One of the key literary devices in any poem is imagery, and Rabindranath Tagore certainly uses imagery in his poem "Passing Breeze."
Imagery, as the name suggests, is the way a poet uses images to make sure that the poem creates a picture in your mind as you read. In poetry, you want to have a concrete image to hold onto as you read, rather than just abstract ideas. Here are some of the images that Tagore presents in this poem: "Golden light," "idle clouds," and "morning light." We can visualize this light and the slowness of the day, which helps set the tone of the rest of the poem.
Another literary device poets can use has to do with the sounds of words. Assonance is the repetition of a vowel sound, and in "Passing Breeze," we see that Tagore uses repetitive sounds to create the rhythm of his...
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.
poem. Let's look at the lettere, which is used throughout the poem. He uses words like "leaves" "these," and "breeze" to slow the reader down ever so slightly and force them to focus on the emotion of the poem.
We can also look at the repetition of the word "eyes" in the second stanza. Usually in a poem you would not repeat the same word three times in such a short space, but Tagore does it for emphasis in this poem. Much of the poem has to do with seeing—seeing the light, seeing each other. He wants the reader to focus on eyes and on what it means to see someone and be seen by them.
References
Tagore's poem "Passing Breeze" contains the following literary devices:
1. Personification- the giving of human characteristics to non-human/non-living things.
The following line contains personification given that light cannot dance (typically, it is a description given to light, but the fact remains that people dance- not light.
this golden light that dances upon the leaves
2. Metaphor- comparison between two things not using the words "like/as".
The following line compares clouds to boats:
these idol clouds sailing across the sky.
3. Hyperbole- an exaggeration which is not meant to be taken literally.
The following line contains hyperbolic language:
And my heart has touched thy feet.
This is a hyperbole given ones heart cannot touch another's feet, but the image of it projects a specific feeling/thought.