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Rabindranath Tagore

Poet, writer and humanitarian, Rabindranath Tagore was the first Indian to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature and he played a key role in the renaissance of modern India. Tagore is most widely known for his poetry, but he was also an accomplished author of novels, short stories, plays and articles. He took an active interest in a widespread range of social, cultural and artistic endeavours. He has been described as one of the first Twentieth Century’s global man.

“So I repeat we never can have a true view of man unless we have a love for him. Civilisation must be judged and prized, not by the amount of power it has developed, but by how much it has evolved and given expression to, by its laws and institutions, the love of humanity.”

— Sadhana: The Realisation of Life, (1916)

Short Biography Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath began writing from an early age and impressed with his free-flowing style and spontaneous compositions. He mostly rejected formal schooling; he spent much time being taught at home. In 1878 he travelled to England and sought to study law at University College, London, but he left before finishing the degree.

After returning to India, in 1901, Tagore moved to Shantiniketan to found an ashram which became his focal point for writing and his view on schooling. He chose the name for the ashram – Shantiniketan meaning ‘Abode of Peace.’

“Love is the ultimate meaning of everything around us. It is not a mere sentiment; it is truth; it is the joy that is at the root of all creation.”

– Tagore, Sādhanā : The Realisation of Life (1916)

Friendship with Gandhi

Tagore was firm friends with Gandhi and admired him very much. But, despite this friendship, he could be critical of his views. For example, he disagreed with Gandhi’s views on Swaraj protests and upbraided Gandhi when Gandhi claimed an earthquake was ‘divine retribution for the mistreatment of Dalits in India.’ Yet despite the frequent divergence of opinions, they could admire each other. When Gandhi went on a fast unto death, it was Tagor who was able to persuade Gandhi to give up his fast and look after his health.

Nobel Prize for Literature 1913

In 1913, Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature for his work ‘ Gitanjali ‘ This made his writings internationally known and his fame spread throughout the world.

“My debts are large, my failures great, my shame secret and heavy; yet I come to ask for my good, I quake in fear lest my prayer be granted.” – Gitanjali

Rabindranath Tagore with Einstein

This gave Tagore the opportunity to travel extensively giving lectures and recitals in many different countries. He also became acquainted with many of the leading cultural contemporaries of the day; this included W.B.Yeats, George Bernard Shaw , Romain Rolland, Robert Frost and Albert Einstein .

Tagore had a great love for nature and many of his poems invoke the simple beauties of the natural world. For Tagore, his religion could be found in the wonders and mysteries of nature – as much as in temples and sacred books.

Tagore was a prolific composer of music. He composed over 2,000 songs which have been popularised and sung widely across Bengal. Like his literature, he broke away from classical constraints to offer a great emotive and spiritual appeal. Tagore is unique for being the official composer for the national anthem of two countries – India’s Jana Gana Mana and Bangladesh’s Amar Shonar Bangla .

Tagore was an opponent of British imperialism, though he also felt Indians had a duty to improve their self-education; he said that British rule was partly due to the state India had fallen into. In particular, he was very denigrating about India’s obsession with caste.

‘the ultimate truth in man is not in his intellect or his possessions; it is in his illumination of mind, in his extension of sympathy across all barriers of caste and colour, in his recognition of the world, not merely as a storehouse of power, but as a habitation of man’s spirit, with its eternal music of beauty and its inner light of the divine presence.’ – Tagore, The Poet’s Religion’ in Creative Unity (1922) [ 1 ]

In 1919, Tagore returned his knighthood in protest at the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, in which many peaceful Indian protesters were killed.

Tagore was a polymath, and towards the end of his life he took up art and also pursued an interest in science. Tagore was also very much an internationalist, criticising nationalism, though also writing songs and articles in support of the general principle of the Indian independence movement.

“Patriotism cannot be our final spiritual shelter; my refuge is humanity. I will not buy glass for the price of diamonds, and I will never allow patriotism to triumph over humanity as long as I live. “

– Rabindranath Tagore

Tagore view on Religion

Tagore had mixed views on religion. He was brought up in a traditional Hindu family and taught to pray and meditate from an early age. He remembers the peace of mind he developed from chanting the Gayatri Mantra, but at the same time was detached from the more formalistic aspects of religion. He tended to see religion as not scriptures and places of worship but the life we lead. As he explained:

“My religion is my life – it is growing with my growth – it has never been grafted on me from outside.” ~ Tagore to Robert Bridges, 8 July 1914.

He was keen to avoid any fanaticism and saw the strength of his own Hindu religion as its ability to see more than one path to the goal. His life-long aspiration was to see a harmony of religions flourish in India – not from mere tolerance but an appreciation of the different merits other religions had.

