Summarize the poem "The Tame Bird was in a Cage" by Tagore.
Plot-wise, this poem is a fairly straightforward poem. There are two birds in the poem. One is a free bird that lives in a forest, and the other bird is a tame bird that lives in a cage. The two birds meet and have a conversation with each other. The gist of the conversation is that each bird wants the other bird to come and join him. The tame bird wants the free bird to come into the cage, and the free bird wants the tame bird to join him in the forest. Each bird presents his opinion that his present location is better than the other bird's location, and each bird counters that argument. For example:
The cage bird whispers, "Come hither, let us both live in the cage."
Says the free bird, "Among bars, where is there room to spread one's wings?"
Then in stanza two there is...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
this example.
The cage bird sings, "Sit by my side, I'll teach you the speech of the learned."
The forest bird cries, "No, ah no! songs can never be taught."
While the plot of the poem is simple, the poem has a way of sparking some interesting debate among readers. Which bird does indeed have it "better"? The final line seems to leave readers with the impression that the tame bird is quietly admitting that the free bird has it better; however, without having experienced both worlds, neither bird is able to effectively judge the "superior" environment. I also like presenting my classes with the idea that this poem illustrates the opposite idea of the grass always being greener on the other side of the fence. In this poem, each bird thinks his "grass" is best.
What is the lesson in Rabindranath Tagore's poem "The Tame Bird was in a Cage"?
One of Tagore's lasting legacies to all of literature is that he composed works where the "lesson" was not something entirely easy to grasp. There is little simple in his work. The poem is question is a great example of this. If there can be a clear lesson pulled from it, there might be a statement being made about the nature of the balance between dependence and independence. The poem discusses the fundamental challenge in any relationship where individuals have to step outside of their own condition and absorb the reality of another. In a setting where relationships are predicated upon "equality" and "partnerships" of proportional share, this is quite challenging. In the end, one of the birds will have to sacrifice their own condition in the hopes of enjoying the shared love with the other. Either the caged bird must risk the outside world or the free bird must capitulate to living in the cage. Tagore writes for a world audience, and his ideas are ones that challenge both the "West" and the "East." This would be one of those conditions that Tagore brings out where both cultures would have challenges in trying to grasp his overall meaning. In the end, the lesson that emerges is that both birds, clinging to their own notion of the good, are left to ponder only what could have been in a world of what is, where loneliness and forlornness is the only condition. In order to fully grasp what can be when two people are in love, Tagore seems to be suggesting that some level of discomfort and risk to sacrifice one's condition in the hopes of another is the only way to find happiness with another.