Part I: Post Tagore Poetry Paradigm Movement by Patrichia Dcruze (edited by Surela C)

During the crucial years when India and its people were reeling from the impact of the first world war, Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore deeply felt the pain that humanity was going through due to the civilizational crisis. The world witnessed deaths like never before due to smallpox, malnutrition and suicide. However, these trying times came as a boon in disguise as it gave rise to a crop of talented writers who changed the mores of Indian literature. Writers such as Rabindranath Tagore, Amartya Sen, Jeane Drexel used their pens to unlock the minds of the people.

Tagore through his poems began to instill in the minds of India the importance of nature and the union with God. In his book Gitanjali, he pours his heart, pleading God to restore humanity. At the same time he spreads the message of existence of nature which was getting destroyed due to the modernization introduced by the British.

Early 20th century witnessed significant poetry that brought the concept of modernism in the world of poetry. It was the post-Tagorian period where poets were making efforts to break through the Tagorian style and view. We have some influential names who sketched a deep mark in history of Bengali poetry with their remarkable works. Sudhindranath Dutta (1901–1960), Buddhadeb Bose (1908–1974), Amiya Chakravarty (1901–1986), Jibanananda Das (1899–1954), and Bishnu Dey (1909–1982) are five poets who have received particular praise for their role in developing a post–Tagore poetic paradigm and introducing modernism to Bengali poetry. These five pioneers and a few of their contemporaries drew the outline of modernism in 20th-century Bengali poetry. This article is devoted to celebrating such brilliance. 

Jibanananda Das (1899–1954): 

Jibanananda Das rose to prominence as the most popular poet of modern Bengali literature in the latter part of the twentieth century. He was born in Barisal, then East Bengal, on February 17, 1899. His school years were rather unremarkable. He passed his Matriculation examinations from Brajamohan School in 1915 and his Intermediate exams from Brajamohan College two years later.

Jibanananda Das poems include: “JhoraPalok”, “DhushorPandulipi”, “Bonolota Sen”, “Mohaprithibi”, “Shaat-tiTararTimir”, “ShresthoKobita” and “Ruposhi Bangla”. Here is an analysis of his celebrated work "Bonolota Sen".

Banalata Sen

For thousands of years I roamed the paths of this earth,
From waters round Sri Lanka, in dead of night, to seas up the Malabar Coast.
Much have I wandered. I was there in the gray world of Ashoka
And of Bimbisara, pressed on through darkness to the city of Vidarbha.
I am a weary heart surrounded by life's frothy ocean.
To me she gave a moment's peace—Banalata Sen from Natore.

Her hair was like an ancient darkling night in Vidisha,
Her face, the craftsmanship of Sravasti. As the helmsman when,
His rudder broken, far out upon the sea adrift,
Sees the grass-green land of a cinnamon isle, just so
Through the darkness I saw her. Said she, "Where have you been so long?"

And raised her bird's-nest-like eyes—Banalata Sen from Natore.

At day's end, like hush of dew
Comes evening. A hawk wipes the scent of sunlight from its wings.
When earth's colors fade and some pale design is sketched,
Then glimmering fireflies paint in the story.
All birds come home, all rivers, all of life's tasks finished.
Only darkness remains, as I sit there face to face with Banalata Sen.

Understanding Bonolota Sen (1942) by Jibanananda Das: 

Banalata Sen is Bengali literature's most timeless poetry. She is a beacon of hope, a glimmer of light in the depths of the night, and a particle of joy in the void. She is the embodiment of mankind. Bonolota represents the romantic ideal of love throughout the years. In this poetry, love is freely advocated in opposition to the negative and conventional belief around it. Due to her oriental heritage, Bonolota is equally sensitive and caring.

Jibanananda Das uses free verse in this poem as well as all of his previous works. The poet’s use of words one of its many outstanding features. Through his magnificent words, Jibanananda has captured the void. He travels to historic places in search of tranquility but fails. In addition to being joined by Bonolata Sen, he arrives at Natore's hypothesis.