‘The Idea of freedom to which India aspired was based upon realization of spiritual unity…India’s great achievement, which is still stored deep within her heart, is waiting to unite within itself Hindu, Moslem, Buddhist and Christian, not by force, not by the apathy of resignation, but in the harmony of active cooperation.’ ~ Tagore in Berlin, 1921.

However, he was also critical of the Hindu caste system.

Tagore’s poetry frequently hint at a mystical view of the world.

“In this playhouse of infinite forms I have had my play, and here have I caught sight of him that is formless.” – Gitanjali “The human soul is on its journey from the law to love, from discipline to liberation, from the moral plane to the spiritual.” Sādhanā : The Realisation of Life (1916)

Tagore died on 7th August 1941, after a long and painful illness, aged 80. He died in his family home.

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan . “ Rabindranath Tagore ”, Oxford, UK www.biographyonline.net , 1st Jun. 2009. Last updated 1 March 2019.

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Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali poet, novelist and painter best known for being the first non-European to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 with his book Gitanjali, Song Offerings . He was highly influential in introducing Indian culture to the West and is generally regarded as the outstanding creative artist of modern India. He was hailed by W.B Yeats and André Gide.

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• Article Title: Rabindranath Tagore Biography
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Rabindranath Tagore

Date of Birth: May 7, 1861

Place of Birth: Calcutta, British India

Date of Death: August 7, 1941

Place of Death: Calcutta, British India

Profession: Writer, song composer, playwright, essayist, painter

Spouse: Mrinalini Devi

Children: Renuka Tagore, Shamindranath Tagore, Meera Tagore, Rathindranath Tagore and Madhurilata Tagore

Father: Debendranath Tagore

Mother: Sarada Devi

Award: Nobel Prize in Literature (1913)

Rabindranath Tagore, who composed the National Anthem of India and won the Nobel Prize for Literature, was a multitalented personality in every sense. He was a Bengali poet, Brahmo Samaj philosopher, visual artist, playwright, novelist, painter and a composer. He was also a cultural reformer who modified Bengali art by rebuffing the strictures that confined it within the sphere of classical Indian forms. Though he was a polymath, his literary works alone are enough to place him in the elite list of all-time greats. Even today, Rabindranath Tagore is often remembered for his poetic songs, which are both spiritual and mercurial. He was one of those great minds, ahead of his time, and that is exactly why his meeting with Albert Einstein is considered as a clash between science and spirituality. Tagore was keen in spreading his ideologies to the rest of the world and hence embarked on a world tour, lecturing in countries like Japan and the United States. Soon, his works were admired by people of various countries and he eventually became the first non-European to win a Nobel Prize. Apart from Jana Gana Mana (the National Anthem of India), his composition ‘Amar Shonar Bangla’ was adopted as the National Anthem of Bangladesh and the National Anthem of Sri Lanka was inspired by one of his works.

Childhood and Early Life

Rabindranath Tagore was born on 7th May 1861 to Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi in the Jorasanko mansion (the ancestral home of the Tagore family) in Calcutta. He was the youngest son among thirteen children. Though the Tagore family had many members, he was mostly raised by servants and maids as he lost his mother while he was still very young and with his father being an extensive traveler. At a very young age, Rabindranath Tagore was part of the Bengal renaissance, which his family took active participation in. He was also a child prodigy as he started penning down poems at the age of 8. He also started composing art works at a tender age and by the age of sixteen he had started publishing poems under the pseudonym Bhanusimha. He also wrote the short story, ‘Bhikharini’ in 1877 and the poem collection, ‘Sandhya Sangit’ in 1882.

He drew inspiration by reading the classical poetry of Kalidasa and started coming up with classical poems of his own. Some of his other influences and inspirations came from his brothers and sisters. While Dwijendranath, his elder brother, was a poet and philosopher, Satyendranath, another brother of his, was in a highly respectable position. His sister Swarnakumari was a well-known novelist. Tagore was largely home-schooled and was trained by his siblings in the field of gymnastics, martial arts, art, anatomy, literature, history and mathematics among various other subjects. In 1873, he accompanied his father and toured the country for many months. During this journey, he accumulated knowledge on several subjects. His stay at Amritsar paved the way for him to learn about Sikhism, an experience which he would later on use to pen down as many as six poems and many articles on the religion.

Rabindranath Tagore’s traditional education began in Brighton, East Sussex, England, at a public school. He was sent to England in the year 1878 as his father wanted him to become a barrister. He was later joined by some of his relatives like his nephew, niece and sister-in-law in order to support him during his stay in England. Rabindranath had always despised formal education and thus showed no interest in learning from his school. He was later on enrolled at the University College in London, where he was asked to learn law. But he once again dropped out and learned several works of Shakespeare on his own. After learning the essence of English, Irish and Scottish literature and music, he returned to India and married Mrinalini Devi when she was just 10 years old.

