summary of The Last Bargain
Answers
The Last Bargain” by Tagore is a sixteen lines poem composed in blank verse conveying a strong message well needed for the materialistic world that no power, money or lust can make us happy. Simplicity and innocence are the most supreme of all.
The poem “The Last Bargain” opens with the speaker walking on the stone paved road and asking out to hire him. The first one who wants to hire him was a king. He came in his chariot and held out his hand to the speaker telling him that he wants to hire him with his power. However, the king’s power counted for nothing and he leaves the place in his chariot.
During the midday, there was an old man with a bag of gold. The speaker wandered along a twisted lane comprised of houses with shut doors. The old man tells the speaker that he would hire him with his money. He measured the gold coins which he carried in his bag but the speaker rejects all his money. The speaker turns away all the money because money will soon be spent and money cannot buy us everlasting happiness.
In the evening, the garden fences were full of flowers. A fair mid comes out and tells the speaker that she would hire him with a smiling face. But her smile faded away and she melted into tears and returns into the dark leaving the speaker alone.
Finally, the bargain is struck by a child who hires the speaker with nothing. While the sun was glowing on the sands and the sea waves lashed along the shores, a child was seen playing with shells. The child raised his head and smiled as if he already knew the speaker. The bargain of the child makes the speaker a free man. Therefore, power, money or lust could not free the speaker but power of innocence had the ability to break away his bondage. The child had the power to enslave him.
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Answer:
The Last Bargain means what the speaker desired. He does not want power, wealth or beauty because they are short-living and never remain forever. They also make the people fear of losing them.
The last bargain is giving up desires and quest for worldly things. It is the bargain of achieving freedom and liberty. It is the bargain of independence, it is the bargain of giving eternal joy and peace to the soul.
Explanation:
Following are the main themes in the poem The Last Bargain:
Worldly Pleasures are Fake
The speaker is offered power, wealth and beauty. However he finds them worthless and short living. For him, these worldly things do not give peace and joy to the soul. A king is always feared of losing his power, a wealthy man is always feared of losing his beautiful girl is always feared of losing her beauty. Hence he rejects them all.
Liberty
The speaker finds that giving up worldly desires and quest for materialistic things is what give the real joy and peace to the soul. The innocence, truth and freedom from worries in the child attracts the speaker and readily accepts what the child offers him i.e. nothing. He feels liberated and independent of clutches of the world and worldly things.