On 7th July in the evening a get-together for reading poetry of Rabindranath was arranged at the house of Rothenstein. But the biographer of Rabindranath mentioned the date as 30th June which he rectified subsequently. This date 7th July was earmarked as "international day for reading poetry of Rabindranath." Professor of St. Stephen's College of Delhi Reverend Charles Freer Andrews (1871-1940) was present there on that day and he wrote his experience in an article, Titled "An Evening with Rabindranath" published in "The Modern Review on Aug 1912.
Later Andrews was elected President of the All India Trade Union in 1925 and 1927. He accompanied Gandhi to the second Round Table Conference in London, helping him negotiate with the British government on matters of Indian autonomy and devolution.
While working for Indian Independence Andrews developed a communication between Christians and Hindus. He spent a lot of time at Santiniketan in conversation with the poet and philosopher, Rabindranath Tagore. He also supported the movement to ban the ‘untouchability of outcastes’. In 1925, he joined the famous Vaikom Satyagraha, and in 1933 assisted B.R. Ambedkar in formulating Dalit demandsMay Sinclair wrote a letter on 8th July which was described in the article titled "On the Edges of Time" written by Rathindranath ;
"It was impossible for me to say anything to you about your poems last night, because they are of a kind not easily spoken about. May I say now that as long as I live, even if I am never to hear them again, I shall never forget the impression that they made. It is not only they have an absolute beauty, a perfection as poetry, but that they have made present for me forever the divine thing that I can only find by flashes and with an agonizing uncertainty..
Now it is satisfaction - this flawless satisfaction - you gave me last night.You have put into English which is absolutely transparent in its perfection things it is despaired of ever seeing written in English at all or in any Western language."
Rathindranath wrote that in that evening at the house of Rothenstein many important persons such as Ernest Rhys, Alice Meynell, Henry Nevinson, May Sinclair, Charles Trevelyan, C.F.Andrews were present .
It was revealed from the description given by Andrews the introduction made by Yeats before he read the poetry;
" He told us how he had received it a few days ago and had kept it by him night and day, pondering over the strange beauty of the thoughts that were enshrined in song. The religious spirit that was revealed in it made him go back to the "De Imitatione" for any parallel to it in the West. It had, he said, besides, a feeling of natural beauty which linked it with the poets of the Revolution Period in English literature, - with Keats, Shelley and Wordsworth. At the same time it was singularly and wholly original. It dealt with elemental thoughts of life and death, of home and children, and of the love of God."
After the narration of his introduction, Yeats started reciting the poems with his usual musical,ecstatic voice.
As per description of Andrews he started reciting the poem no.95, and then no.22. etc.;
"At every verse the Bengal scenery -- the monsoon storm clouds, the surging seas, the pure white mountains, the flowers and fields, the lotus on the lake, the village children at play, the market throng the pilgrim shrine -- came before the eyes, moulded into melodies of exquisite sweetness.
The response on the other person in the audience had been described in short by Rathindranath;
"the almost painful silence that followed the recitation; the flood of appreciative letters that poured on the next day". May Sinclair and Margaret Radford wrote individual letters of appreciation. Margaret wrote to Rabindranath on 8th July " I should like to try and tell you if I may what a great experience it was to me , to hear your poems They fill my spirit. I never felt last night save when I first read certain parts of our English Bible. Andrews also explained his feelings in his essays vividly.
