Letters of Sri Aurobindo

(On Poetry and Literature)

Third Series

Contents

Section One

The Process, Form and Substance of Poetry

1.	Three Elements of Poetic Creation.
2.	Three Essentials for Writing Poetry.
3.	Essence of Inspiration.
4.	Poetic Fluency.
5.	Inspiration and Effort.
6.	Correction by Second Inspiration.
7.	Joy of Poetic Creation.
8.	Pressure of Creative Formation
9.	Form and Substance of Poetry.
10.	Rhythm and Significance
11.	Types of Perfection in Poetry.
12.	Poetic Austerity and Exuberance (1)
13.	Poetic Austerity and Exuberance (2)
14.	Poetic Austerity and Exuberance (3)
15.	Poetic Austerity and Exuberance (4)
16.	Epic Greatness and Sublimity
17.	Poetic Nobility and Grandeur: Epic and Ballad Movements.
18	Philosophy in Poetry.
19.	Mystic Poetry - Philosophising in Poetry-Objection to Repetition
20.	Poetic Intuition and Critical Intellect.
21.	The Two Parts of the Poetic Creator.
22.	Need of Life-Experience for Literary Creation.
23.	Relation between the Personal Character and Life-Experience and the Work of an Artist.
24.	The Illusion of Realism (1)
25.	The Illusion of Realism (2)

Section Two

Sources of Poetic Inspiration and Vision ―Mystic and Spiritual Poetry

1.	Sources of Poetic Inspiration.
2.	Vital Poetry.
3.	The World of Word-Music
4.	Earth-Memory Art–Dream Inspiration
5.	Poetry of the Inner Mind and Dynamic Vision
6.	Poetic Intelligence and Higher Mind.
7.	True Inspiration and Poetic Rhetoric
8.	A Personal Appreciation
9.	Poetry of the Intuitive Mind.
10.	Poetry of Spiritual Vision
11.	Mystic and Spiritual Poetry.
12.	Mystic Poetry of Higher and Lower Planes.
13.	Sunlight and Moonlight Mystic Poetry-Inspiration and Revelation.
14.	Symbolic and Mystic Poetry.
15.	A Comparison between Arjava's "Totalitarian" and Walter de la Mare's "Listeners".
16.	A Comparison between A'S "Pharphar" and Walter de la Mare's "Arabia".
17.	Truth behind Poetic Images.
18.	Mystic Symbols.
19.	Symbolism and Allegory (1)
20.	Symbolism and Allegory (2 )
21.	Psychic and Esoteric Poetry.
22.	Psychic and Overhead Inspiration
23.	Overhead Poetry.
24.	Overmind Rhythm and Inspiration
25.	The Mantra
26.	Overmind and Aesthetics–Critical, Intellect and Mystical Poetry.
27.	Use of "High-Light" Words in Spiritual Poetry.
28.	Use of Undignified Words in Poetry.
29.	Overhead Inspiration and Overmind Aesthesis.
30.	Greatness and Beauty on Poetry.

Section Three

Poetic Rhythm and Technique

1	Two Factors in Poetic Rhythm
2	Importance of Metre and Technique
3	Inspiration and Study of Technique.
4	English Quantitative Verse and Classical, Metres - Melody of English and Bengali Languages.
5	Comments on Milford's Views on Quantity in English Verse.
6	Quantitative Metre in Bengali Poetry.
7	Failure of Early English Hexameter.
8	Accent in English Rhythm.
9	The Alexandrine.
10	Octosyllabic Metre
11	Combination of Iambics and Anapaests.
12	The Problem of Free Verse.
13	Imperfect Rhymes.
14	Bengali Gadya-Chhanda.
15	Invention of New Metres.
16	Unpopularity of New Metres–Cryptic Poetry
17	Comments on some Experiments in Metre (1)
18	Comments on some Experiments in Metre (2)
19	Comments on some Experiments in Metre (3)
20	Comments on some Experiments in Metre (4)
21	Nursery Rhymes and Popular Songs.
22	Difference between a Song and a Poem.
23	Sonnet and Satire

Section Four

Translation of Poetry

1	Two Ways of Translating Poetry
2	Freedom in Translation
3	Literalness in Translation
4	Importance of Turn of Language in Translation
5	Difficulty of Catching Subtleties in Translation
6	Translation of Prose into Poetry
7	Remarks on Bengali Translation of an English Poem.
8	Remarks on Bengali Translation of "Six Poems"
9	Remarks on Bengali Translation of a Poem of Shelley
10	Shelley's Skylark–Imperfections of Great poets Essential significance of Shelley's Poetry
11	Difficulty of Translating Urdu Songs into English–Preference of Krishna to Rama.

