I won’t Let You Go: A Love’s Claim

“Carriage, autumn sun, noon wind, village path and weary beggar-woman”. At the  beginning of the poem, beautiful scenery was displayed through these specific terms, but suggested a solemn and sad atmosphere. Everything was still, the wife packed for the husband and held back her tears; the husband pretended to be calm and softly said goodbye to his dear wife. It was a so common scene about leaving; the sun blazed, the trees were silent and the people were sorrowful.But suddenly, a soft but firmly voice broke the peace and shocked everyone. “I won’t let you go.” The little girl of the man simply replied this claim solemnly, neither cries nor be noisy.

It’s really incredible for a 4-year-old girl to express her desire with such a strong tone. Commonly, adults are shy and timid, when we have to face those whom we love dearly gonna leave, we may just say such as “I do not wish to let you go” or “I don’t feel like letting you go”  But the child’s love claim for her father is so intense and direct. I’m really interested in this little girl because her reaction for her father’s leave is so mature and calm, which just not like a 4-year-old girl behavior! Pay attention to the words described from line 55 to 60, she “quietly sits with no attempts to close the door or either hold her father’s arm”.  Not like other kids cry to beg  father to stay, she just sadly says some simple words, which is more powerful than physical behaviors.I don’t know whether she knows how to use  the power of words to express her emotion. Maybe she is just unintentional say such words; or maybe she has experienced some things which deeply affect her, so that she can clearly  express her thoughts by saying “I won’t let you go” with no hesitates. What has happened on this girl and on this family? How her weird personality is formed? Why her father firstly is shocked by her claim and then recalls this claim over and over again when he thinks about sky and earth? There are too many questions to be thought and explored, and the sources of a series of questions are the little girl and her unique claim. “I won’t let you go” is more than a claim for love.

Questions:

1. The statement of “I won’t let you go” is the core sentence in this poem and is repeated through the whole poem, so why it be used as the title for this poem?

2. Tagore spend a fair amount of ink to describe different scenery in this poem  , how does this setting works? And also, are the season and weather helpful for convey the feelings of characters?