Lover's Gift and Crossing

The first poem in Lover's Gift is, appropriately enough, addressed to Shah Jahan, the man who built the Taj Mahal to enshrine the memory of his beloved and their love. Tagore's gifts to his lover are his songs lyrical offerings at the altar of love.

In Crossing, Tagore's poetry gains a religious tone. Images like the boat, the road, the sail and the lantern are used to symbolise the ultimate journey to God, the universal lover. A perfect complement to Lover's Gift, these poems clearly reveal Tagore's mystical genius.