Section Five

Modern Poetry

1	Contemporary English poetry (1)
2	Contemporary English poetry (2)
3	Contemporary English poetry (3)
4	Latest Trend in English Poetry
5	Modern Art and Poetry
6	Surrealist Poetry (1)
7	Surrealist Poetry (2)

Section Six

Indo-English Poetry

1	Achievement of Indo-English Poetry–literary Decadence in Europe
2	Future of Indo-English Poetry
3	Mental Theories and Poetic Freedom
4	Pitfalls of Indo-English Blank Verse
5	Practical Suggestions for Writing English Poetry (1)
6	Practical Suggestions for Writing English Poetry(2)
7	Requirements for Writing Good English
8	Current Use of English Language

Section Seven

Appreciation of Poetry and Art

1	Appreciation of Poetic Value
2	Subjective Element in Criticism of poetry and Art
3	Experience of Beauty
4	Contemporary Judgment of Poetry
5	Abiding Intuition of Poetic and Artistic Greatness
6	Final Verdict on Creative Work
7	Comparison of the Arts
8	Poetry and Novel
9	Musical Excellence and General Culture
10	Comment on Croce's Theory of Aesthetics

Section Eight

Poetic Creation and Yoga–Utility of Literature, etc. in Sadhana

1	Reading and Poetic Creation and Yoga
2	Poetic Creation and Yoga
3	Silence and Creative Activity
4	Creation by the Word
5	Writing for the Divine
6	Development of Mind and Sadhana
7	Reading and Real knowledge
8	Spiritual Value of Poetry
9	Utility of Literature, etc. in Yoga (1)
10	Utility of Literature, etc. in Yoga (2)
11	Utility of Literature, etc. in Yoga (3)
12	Literature and Change of Nature
13	Novel-Read=> Section Nine *Poets–Mystics–Intellectuals*

1	The Poet and the Yogi
2	The Poet and the Prophet
3	Born Poet and Genius
4	Genius and Yoga
5	Classification of the World's Greatest Poets (1)
6	Classification of the World's Greatest Poets (2)
7	Goethe and Shakespeare; Homer, Vyasa and Valmiki
8	Importance of the Power of Poetic Expression
9	Blake (1)
10	Blake (2)
11	Yeats and AE
12	Yeats and the Occult (1)
13	Yeats and the Occult (2)
147	D.H. Lawrence (1)
15	D.H. Lawrence (2)
16	D.H. Lawrence and Modern Poetry (1)
17	D.H. Lawrence and Modern Poetry (2)
18	D.H. Lawrence–Human Ego-Centricity–Attitudes towards Human Defects
19	Wordsworth's Realisation
20	Coleridge's "Ancient Mariner"
21	Browning
22	Baudelaire
23	Michael Madhusudan
24	Great Prose-Writers
25	Intellectual Capacity of Mystics
26	The Mystic and the Intellectual–Bernard Shaw
27	Estimate of Bernard Shaw
28	Wells–Chesterton–Shaw
29	Shaw as a Creative Mind
30	Bertrand Russell
31	Comment on a Statement of B. Russell
32	Anatole France
33	Bhatkhande

Sri Aurobindo is now universally recognised as a Master-mystic and philosopher and a great poet, but very few know that he is also a literary critic of exceptionally fine discernment and unfailing judgment, having at his command a wide and intimate knowledge of the literatures of India and Europe. His main work in this field is embodied in "The Future Poetry" but it lies embedded in the long defunct volumes of "Arya", a philosophical Journal which he conducted about a quarter Century ago. The letters on poetry and literature included in the present volume were written by him to a few of his poet-disciples in answer to their questions and though not intended to give any systematic or exhaustive treatment of the subject, they are yet valuable, in as much as they contain his illuminating opinions on the main issues relating to the creation and appreciation of poetry and literature. They are now made available to the public in the hope that the authentic guidance which Sri Aurobindo gave to his few disciples may also prove helpful to others seeking true direction in their attempts at poetic and literary creation and appreciation, especially in the Spiritual field where he is not only a supreme Master himself but also a leader and guide to others.