Establishment of Santiniketan

Rabindranath’s father had bought a huge stretch of land in Santiniketan. With an idea of establishing an experimental school in his father’s property, he shifted base to Santiniketan in 1901 and founded an ashram there. It was a prayer hall with marble flooring and was named ‘The Mandir.’ The classes there were held under trees and followed the traditional Guru-Shishya method of teaching. Rabindranath Tagore hoped that the revival of this ancient method of teaching would prove beneficial when compared to the modernized method. Unfortunately, his wife and two of his children died during their stay in Santiniketan and this left Rabindranath distraught. In the meantime, his works started growing more and more popular amongst the Bengali as well as the foreign readers. This eventually gained him recognition all over the world and in 1913 Rabindranath Tagore was awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming Asia's first Nobel laureate.

The World Tour

Since Rabindranath Tagore believed in the concept of one world, he set out on a world tour, in an attempt to spread his ideologies. He also took along with him, his translated works, which caught the attention of many legendary poets. He also lectured in countries like the United States and Japan. Soon after, Tagore found himself visiting places like Mexico, Singapore and Rome, where he met national leaders and important personalities including the likes of Einstein and Mussolini. In 1927, he embarked on a Southeast Asian tour and inspired many with his wisdom and literary works. Tagore also used this opportunity to discuss with many world leaders, the issues between Indians and the English. Though his initial aim was to put an end to nationalism, Rabindranath over a period of time realized that nationalism was mightier than his ideology, and hence developed further hatred towards it. By the end of it all, he had visited as many as thirty countries spread over five continents. 

Literary Works

During his lifetime, Rabindranath Tagore wrote several poems, novels and short stories. Though he started writing at a very young age, his desire to produce more number of literary works only enhanced post the death of his wife and children. Some of his literary works are mentioned below:

• Short stories – Tagore began to write short stories when he was only a teen. He started his writing career with ‘Bhikharini’. During the initial stage of his career, his stories reflected the surroundings in which he grew. He also made sure to incorporate social issues and problems of the poor man in his stories. He also wrote about the downside of Hindu marriages and several other customs that were part of the country’s tradition back then. Some of his famous short stories include ‘Kabuliwala’, ‘Kshudita Pashan’, ‘Atottju’, ‘Haimanti’ and ‘Musalmanir Golpo’ among many other stories.
• Novels  – It is said that among his works, his novels are mostly under-appreciated. One of the reasons for this could be his unique style of narrating a story, which is still difficult to comprehend by contemporary readers, let alone the readers of his time. His works spoke about the impending dangers of nationalism among other relevant social evils. His novel ‘Shesher Kobita’ narrated its story through poems and rhythmic passages of the main protagonist. He also gave a satirical element to it by making his characters take jibes at an outdated poet named Rabindranath Tagore! Other famous novels of his include ‘Noukadubi’, ‘Gora’, ‘Chaturanga’, ‘Ghare Baire’ and ‘Jogajog’.  
• Poems – Rabindranath drew inspiration from ancient poets like Kabir and Ramprasad Sen and thus his poetry is often compared to the 15th and 16th Century works of classical poets. By infusing his own style of writing, he made people to take note of not only his works but also the works of ancient Indian poets. Interestingly, he penned down a poem in 1893 and addressed a future poet through his work. He urged the yet to be born poet to remember Tagore and his works while reading the poem. Some of his best works include ‘Balaka’, ‘Purobi’, ‘Sonar Tori’ and ‘Gitanjali’. 

Tagore’s Stint as an Actor

Tagore wrote many dramas, based on Indian mythology and contemporary social issues. He began his drama works along with his brother when he was only a teen. When he was 20 years old, he not only did pen the drama ‘Valmiki Pratibha’, but also played the titular character. The drama was based on the legendary dacoit Valmiki, who later reforms and pens down one of the two Indian epics – Ramayana.

Tagore the Artist

Rabindranath Tagore took up drawing and painting when he was around sixty years old. His paintings were displayed at exhibitions organized throughout Europe. The style of Tagore had certain peculiarities in aesthetics and coloring schemes, which distinguished it from those of other artists. He was also influenced by the craftwork of the Malanggan people, belonging to the northern New Ireland. He was also influenced by Haida carvings from the west coast of Canada and woodcuts by Max Pechstein. The National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi houses as many as 102 art works of Tagore.

Political Views

Though Tagore denounced nationalism, he also vouched for the Indian independence through some of his politically charged songs. He also supported Indian nationalists and publicly criticized European imperialism. He also criticized the education system that was forced upon India by the English. In 1915, he received knighthood from the British Crown, which he later renounced citing the massacre held at Jallianwala Bagh. He said that the knighthood meant nothing to him when the British failed to even consider his fellow Indians as humans.