Amiya Chakravarty (1901–1986):

One of the best literary critics of the post-Tagore era, Amiya Ckakravarty, was also well-known as a poet. Amiya's full name is Amiya Chandra Chakravarty; however, he is most commonly referred to as Amiya Chakravarty in the literary community. He joined Visva- Bharati in 1921 after earning a degree from St. Columba's College in Hazaribagh, first as a student and subsequently as a teacher. From 1924 to 1933, he served as Rabindranath's literary secretary. During this time, he was close friends with the poet and frequently discussed his opinions on local, national, and global politics. He accompanied Rabindranath on his travels to Europe and the United States in 1930 and to Iran and Iraq in 1932. Dwijesh Chandra Chakravarty, his father, served as the diwan of Assam's Gauripur Estate. Anindita Devi, his mother, was a well-known feminist author.

In 1937, he received a D.Phil., and from 1937 to 1940, he worked as a senior research fellow at Oxford University. He published both poetry and prose, winning the Sahitya Akademi Award for Ghare Pherar Din and the UNESCO Prize for his novel Chalo Jai. Also, he was awarded the Padmabhushan by the Indian government and the Desikottama by Visva-Bharati. Few of his well-known works include: "The Traveller", "Petition to The Boss", "Calcutta".

The Traveller

A mountain village in Iran:
Our car halts under linden trees,
The heart of a poppy field
Opens with a red silky sky, and a warm mild scent.
Stepping out on the road, between Qasvin and Kerman
A dusty traveler, I open the thermos bottle, take the mountain scene
And busily look at the map: Where am I?

Unknown clusters of homes, strange life, alien tongue,
Kindliness in eyes, blue domed mosque,
Life blossoms a desert rose.

Where am I?
Spreading heart's harvest, and blue wind on the hills,
The children's looks from under pulled-down caps,
Some voice reached my receding ears, across the heavy car's horn

---Hardly did I hear---

'Amid willow's murmur and the voice of waterfall in houses,
With the green rug of grass spread under trees,
And gardens with tea served in noonday's light,
Rest a while,
For you are HERE:
In this World, your home.'

The Traveller by Amiya Chakravarty:

The poet here describes his visit to a village in Iran. Chakravarty describes himself as a ‘dusty traveller’ who is capturing the beauty of the place with his sharp sight. He and his companions are somewhere between Qasvin and Kerman. The place is surrounded by people who are leading a life that he is unfamiliar with, speak a language that is unknown to him but their eyes reflect kindness and houses a blue domed mosque. 

Amiya’s car stops amidst a poppy field in the afternoon time where he gets to smell the fragrance of spring. Children are seen peeping through their caps. Ignoring the car horns, the rustling of the trees and the sound of waterfall, he could listen to his conscience that answered his repetitive question, “Where am I?”: “You are HERE: In this World, your home.” Finally, he got the answer that he was looking for from the moment he stepped into the calm mountains of Iran.

The post Tagore poets had to face the harsh criticisms of readers who were not in favour of this paradigm shift. But not every one of them has stood the test of time. While we discussed Jibanananda Das and Amiya Chakravarty in this article, we will take you on the journey to discover the lives and works of Sudhindranath Dutta , Buddhadeb Bose and Bishnu Dey in the upcoming article of this two-part series.

Reference links: 

1)  www.thedailystar.net/literature/in-remembrance-of-jibanananda-das-573622%3famp

2) https://rupkatha.com/benjamin-tagore/

3) https://unacademy.com/content/upsc/study-material/general-awareness/geetanjali-rabindra-nath-tagore/

4) https://blogs.loc.gov/catbird/2017/02/rabindranath-tagore-a-great-indian-poet-and-writer/

5) https://www.clearias.com/rabindranath-tagore/

6) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jibanananda_Das

7) https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse?contentId=27892

8) https://www.visvabharati.ac.in/AmiyaChakravarty.html

9) https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Chakravarty,_Amiya

10 https://tagoreanworld.wordpress.com/2011/11/06/amiya-chakravarty-1901-86/

 Picture: Wikipedia