The Concept of Place and Displacement in Gitanjali 63 and Psalm 84: A Comparative Study

Name of Author : Chrisma S. Pearl, Dr. Joseph Dunston

Abstract: The term displacement has been widely employed in postcolonial studies, to refer to the physical or psychological transition faced by the colonised. Though Tagores oeuvre was not influenced by the postcolonial discourse, his poem (Gitanjali 63) sheds light on the concept of place and displacement. He brings out the unpleasant side of displacement in the first few lines of the poem, extending an solution for the same in the latter lines. On the other hand, Psalm 84 is a hymn of pilgrimage, wherein the Psalmist considers himself as a mere traveller in this world. He sets himself free from the pain of feeling/being displaced in this world by choosing not to draw his identity from the temporal things of this world. Both these works bring home a similar fact: a man who has found his home in an eternal being, i.e., God, can never be/feel displaced in this world.

Keywords : Place and Displacement, Identity, Pilgrimage, Postcolonial Discourse, Home

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