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Adaptations of Tagore’s Works

Many of his novels and short stories were made into films by the renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray. Other filmmakers too, over the years, have drawn inspiration from his works and have incorporated his stories into their movies. As many as 39 stories of his were made into films by various directors and a few other stories were made into TV series. Some of the recent movie adaptations include ‘Detective’, ‘Postmaster’, ‘Jogajog’, ‘Shesher Kabita’ and ‘Tasher Desh.’  

Last Days & Death

Rabindranath Tagore spent the last four years of his life in constant pain and was bogged down by two long bouts of illness. In 1937, he went into a comatose condition, which relapsed after a period of three years. After an extended period of suffering, Tagore died on August 7, 1941 in the same Jorasanko mansion in which he was brought up.

Since Rabindranath Tagore changed the way Bengali literature was viewed, he left an everlasting impression on many. Apart from many of his busts and statues that have been erected in many countries, many yearly events pay tribute to the legendary writer. Many ofhis works were made international, thanks to a host of translations by many famous international writers. There are five museums dedicated to Tagore. While three of them are situated in India, the remaining two are in Bangladesh. The museums house his famous works, and are visited by millions every year.

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Rabindranath Tagore summary

Rabindranath Tagore , (born May 7, 1861, Calcutta, India—died Aug. 7, 1941, Calcutta), Bengali poet, writer, composer, and painter.

The son of Debendranath Tagore, he published several books of poetry, including Manasi , in his 20s. His later religious poetry was introduced to the West in Gitanjali (1912).

Through international travel and lecturing, he introduced aspects of Indian culture to the West and vice versa. He spoke ardently in favour of Indian independence; as a protest against the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre , he repudiated the knighthood he had received in 1915. He founded an experimental school in Bengal where he sought to blend Eastern and Western philosophies; it became Vishva-Bharati University (1921).

He was awarded the 1913 Nobel Prize for Literature. He was the first non-European to win the prize.

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• Rabindranath Tagore - Facts

Rabindranath Tagore

Photo from the Nobel Foundation archive.

Rabindranath Tagore The Nobel Prize in Literature 1913

Born: 7 May 1861, Calcutta, India

Died: 7 August 1941, Calcutta, India

Residence at the time of the award: India

Prize motivation: “because of his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse, by which, with consummate skill, he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West”

Language: Bengali; English

Prize share: 1/1

Rabindranath Tagore was born in Calcutta. Tagore began to write verse at an early age. After completing studies in England in the late 1870s, he returned to India where he published several books of poetry starting in the 1880s. In 1901, Tagore founded an experimental school in Shantiniketan where he sought to blend the best of Indian and Western traditions. Tagore travelled, lectured, and read his poetry extensively in Europe, the Americas, and East Asia and became a spokesperson for Indian independence from British colonial rule.

Rabindranath Tagore's writing is deeply rooted in both Indian and Western learning traditions. Apart from fiction in the form of poetry, songs, stories, and dramas, it also includes portrayals of common people's lives, literary criticism, philosophy, and social issues. Tagore originally wrote in Bengali, but later reached a broad audience in the West after recasting his poetry in English. In contrast to the frenzied life in the West, his poetry was felt to convey the peace of the soul in harmony with nature.

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Rabindranath Tagore Biography: A Journey Through Words and Wisdom

Rabindranath Tagore, or Gurudev, occupies a towering position in Indian literature and cultural history. Born on May 7, 1861, in Calcutta (now Kolkata) , India, Tagore emerged from a family renowned for its intellectual and artistic pursuits. His father, Debendranath Tagore , was a prominent philosopher and leader of the Brahmo Samaj, a socio-religious reform movement. At the same time, his mother, Sarada Devi , provided a nurturing environment steeped in spirituality and creativity.

Rabindranath Tagore is credited with writing the national anthems of both India and Bangladesh. “ Jana Gana Mana ” serves as the national anthem of India, while “ Amar Shonar Bangla ” is the national anthem of Bangladesh. Both anthems are derived from Tagore’s Rabindra Sangeet, reflecting his profound influence on the cultural heritage of both nations.

Rabindranath Tagore Biography

Biography Highlight Table for Rabindranath Tagore

Early Life and Education

Tagore’s early years were shaped by the rich tapestry of Bengali culture, which fostered his innate talent and curiosity. He received a diverse education, blending traditional Indian learning with Western literature and philosophy exposure. This multidimensional upbringing laid the foundation for his future endeavors and shaped his inclusive worldview.

