TAGORE'S 'HEAVEN OF FREEDOM': A STUDY IN RECEPTION THEORY

The Reception Theory has been one of the significant developments in the world of literary theories in the 20th century. It is believed to have emerged from the Phenomenological and Hermeneutical churnings; the former emphasizes a work of art to be an intentional object, being different from the real and ideal objects and the latter considers a work of art as a means of elevating self-understanding. It is maintained that meaning of a work of art is dynamic, rather than rigid. Understanding of a text is decided by the embedded meaning in the text as well as the horizon of expectations of the reader. In the same way, a text is considered to be a potential structure which is concretized by the readers and of course successive generations of readers. In the light of the Reception Theory “Heaven of Freedom” a celebrated poem by Rabindranath Tagore can be understood in the present context.