Rabindranath Tagore

Indian poet, Nobel laureate

Modern influential 95 sayings

Sayings by Rabindranath Tagore

What is art? It is the response of man's creative soul to the call of the real.

early 20th century — From his essays on art, often quoted.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I have dipped my soul into the world's sorrows and joys, and I have found the meaning of life.

early 20th century — A sentiment from his poetry, exact quote difficult to trace.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Emancipation from the bondage of the soil is no freedom for the tree.

1916 — Stray Birds
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The mind, like a river, flows on and on, but the spirit, like a mountain, stands firm.

early 20th century — A common sentiment in his philosophical writings, exact quote hard to pinpoint.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The problem is not how to get rid of your enemies, but how to get rid of your friends.

early 20th century — Often attributed as a cynical observation, exact source difficult to verify.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

To be able to love is to know how to live.

early 20th century — Commonly attributed, but specific source hard to pin down.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The dust of the earth is my mother, and the sky is my father.

early 20th century — A poetic expression from his works, exact quote difficult to trace.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The world has kissed my soul with its pain, asking for its return in songs.

1916 — Stray Birds
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

Trees are the earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heaven.

1916 — Stray Birds
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Man's history is the history of his consciousness.

early 20th century — From his philosophical essays, often quoted.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The greed of the rich is the hunger of the poor.

early 20th century — A common social commentary attributed to him, exact source difficult to verify.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high...

1910 — Gitanjali, 'Where the Mind is Without Fear'
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The greatest truths are the simplest, and so are the greatest men.

early 20th century — Commonly attributed, but specific source hard to pin down.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I have spent my life in the company of trees, and I have learned their secret language.

early 20th century — A poetic sentiment often associated with his love for nature, exact quote hard to trace.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The child who is born is not a child, but a promise.

early 20th century — A common sentiment in his writings on childhood and education, exact quote hard to pin down.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The flower is not a flower, but an idea.

early 20th century — A philosophical idea from his writings, exact quote hard to pinpoint.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The mist, like a dream, hangs low over the fields.

early 20th century — A poetic line from his works, exact source difficult to trace.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The silence of the night is full of unspoken words.

early 20th century — A poetic sentiment from his works, exact quote hard to pinpoint.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The world is a dance of joy, and I am a dancer.

early 20th century — A poetic expression, exact quote difficult to trace.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The West has been systematically destroying the culture of the East, and it is a matter of shame that we have allowed it to happen.

1941 — Speech, 'Crisis in Civilization'
Controversial Unverifiable