Family Background

The Tagore name originates from the anglicized version of “Thakur.” Originally, the Tagore family surname was Kushari, and they belonged to the Pirali Brahmin community. The Tagores hailed from Kush, a village in the Burdwan district of West Bengal. Prabhat Kumar Mukhopadhyaya, Rabindranath Tagore’s biographer, explained in his book “Rabindrajibani O Rabindra Sahitya Prabeshak” that the Kusharis were descendants of Deen Kushari, the son of Bhatta Narayana. Maharaja Kshitisura granted Deen a village called Kush in Burdwan district, where he became its chief and became known as Kushari.

Literary Career

Tagore’s literary career spanned various genres, each marked by unparalleled creativity and depth.

• Poetry: Tagore’s poetic genius blossomed early, with his first collection, “Kabi Kahini” (The Poet’s Tale), published when he was just 16. His poetry, characterized by its lyrical beauty and spiritual depth, explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition. Works like “Gitanjali” (Song Offerings) brought him international acclaim and earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.
• Prose: Besides poetry, Tagore excelled in prose writing, crafting novels and short stories that reflected the complexities of Indian society. His novels, such as “Gora” and “Ghare-Baire” (The Home and the World), tackled issues of identity, nationalism, and the clash between tradition and modernity.
• Playwriting: Tagore’s contributions to the theater were equally significant. He penned numerous plays, blending poetic language with social and philosophical themes. Works like “Chitra” and “Raktakarabi” (Red Oleanders) showcased his ability to weave compelling narratives that resonated with audiences.
• Songwriting: Tagore’s musical compositions, Rabindra Sangeet, revolutionized Bengali music. With over 2,000 songs to his credit, he infused soul-stirring melodies with profound lyrics, covering many themes from patriotism to spirituality.

Tagore’s Influence on Literature and Society

Tagore’s impact on literature and society transcended geographical and cultural boundaries. His works, translated into numerous languages, continue to inspire readers and artists worldwide. Through his writings, Tagore explored the intricacies of the human experience, offering insights that remain relevant to this day.

Social and Political Activism

Beyond his literary pursuits, Tagore was deeply engaged in social and political activism. He advocated for education reform, founding the experimental school Shantiniketan, which emphasized holistic learning and artistic expression. Tagore also played a prominent role in the Indian nationalist movement, using his platform to champion the cause of freedom and social justice.

Education and Philanthropy

In 1878, Rabindranath Tagore embarked on a journey to London for his studies. Initially enrolled in law courses at University College London, he soon veered towards his true passions. Tagore opted to delve into English Literature, immersing himself in the rich literary traditions of England, Ireland, and Scotland.

Despite his legal studies, writing had always been a fervent passion for Tagore. His literary journey began at a remarkably young age, when he penned his first poem, “Abhilash,” at the tender age of 13. This poem was later published in the Tattvabodhini magazine in 1874, marking the auspicious beginning of Tagore’s illustrious literary career.

Tagore’s commitment to education extended beyond Shantiniketan. He believed in the transformative power of learning and supported various educational initiatives throughout his life. Tagore’s philanthropic endeavors aimed to uplift marginalized communities and promote cultural exchange and understanding.

Rabindranath Tagore At Shantiniketan

Tagore’s disdain for traditional schooling methods is vividly portrayed in his short story “The Parrot’s Training,” in which a bird is confined and fed textbook pages until its demise. This sentiment fueled his vision for a new kind of educational institution. During a visit to Santa Barbara in 1917, Tagore envisioned creating a university to bridge the gap between India and the world, transcending national and geographical boundaries.

The culmination of this vision was the establishment of Visva-Bharati, with its foundation stone laid on December 24, 1918, and its inauguration precisely three years later. Tagore implemented a brahmacharya system, where gurus provided personalized guidance to students on emotional, intellectual, and spiritual levels. Classes often took place outdoors under the shade of trees, fostering a close connection with nature.

Tagore was deeply involved in the school’s affairs, contributing his Nobel Prize winnings and dedicating himself to the role of steward-mentor at Santiniketan. He taught classes in the mornings and devoted afternoons and evenings to writing textbooks for the students. Between 1919 and 1921, Tagore embarked on fundraising efforts in Europe and the United States to support the school’s growth and development.

Nationalism and Patriotism

While Tagore initially supported Indian nationalism, his views evolved. He emphasized the importance of humanism and universalism, cautioning against the dangers of narrow nationalism. Tagore’s vision of patriotism was inclusive, rooted in a deep love for humanity and a commitment to universal values.

Journey Back Home: Mixing Cultures and Growing as an Artist in India

After coming back to India, Rabindranath Tagore got deeply involved in English, Irish, and Scottish literature and music, which really shaped his art. He also got married to Mrinalini Devi, who was only ten years old at that time.

List of Awards won by Rabindranath Tagore

In 1913, Tagore became the first non-European to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his profound and lyrical poetry collection, “Gitanjali.” This prestigious accolade brought global recognition to Tagore’s literary genius and cemented his place in literary history.

