The gardener

The gardener is a collection of lyrical poems written by Rabindranath Tagore and first published in 1913.

This book of poems looks at love, longing, nature and what it's like to be human.

Unlike Gitanjali, which is more spiritual, The Gardener focuses on earthly love and feelings, often expressed through the voices of lovers, people who wander and people who seek something.

The poems make the reader feel deep desires, separation and beauty, using strong images drawn from nature and everyday life.

Many of the verses reflect unfulfilled love and the fact that human relationships don't last forever, capturing a delicate balance between joy and sadness.

"In the morning I cast my net into the sea.
I dragged up from the dark abyss things of strange aspect and
strange beauty—some shone like a smile, some glistened like
tears, and some were flushed like the cheeks of a bride.
When with the day's burden I went home, my love was sitting in
the garden idly tearing the leaves of a flower.
I hesitated for a moment, and then placed at her feet all that I
had dragged up, and stood silent.
She glanced at them and said, "What strange things are these? I
know not of what use they are!."