Analysis of I Burst Into Laughter

Kabir 1440 (Banaras) – 1518 (Maghar)



I burst into laughter
whenever I hear
that the fish is thirsty in water.

Without the knowledge of Self
people just wander to Mathura or to Kashi
like the musk-deer unaware
of the scent in his navel,
goes on running forest to forest.

In water is the lotus plant
and the plant bears flowers
and on the flowers are the bees buzzing.
Likewise all yogis and mendicants
and all those who have renounced comforts,
are on here and hereafter and the nether world -
contemplating.

Friend, the Supreme Indestructible Being,
on whom thousands of sages meditate
and even Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh,
really resides within one's self.

Though He is near, He appears far away -
and that is what makes one disturbed;
says Kabir, listen, O wise one,
by Guru alone is the confusion curbed.


Scheme AXA BCXXX XDEDXXE EXCB XFXF
Poetic Form
Metre 110110 01011 101110010 0101011 1011011111 101101 1010110 111010110 01010101 001110 0101010110 11101 011110110 111001000101 100 1001010010 111011010 010110001 10010111 1111101101 01111101 1110111 1101100101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 755
Words 138
Sentences 7
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 3, 5, 7, 4, 4
Lines Amount 23
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 122
Words per stanza (avg) 27
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

41 sec read
90

Kabir

Kabīr was a mystic poet and saint of India, whose writings have greatly influenced the Bhakti movement. The name Kabir comes from Arabic al-Kabīr which means 'The Great' – the 37th name of God in Islam. Kabir's legacy is today carried forward by the Kabir Panth, a religious community that recognizes him as its founder and is one of the Sant Mat sects. Its members, known as Kabir panthis, are estimated to be around 9,600,000. They are spread over north and central India, as well as dispersed with the Indian diaspora across the world, up from 843,171 in the 1901 census. His writings include Bijak, Sakhi Granth, Kabir Granthawali and Anurag Sagar. more…

All Kabir poems | Kabir Books

1 fan

Discuss this Kabir poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "I Burst Into Laughter" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 6 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/24768/i-burst-into-laughter>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    25
    days
    3
    hours
    26
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    A haiku has ________ lines.
    A 4
    B 2
    C 5
    D 3