Tagore’s Philosophy and Ideals

At the core of Tagore’s philosophy were ideals of harmony, freedom, and the pursuit of truth. He believed in the interconnectedness of all beings and advocated for love, empathy, and understanding as the cornerstones of a harmonious society.

Personal Life and Relationships

Tagore’s personal life was marked by profound relationships that influenced his work and worldview. His marriage to Mrinalini Devi and his close bond with his sister-in-law, Kadambari Devi, deeply impacted his emotional and creative life, serving as sources of inspiration for his literary endeavors.

Rabindranath Tagore’s Travel Journey

During his lifetime, Rabindranath Tagore traveled extensively, spanning over thirty countries across five continents. His journey began in 1878 and continued until 1933, taking him to diverse destinations such as England, the United States, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Europe. Along the way, Tagore engaged with prominent figures, including Albert Einstein, Robert Frost, and George Bernard Shaw. He shared his insights on nationalism, culture, and humanity, advocating for understanding and harmony among nations. Tagore’s travels left an indelible mark on his worldview, enriching his literary and philosophical contributions and fostering cultural exchange on a global scale.

Tagore’s Last Days and Legacy

Tagore passed away on August 7, 1941, at his family estate in Calcutta. However, his legacy continues, inspiring generations of writers, artists, and activists worldwide. Tagore’s timeless works and progressive ideals testify to the enduring power of literature and the human spirit.

Career Facts

• 1961, Satyajit Ray wrote and directed the Indian documentary film “Rabindranath Tagore” to commemorate Tagore’s birth centenary. The film was produced by the Government of India’s Films Division.
• Serbian composer Darinka Simic-Mitrovic utilized Tagore’s text for her song cycle “Gradinar” in 1962.
• American composer E. Anne Schwerdtfeger was commissioned in 1969 to compose “Two Pieces,” a work for women’s chorus based on Tagore’s text.
• Sukanta Roy’s Bengali film “Chhelebela” (2002) featured Jisshu Sengupta portraying Tagore.
• Bandana Mukhopadhyay’s Bengali film “Chirosakha He” (2007) cast Sayandip Bhattacharya as Tagore.
• Rituparno Ghosh’s Bengali documentary film “Jeevan Smriti” (2011) starred Samadarshi Dutta as Tagore.
• In Suman Ghosh’s Bengali film “Kadambari” (2015), Tagore was portrayed by Parambrata Chatterjee.

Rabindranath Tagore’s life and legacy testify to the transformative power of literature, art, and humanitarianism. His profound insights, literary accomplishments, and unwavering commitment to universal values continue to inspire and enrich lives across the globe, ensuring that his legacy remains vibrant and enduring for generations to come.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. was rabindranath tagore a nobel laureate.

Yes, Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for his collection of poems, “Gitanjali.”

2. What is Rabindra Sangeet?

Rabindra Sangeet refers to Tagore’s musical compositions, which blend poetic lyrics with soul-stirring melodies.

3. What were Tagore’s views on nationalism?

Tagore initially supported Indian nationalism but later emphasized a more inclusive and humanistic approach rooted in empathy and understanding.

4. How did Tagore’s works transcend cultural boundaries?

Tagore’s universal themes and profound insights into the human condition resonated with readers worldwide, transcending cultural and linguistic barriers.

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Rabindranath Tagore Biography

Birthday: May 7 , 1861 ( Taurus )

Born In: Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Rabindranath Tagore was an Indian polymath, poet, artist, musician, and ayurveda-researcher. One of the most respected poets of India, Tagore inspired many at a time when the country was going through a tumultuous period during the British rule. One of the most widely acclaimed wordsmiths of India, Tagore was often hailed as ‘Gurudev’ or the poet of poets. Thanks to the sheer brilliance of his narratives and incommensurable poetic flair, he etched an ineffaceable impression on the minds of his readers. A child prodigy, Tagore showed a penchant for literature, art, and music from a very young age. In due course of time, he produced an extraordinary body of work which changed the face of Indian literature. He was not just a mere poet or writer; he was the harbinger of a new era of literature and was thus considered a cultural ambassador of India. Even today, he lives in the hearts of the people of Bengal who are forever indebted to him for enriching their heritage. He was the most admired Indian writer who introduced India’s rich cultural heritage to the West. He is also the first non-European to be honored with the prestigious ‘Nobel Prize.’

