Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Rabindranath in America - Urbana (contd-44)

( The photograph was taken in Urbana 1916)
He said something on " Personality of Art" to the members of Unity Club in Unitarian Church on 24th Dec, 1916.
On 25th Dec, he read in the house of Dr. Arhur Seymour  the essay, " The World of Personality" to he members of the Tagore Circle and " The Second Birth" on 26th Dec.
On 27th Dec at the house of Prof. (Dr.) Jacob Kunz he met with the members of Tagore Circle and read the drama " Sannyasi". Mrs. Seymour wote," when... the poet read his play "Sanyasi' at christmas party given by Dr. and Mrs.Kunz to the Tagore Circle, the envious will begin to question if the abode of the gods was really a mountain and not rather a humble, unpretentious prairie."
On 28th Dec, He raed the essay, "My School"; in Marrow Hill.
on 29th Dec He read which was read many times, " The Cult of Nationalism". This essay was criticised as " destructive and not constructive". Mrs Seymour wrote about this;
"I am purpisely overemphasizing this criticism, because through it we may reach to the very spirit of Mr.Tagore's message. It is not his purpose to "build up", as the American so singly demands.  He names his lecture the cult of Nationalism, and this very name proclaims that he does not come as the advocate of any cult. He would free us from cult and restore humanity to her place in our lives. He does not belive in Cults, he believes in God and in the divine in all life. He believes in a kind of living that will allow the fullest development and expression of human living , of spiritual unfolding.
On 30th Dec, he read ' Nationalism in India". This essay was read for the first time.
"Daily Illini" informed on 4th Jan. Rabindranath went to the Observatory of the University,'where for the first time he viewed the stars and the moon through a large telescope". Rabindranath was curious about Astrology from his very childhood.
On 31st Dec he left Urbana and went to chicago.