A Thematic Analysis of Swami Vivekananda’s Poetic Works


The Criterion

The Criterion: An International Journal in English
Volume 17, Issue 2 · April 2026 · ISSN 0976-8165

Open Access
CC BY 4.0
Crossref DOI


A Thematic Analysis of Swami Vivekananda’s Poetic Works


Akshansh Pratap Singh, Dr. Rituraj Trivedi

Indian Literature
Pages 690–706
Article #45
2026V17N2112

DOI

Digital Object Identifier

10.66376/criterion.v17.n2.45

Registered with Crossref · Open Access · CC BY 4.0

Abstract

Swami Vivekananda was a spiritual leader, poet and philosopher, and he has left a permanent impact on Indian English poetry. He wrote little, but his poetic works are rich with mysticism, spirituality and the depth of philosophy. The thematic depth of Swami Vivekananda’s poetry is discussed in this paper through spirituality, imagery, symbolism, and the lyrical beauty of the poems. Vivekananda, grounded in Hindu spirituality and Vedantic philosophy, was frequently inspired by the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita in his poems and in his quest for self-realization and the ultimate Truth. His works largely address the unity of the soul with the divine, the evanescent nature of the material world, and the pursuit of enlightenment. His spiritual way and his belief in renunciation as a path to liberation are reflected in poems such as The Hymn of Samadhi and The Song of the Sannyasin.

Keywords
MysticismSpiritualityVedantic philosophySpontaneityEmotional intensity

Cite This Article — MLA 9th Edition

Akshansh Pratap Singh, and Dr. Rituraj Trivedi. “A Thematic Analysis of Swami Vivekananda’s Poetic Works.” The Criterion: An International Journal in English, vol. 17, no. 2, Apr. 2026, pp. 690–706. DOI, https://doi.org/10.66376/criterion.v17.n2.45.

Article History
Received
3/31/2026/2026
Accepted
21 Apr 2026
Published Online
30 Apr 2026

Journal
The Criterion: An International Journal in English
Volume / Issue
Vol. 17, No. 2 (April 2026)
Pages
690–706
Article ID
2026V17N2112
ISSN
0976-8165

Open Access
CC BY 4.0
Crossref DOI

Open Access · CC BY 4.0 · Crossref DOI ·
the-criterion.com

Scroll to Top