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Also Known As: Rabindranath Tagore, Bhanu Singha Thakur, Robindronath Thakur

Died At Age: 80

Spouse/Ex-: Mrinalini Devi

father: Debendranath Tagore

mother: Sarada Devi

siblings: Dwijendranath, Jyotirindranath, Satyendranath, Swarnakumari

children: Madhurilata Tagore, Meera Tagore, Rathindranath Tagore, Renuka Tagore, Shamindranath Tagore

Born Country: India

Quotes By Rabindranath Tagore Nobel Laureates In Literature

political ideology: Opposed Imperialism and supported Indian Nationalists

Died on: August 7 , 1941

place of death: Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Cause of Death: Kidney Infection

education: UCL Faculty Of Laws, St. Xavier's Collegiate School, Presidency University

awards: 1913 - Nobel Prize in Literature

You wanted to know

What is rabindranath tagore known for.

Rabindranath Tagore is known for being a prominent poet, writer, musician, and artist. He was the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.

What is Rabindranath Tagore's contribution to literature?

Rabindranath Tagore's contribution to literature includes a vast collection of poems, songs, plays, essays, and novels. His works often explore themes of nature, love, spirituality, and social issues.

How did Rabindranath Tagore contribute to Indian independence?

Rabindranath Tagore was an influential figure in the Indian independence movement. He used his literary works to inspire and motivate people to fight against colonial rule and advocate for freedom and self-expression.

How did Rabindranath Tagore impact education in India?

Rabindranath Tagore was a pioneer in education and founded the Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan, emphasizing a holistic approach to learning that combined education with nature and creativity. His educational philosophy continues to influence schools in India and around the world.

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Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore was born in Calcutta, India, on May 7, 1861. He was the son of Debendranath Tagore, a prominent philosopher and religious reformer. Throughout his childhood, Tagore was educated by tutors and wrote extensively, despite a marked disinterest for traditional schooling. In 1877, he sailed to England to study. He remained for just fourteen months, during which he was schooled in Brighton, East Sussex and at University College, where he studied law and attended lectures on English literature. He expressed dissatisfaction with the constraints of Western educational practices in England, however, and returned to India. 

Throughout his career, Tagore not only wrote and translated poetry, but published numerous novels, short stories, plays, letters, essays, memoirs, and criticism. He was also known for his musical compositions. Tagore’s most notable work of poetry is Gitanjali: Song Offerings (Macmillan, 1912), for which he received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. He was the first non-European, as well as the first lyricist, to win the prize. Other notable poetry publications, written and published in Bengali, include Sonar Tari [The Golden Boat] (1894) and Manasi [The Ideal One] (1890). Tagore often published first in Bengali, then translated his own work to English. He wrote novels, plays, and short stories in both languages, including the plays Chitra (India Society of London, 1914) and The Post Office (Cuala Press, 1914). He is credited with pioneering the short story form in Bengali literature, with some of his best work collected in The Hungry Stones and Other Stories (Macmillan, 1916) and The Glimpses of Bengal Life (G. A. Nateson & Co., 1913). His short stories were especially famous in India, as many were based on his ten years in Shilaidah and Shazadpur, where he went to manage his family’s estates in the 1890s. During this time, he lived on a houseboat on the Padma River and socialized with the neighboring villagers. His compassion for them, and his belief in education for all, deeply influenced his short stories, as well as his later activism. Tagore’s stances on Indian independence, the caste system, education, religion, and other sociopolitical issues were expressed through his work. 

In his introduction to the English translation of Gitanjali , W. B. Yeats lauds Tagore’s poetic vision, writing: “these lyrics […] display in their thought a world I have dreamed of all my life long. The work of a supreme culture, they yet appear as much the growth of the common soil as the grass and the rushes. A tradition, where poetry and religion are the same thing, has passed through the centuries, gathering from learned and unlearned metaphor and emotion, and carried back again to the multitude the thought of the scholar and of the noble.” 

In 1901, Tagore’s work as an educator and activist led to his founding an experimental school at Shantiniketan, a retreat in rural Bengal that his father created in 1863. There, he hoped to merge Eastern and Western educational traditions. He believed there might be a more natural way for young people to learn, utilizing a method which would foster their imagination and instincts. For a time, he lived at the school, which became the international Visva-Bharati University. In 1912, Tagore left the school to read his work across Europe, America, and East Asia, and to lecture and advocate for Indian independence. In 1919, as a protest against the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, he rejected the British knighthood in 1915. Six years later, Tagore and Leonard Elmhirst founded the “Institute for Rural Reconstruction,” a feature of the Visva-Bharati University experiments. Through the institute, many of the concerns that Tagore expressed in his early short stories came to fruition: he believed rural India was barred from mainstream intellectual and urban life, and sought to facilitate a collaborative education. He requested aid from various artists, donors, and scholars across the world for this project. 

While Tagore pursued writing, teaching, and activism during much of his life, he became recognized as a painter when he was in his sixties, with many of his works enjoying success at exhibitions in Europe. 

Tagore died on August 7, 1941, in Calcutta.  

