TAGORE AND ART

LL true-born artists have the divine gift of immortal
youth.”” So said the venerable poet of India, Dr. Rabin-
dra Nath Tagore, who crossed two oceans to bring us

“Some wine of an exotic flavor from a vintage that was old,” a mes-
sage of the soul, deep and full of meaning. We are greatly indebted
to the National Council of Education, since it was through their
efforts that we were given the opportunity of hearing this phil-
_ osopher.

This body brought many other distinguished men and women
to our city. They came from all parts of the world with fresh
thoughts and new ideas. The subject they discussed, ‘‘Education
and Leisure,” was divided into a number of topics: Health, Physical
Culture, Games and Athletics, Hobbies and Handicrafts, Folk Songs
and Dances, Radio, the Cinema, Music and Drama, and Literature;
so there was ample scope for all. Many of the lectures were illus-
trated by films which made them doubly attractive. Our teachers,
realizing its value, urged us to attend the conference, and gave us
three afternoons of the week for that purpose. It was not possible
to go to any of the meetings without deriving great benefit from
them, but the most inspiring message was delivered by Tagore.
Although he spoke of literature, his words may be applied to art
with equal effect.

“A great part of his time and energy, man uses as his capital for
his commerce of life. This is employed for the things that are useful
and for the purpose that is necessary. But, unlike the animal, he
has his surplus of time and energy, which seeks its wealth in things
that have for him their independent value of realty; in other words,
beauty, greatness, and character; it seeks its fulfilment in the free-
dom to reveal the man himself. Self-preservation is the necessity of
animal life, self-revelation is the privilege of the human spirit. Man
labours in a closely fenced field of time, he creates in an unbounded
atmosphere of leisure. Art represents man’s personal world of realty
in which he is revealed to himself in his own light, the light that has
its numerous rays of emotion, visible and invisible. This is what
I said to you is the meaning of the arts. I am sure the meaning is
the same in the East as in the West.”

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