This is a new volume in The Mystic Poets Series published by Skylight Paths. Each book contains a brief introduction to the poet's time and place, a summary of the major themes of the poet's mysticism and religious tradition, essential selections from the poet's most important works, and an appreciative essay by a contemporary spiritual writer. Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was an Indian poet, philosopher, songwriter, artist, and educational reformer. Born into a wealthy Bengali family, he was the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.

The preface to this collection of Tagore's poetry is by Swami Adiswarananda, a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order of India and Spiritual Leader of the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New York. He notes that Tagore's "philosophical and spiritual thoughts transcend all limits of language, culture, and nationality. In his writings, poet and mystic Tagore takes us on a spiritual quest and gives us a glimpse of the infinite in the midst of the finite, unity at the heart of all diversity, and the Divine in all beings and things of the universe."

Tagore's influence in his homeland is the equivalent of Shakespeare's in the English-speaking world. The lineaments of India's inner-seeking spirituality can be found in his poetry — manifestations of the Infinite Spirit in nature, intimations of the unity of all things in God, and the liberation of humankind through absolute self-surrender to service and love. Some of our favorite devotional poems are "Have You Not Heard His Silent Steps?", "Break Open the Door," "I Am Here to Sing," and "He Is Me."