A Comparative Perspective on Kabir and George Herbert's Poetry

Sucheta Chaturvedi

doi:10.54392/ijmrd2145

Abstract

The Bhakti movement in India attempted reforms by fighting caste rigidities and superstitions. Almost around the same time the Cambridge reformers were attempting to reform the Catholic Church and propagating Protestant ideas. This paper attempts a comparative perspective on George Herbert’s poetry in relation to some aspects of Bhakti poetry in India, especially with reference to Kabir. George Herbert who was a Metaphysical poet is classified as a devotional poet for the corpus of religious poetry he wrote. The approach of this Metaphysical poet and poets like Kabir from the Bhakti movement has certain points of comparison. Certain similarities in the discourse of the disciple as slave to his Lord; as the lover in search of a union etc. finds place in this discussion. This paper engages in a close study of the religious poetry of George Herbert and that of Kabir in relation to the trends of the Bhakti movement. The language used by most Bhakti poets is simple and words from the vernacular languages of India find a presence in pure or mixed form. Kabir uses the ‘sadhukkadi’ or ‘khichdi’ language. Though Herbert wrote in the English language the world-view of both the poets is quite similar. Some of the images and the philosophy that manifests itself in the two poets are examined through this comparative study.

Highlights

In the sixteenth century the Cambridge Reformers and primarily William Tyndale began the translation of the Bible in 1522 with the goal of making the Bible accessible to everyone
George Herbert who was a Metaphysical poet is classified as a devotional poet for the corpus of religious poetry he wrote
This paper engages in a close study of the religious poetry of George Herbert and that of Kabir in relation to the trends of the Bhakti movement

Summary

Introduction

In the sixteenth century the Cambridge Reformers and primarily William Tyndale began the translation of the Bible in 1522 with the goal of making the Bible accessible to everyone. A noise of passions ringing me for dead Unto a place where is no rest (Rhys,181) Kabir shares his insight about true faith and mocks man’s materialistic distractions when he suggests: माला तो कर में फफरै, जीभ फफरे मख माहीुं। मनवा तो चहुंढदसस फफरै, यह तो ससमरन नाढहुं ।। (कबीर,१७) He indicts the ritualistic practices that had crept into Indian society and mocks specially the priestly class that promoted vain rituals. He satirizes the devotee who poses to be lost in worship with the prayer beads in his hands, whereas his mind wanders in worldly matters. The devotional poetry of both poets is about their devotional practice which is based on a democratic approach to religion

Conclusion

Conflict of interest