The Tame Bird was in a Cage by Rabindranath Tagore (Summary)

The Tame Bird was in a Cage

                                                                                                      - Rabindranath Tagore

            Rabindranath Tagore was born on 7 May 1961 in West Bengal. He is a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He has an innate attachment to nature. His exploration of nature becomes his main motto in his life. He is referred as the Bard of West Bengal. The poem "The Tame Bird was in a Cage" was published in the poetry collection 'The Gardener'.

            The poem depicts the life of two birds living in two different conditions. One bird is tamed and was in a cage while the other one is free. As birds love to fly over the woods and sing in the forest, it is sure that the caged bird might have felt uncomfortable but get used to the life inside the cage. When the time arrived by fate they both met. The free bird called the caged bird to the forest to fly freely. But the caged bird slowly whispered to the free bird to come into the cage so that they can be there and told that it will teach the other to speak. The free bird found the place inside the cage is very small so that it cannot even flutter its wings freely. As its free the bird loved to fly and sing happily in the woods and not willing to be there inside a cage. By the inspiration of the free bird the caged bird too loved to fly among the woods but found its wings are powerless and dead.

            The poem states the nature of dependence and the independence. Like the caged bird some are dependent and even lost the ability to be free and independent. The poet also criticises the cultural challenges in the country which were influenced by the westerners. According to the poet the human beings are tamed and are dependent on certain aspects like the caged bird. Freedom is the one which all living beings longs for. Even India was under the control of British rule and was longing to be free and independent. Like the cage bird the people of India sort something to get rid of the cage of dependency. It is found that the free bird had a better situation. Humans are longing to be free from social and situational cages.