The Gardener 52: Why Did the Lamp Go Out
The Gardener 52: Why Did the Lamp Go Out - meaning Summary
Love’s Protective Harms
Tagore shows how protective or possessive actions can destroy what they aim to preserve. Each stanza asks why something beautiful or useful failed, then gives a plain answer: shielding, clinging, damming, forcing. The poem presents a moral about balance and respectful restraint, implying that love, control, and overreach can unintentionally cause loss. Its simple questions and causal answers create a quiet, didactic tone that warns against coercion and excessive possession.
Read Complete AnalysesWhy did the lamp go out? I shaded it with my cloak to save it from the wind, that is why the lamp went out. Why did the flower fade? I pressed it to my heart with anxious love, that is why the flower faded. Why did the stream dry up? I put a dam across it to have it for my use, that is why the stream dried up. Why did the harp-string break? I tried to force a note that was beyond its power, that is why the harp-string is broken.
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