Review about Rabindranath Tagore

? Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore also known as Gurudev, was a renowned Bengali poet, playwright, novelist, visual artist, composer, educationist, social reformer, nationalist and business-manager. He contributed a lot to Bengali literature and music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

He was the first Asian Nobel Laureate who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. Tagore wrote several novels, short stories, songs, dance-dramas and essays on personal and political topics. To mention some of his well-known works are Gitanjali, Gora and Ghare Baire.He received worldwide appreciation for the use of colloquial language and naturalism in his works. Two of his songs are now the national anthems of India and Bangladesh - the Jana Gana Mana and the Amar Shonar Bangla and respectively.

Life of Rabindranath Tagore Tagore was born on May 9, 1861 in an affluent family in the Jorasanko Mansion in Kolkata. His parents were Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi. As a teenager two of his notable works include the short story Bhikarini and Sandhya Sangeet. Most of his basic education was at home.After a short stay in England in an attempt to study Law, he returned to India and instead pursued a career as a writer, poet, playwright, song composer, philosopher and educator.

On December 9, 1883 he married Mrinalini Devi. In 1915 he was knighted by the British king, King George V. In 1890, Tagore began managing his family's estates in Shilaidaha, a region now in Bangladesh. After a prolonged suffering, Tagore passed away on August 7, 1941. Works of Rabindranath Tagore In 1901 and 1906 he composed Naivedya and Kheya. In 1912 he returned to England when for the first time he translated his collection of poems - Gitanjali into English.

After it was published Tagore immediately became famous among the literary circles in London. Gradually his work received international recognition. It was for the first time a glimpse of the mysticism and sentimental beauty of the Indian culture were revealed to the West through his work. In 1901, Tagore combined the best of traditional Hindu education with Western ideals and founded Visva Bharati at Shantiniketan . In 1921, Tagore and agricultural economist Leonard Knight Elmhirst set up the Institute for Rural Reconstruction in Surul near Shantinekaton.

Tagore compiled fifteen volumes of writings, including the prose-poems, Punashcha (1932), Shes Saptak (1935) and Patraput. He wrote dance dramas including Chitrangada (1914), Shyama (1939) and Chandalika (1938), and wrote the novels Dui Bon (1933), Malancha (1934) and Char Adhyay (1934). He even wrote Visva-Parichay, a collection of essays based on science. Novels : Tagore wrote eight novels and four novellas, including Chaturanga, Shesher Kobita, Char Odhay and Noukadubi. His novel Ghare Baire dealt with Indian nationalism and the Swadeshi movement.

Gora, another novel was based on casteism.One of his most famous novels was Chokher Bali. Short Stories: The three-volume Galpaguchchha, a collection of eighty-four stories reflect Tagore's views on his surroundings. Some of his short stories reflect the simple life of rural people. His story Kabuliwala has touched the heart of the kids.

Few of his other noted short stories are Haimanti, Strir Patro, Atithi and Darpoharan. Poetry : Tagore's poetry included ballads sung by Baul folk singers. His Bhanusimha poems reflect the romance between Radha and Krishna. His other well-known poems include Africa, Manasi, Sonar Tori, Balaka and Purobi.

However it was Gitanjali, his best known collection of poems which has achieved international acclaim. Plays : A rhythmic flow of emotions can be noticed in Tagore's plays and dance dramas. Dak Ghar a famous play by Tagore deals with an ailing child named Amal. To name some of his significant plays are Visarjan, Raktakaravi and Raja. Chandalika and Chitrangada are two of the important dance dramas by Tagore.

Music and Artwork : Tagore's songs commonly referred to as Rabindrasangeet have emerged as an integral part of the Bengali culture.Influenced by the thumri style of Hindustani classical music Tagore's songs reflect a wide range of human emotions. He was the only one to have written the national anthems of two nations - India (Jana Gana Mana) and Bangladesh (Amar Shonar Bangla). At the age of sixty Tagore started painting. His artworks were showcased in several art exhibitions in Europe.

He adopted various styles in his paintings including the craftwork by the Malanggan people of northern New Ireland, Haida carvings from the west coast of Canada and woodcuts by Max Pechstein. Political and Social ViewsTagore supported the Indian nationalists and the Swadeshi movement. He renounced his knighthood in protest against the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. His compositions Chitto Jetha Bhayshunyo and Ekla Chalo Re have mass appeal. He criticised orthodox education lampooning it in the short story Tota-kahini. Tagore stressed on multi-cultural education.

He opposed the Indian caste system and criticised untouchability. Impact and Legacy Several festivals are organized in honour of Rabindranath Tagore. Some of the major ones include Kabipranam, The Annual Tagore Festival in Urbana, Illinois in the United States and the Rabindra Path Parikrama.Rabindra Racanavali reflecting Bengali culture is one of the greatest literary achievements in Bengali art and literature.

Tagore was famous throughout North America, Europe and East Asia. He was the key figure in founding Dartington Hall School and influenced the Japanese Nobel laureate Yasunari Kawabata. Nobel laureate and Economist Amartya Sen stated that even for modern Bengalis, Tagore was a "towering figure". On account of his extensive range of literary works and achievements, Rabindranath Tagore was proclaimed as "the greatest poet India has produced". *************************************************