One of the stalwarts of Bengali literature Rabindranath Tagore is known all around the world for more reasons than one. The first non- European to have won the Nobel Prize for Literature for his book of poems Gitanjali (The Song Offerings), Tagore remains a pride in every Bengali household. Tagore started writing poetry right from the age of eight and by sixteen his first work had been published under the pseudonym of Bhanushingho. As he grew up, he kept writing short stories and drama and explored widely against the traditional rigid literary forms in Bengali. He loved to experiment and his works won accolades for their naturalism, colloquialism and lyrical flavour. Born in the famous Jorasanko household of Dwarkanath Tagore, Tagore has contributed immensely to the modernisation of Bengali language and literature.
Besides being multifarious in his talents, Tagore had more feathers to his cap than just being famous as a poet, musician, novelist, thespian, orator, elocutionist, playwright and painter. He is probably the only litterateur in history to have written down the national anthems of two countries Bangladesh and India.
In protest to the Jallianwallah Bagh massacre he denounced the knighthood which had been felicitated to him by the British. The 2,230 songs he wrote and composed as Rabindrasangeet are an indispensable part of the Bengali culture. In 1901, Rabindranath Tagore established a school in the premise of the ashram at Shantiniketan which went on to become the Vishwa Bharati University.
Some of his well known novels are Gora, Ghare Bhaire, Shesher Kabita, Chaturanga, Char Adhyay, Jogajog and Noukadubi while his short stories have been published in compilations like the Golpoguchho. Tagore’s poetry has been full of mysticism, visionary, experimental, in an attempt to reconcile with the inner divinity of man. On 7th August 1941, the poet breathed his last at his Jorasanko home.
Here one sample of his greatest works :
“I ask for a moment’s indulgence to sit by thy side. The works
that I have in hand I will finish afterwards.
Away from the sight of thy face my heart knows no rest nor respite,
and my work becomes an endless toil in a shoreless sea of toil.
Today the summer has come at my window with its sighs and murmurs; and
the bees are plying their minstrelsy at the court of the flowering grove.
Now it is time to sit quite, face to face with thee, and to sing
dedication of life in this silent and overflowing leisure.”
(Internet)