Gitanjali's poems are not very long, averaging about 25 lines. The lines themselves bear just a few words. And though the language used is very good for someone of her age, the poems do not bear the rhyme or lyrical quality of most renowned poets. The emotional expression, however, is just as strong, if not stronger than the best of them. Gitanjali's 110 poems, written during the period of her illness, feature the people, things and emotions that affected her life the most. Her family, her friends, her pets, nature, sadness, joy, death and, above all, God, among others. Most of her poems are tributes and messages to each of these characters. Through the poems one also gets a picture of Gitanjali's mental state between the time she was diagnosed with cancer and her death. Some of the poems carry the natural and obvious plea for help and respite from a person who is fully aware of her impending end. She begs of God to give her a new lease on life. But most of her poems, however, carry an unimaginable fortitude. The courage she has displayed, knowing that her life is drawing to a close, is something we can all learn from. She accepted death and often had conversations with death, requesting it to come unnoticed so that the people around her would not be hurt too much. She seemed to worry more about her loved ones than herself. Self-pity is one element that has not really featured in any of Gitanjali's poems. She seemed to have made the most of whatever little time she was handed on earth.