Beauty of Ideas in Rabindranath Tagore's Chitra

This research paper intends to explore all the elements and instances of the beauty of ideas in Chitra by Rabindranath Tagore in the light of aesthetic theory “Of the Standard of Taste” by David Hume. Tagore was an epitome of accentuating the internal potentialities of a person, and reaching beyond consciousness through corporation with beauty, which might direct one toward the exhilarating avenues of creative appreciation. Tagore did not worship external beauty as most poets do but he envisions only the beauty of ideas which he has depicted in his writings as the ideal human characteristic. Chitra is replete with the examples of the beauty of ideas. A reader should have a discerning eye and an aesthetic sense to perceive that real beauty which is beauty of ideas. Hume's article will help to awaken that internal sense in the reader. This research is a qualitative research. The contention of this research is to depict that beauty does not lie merely in the physical objects but the beautiful words, feelings, love, sacrifice, nature, prayer, strength etc. can also depict a kind of beauty which only those people can discern who have an aesthetic attitude. All these elements are evident in Tagore's Chitra. The superficial reading of the text reveals that there is a quest of beauty of appearance in Chitra but a closer reading with different perception, understanding, practice, comparison and with a mind free of all prejudices will realize a reader that Chitra is the perfect paradigm of beauty of ideas