Gitanjali or the 'Song Offerings' is an English translation of 103 selected poems from Tagore's several books of Bengali poetry. It was largely the Gitanjali the took the Western world by storm and brought him worldwide recognition. It is also poetry of life affirmation: life with its colour and abundance, melancholy and mystery, despondency and joy of fulfilment. The poems are a record of the poet's intimate response to the beauty and splendour of the universe.