s poison.”

                        The French writer and philosopher Voltaire  (1694-1778)  believed that regimen is better than physic. Every one should be his own physician. We ought to assist, and not to force nature. Eat with moderation what agrees with your constitution. Nothing is good for the body but what we can digest. What medicine can procure digestion?  Exercise. What will recruit strength? Sleep. What will alleviate incurable evils? Patience.

                        To conclude, here  is a relevant quote by the Greek philosopher Plato (427 BC – 347 BC) : Health, beauty, vigour, riches, and all the other things called good, operate equally as evils to the vicious and unjust, as they do as benefits to the just.

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G. R. Kanwal

12^th  April 2026

 

PEACE QUOTES AND PRAYERS

 

PEACE QUOTES AND PRAYERS

            Peace is defined as a state of calmness, tranquility, and harmony. In another sense it means the absence of war and the cessation of hostilities between nations.

            Some common synonyms of peace are: harmony, serenity, security and accord.

            According to the American civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr.:  True peace is not merely the absence of tension but also the presence of justice.

            A few famous  quotes on peace are:

1.     Peace is the happy, natural, state of man; war, his corruption, his disgrace.---James Thomson, Scottish poet (1700-1748).

2.     Five great enemies to peace inhabit with us: viz., avarice, ambition, envy, anger, and pride. If those enemies were to be banished, we should infallibly enjoy perpetual peace.----Italian poet Francis Petrarch (1304-1374).  

3.     Peace  is rarely denied to the peaceful.---German poet and playwright Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805).

4.     Peace hath her victories, no less renowned than war.----English poet John Milton (1608-1674).

5.     Peace is a dear nurse of arts,  plenties, and joyful birth.----English poet and playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616).

            Here is a famous  peace prayer from the ancient Hindu scripture Yajurveda : 36:17:

May there be peace in heaven, peace in the atmosphere, peace on earth, peace in the waters, peace in the herbs, peace in the vegetation. May all the divine powers bring peace. May there be peace in Brahman. May there be peace in all things. May that peace come to me. Om Peace, Peace, Peace.

              In the end, a  Christian peace prayer by St. Francis,   

            Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.

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G.R.Kanwal

10^th April 2026