Death and Disease in Rabindranath Tagore’s works: Still the Music Will Play On

Abstract

Death is an enigma that creates a sense of finality, and catharsis in the human mind. Death and disease have always had a strange fascination for creative minds. Epidemics and Pandemics have swept through the world and humanity has faced tragic en mass encounters with death since times immemorial. Art has effectively depicted the trauma, anguish, and devastation felt by mankind in this whole process. Literature has acted its role and has served as a great medium for sharing the pain of the bereaved humanity. Tagore, a herculean figure in the firmament of Indian Literature, could not remain untouched by the concept of death and disease. It reflects in his creative pieces that although he accepted death and disease as the parts of life, he could not help being caught in a philosophic pondering over the insignificance of human life against the potent power of disease and death.