Favorite Poem Project

“About twenty years ago, I used to look upon myself as an ‘in-between person.’ An ‘in-between person’ was a person who’d been brought up in different cultures and who didn’t belong wholly to any one culture,” says New Jersey-based librarian Jayashree Chatterjee.

Due to various circumstances, Chatterjee and her family moved practically every two or three months.

“So there I was, moving from place to place, wondering whether I’d be able to find another house, wondering whether I was being supportive enough of my husband (who had always been very supportive of me) and, finally, agonizing over whether my girls were going to grow up to be the complete human beings that I wanted them to be.”

Four poets gave Chatterjee consolation during this time. Rabindranath Tagore and his poem was one of them.

Visit the link in our bio to access the full video, in which Chatterjee shares the poem’s connection to her life. Our Poetry Archive contains countless similar videos, in which Americans share their favorite poems and why they love them.

Tell us: what poems have offered you the most consolation during times of personal change? Share in the comments below, or send us a Direct Message. We’d love to hear from you.

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