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• Rabindranath Tagore Biography

Introduction

Rabindranath Thakur was a man of various talents. He was recognized by people all over the globe for his literary works - poetry, philosophies, plays, and especially his songwriting. Rabindranath Tagore was the man who gave India, its National Anthem. He was one of the greatest entities of all time and the only Indian to receive a Nobel Prize.

Rabindranath Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1913, becoming the first non-European to receive the honour. He was only sixteen years old when he was to publish his first short story called “Bhanisimha”, was published. Rabindranath Tagore was born on the 07th of May, 1861 in Kolkata. Rabindranath Tagore was the son of Debendranath Tagore, one of Brahmo Samaj’s active members, a known and celebrated philosopher, and literate. R.N Tagore died after a prolonged illness on the 07th of August, 1941.

Rabindranath Tagore Childhood and Education

While growing up, R.N Tagore shared a very intimate relationship with his elder brother and his sister-in-law. Rabindranath Tagore's father's name is Debendranath Tagore, and his mother’s name is Sarada Devi. Rabindranath Tagore's birthday is on the 7th of May, 1861, and he was born in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency then. It is believed that they did everything together. Rabindranath Tagore's education didn’t seem too impressive. 

R.N Tagore did not enjoy schooling, and he was mostly found procrastinating and pondering for hours. He went to one of the most prestigious St. Xavier’s School, and later, he went to the University of London in Bridgton, England, to study law and become a barrister. Still, as we know, he did not enjoy schooling much; he returned home in two years but without a degree. Even though he did not enjoy schooling much, he was always found with books, pen, and ink. He would always be scribbling things in his notebook; however, he was shy to reveal his writings.

Growing Years and Career

R.N Tagore was only eight years old when he first wrote a poem. By the age of sixteen, his short story got published, titled “Bhanusimha”. R.N Tagore’s contribution to literature is beyond any measure. He was the one who had introduced new verses and prose and also lingua franca in his mother tongue, which is Bangla. R.N Tagore after returning to India after leaving his education, but he did not leave literature. 

R.N Tagore published several books of Rabindranath Tagore poems and short stories, plays, and songs. His most renowned work, called “Gitanjali”, was very well received all over India and England. He is the author of two National Anthems, which are “Amar Sonar Bangla” for Bangladesh and  “Jana Gana Mana” for India. He worked with very unfamiliar and different styles in Bangla Language. Some of them are heavily immersed in social and political satire. He was one of those who believed in global peace and equality. He is one of the pioneers of contemporary Bengali literature. 

After returning to India, he completed and published his book of poems called “Manasi” which was believed to contain his best poems. “Manasi” contained several verse forms which were fresh to contemporary Bengali literature, and it also contained some political and social satire that questioned and mocked R.N Tagore’s fellow Bengalis. 

Besides writing and working on literature, R.N Tagore also participated in the family business. In 1891, he went to East Bengal, which is now in Bangladesh, to look after his ancestral estates and lands at Shahzadpur and Shilaidaha for almost 10 years. He spent some time in a houseboat at Padma river, and his sympathy for village folk became the keynote of most literature later in his life. In East India, poems and other works of Rabindranath Tagore were published as a collection in the book called “Sonar Tari” and a very notable and celebrated play called “Chitrangada”. He has written over two thousand songs which are very popular in Bengal until now. When R.N Tagore was in his 60s, he tried his hand at painting, and for the talented man he was, his works won him a good name among India’s topmost contemporary artists.

Rabindranath Tagore and Shantiniketan

Rabindranath Tagore received his nickname “Gurudev”, out of respect by his pupils at his very unique and special school, which he established in Shantiniketan, called “Visva Bharati University” Santiniketan was developed and founded by the Tagore family. This little town was very close to Rabindranath Tagore. 

R.N Tagore wrote several poems and songs about this place. Unlike other universities, “Visva Bharati” University was open to each student who was eager to learn. The classrooms and the scope for learning in this university were not confined within four walls. Instead, classes took place in open space, beneath the massive banyan trees on the university grounds. To this date, this ritual of attending classes in open spaces is practiced by the students and the teachers. R.N Tagore permanently moved to the school after.

Rabindranath Tagore Death and His Encounters with Death

R.N Tagore was only fourteen years old when Sharada Devi, his mother, passed away. After his mother's sudden and heartbreaking demise, R.N Tagore was mostly seen avoiding classrooms and schooling. Instead, he would roam about his town Bolpur. He had to face the death of several of his loved ones, that too, one after the other, which left him devastated and heartbroken. After his mother, R.N Tagore lost a very close friend and a very significant influence, Kadambari Devi, his sister-in-law. It is presumed that R.N Tagore’s novella called “Nastanirh” was about Kadambari Devi.

It is also believed that she had committed suicide four months after R.N Tagore’s marriage to Mrinalini Devi. There are some serious speculations made about R.N Tagore, and his sister-in-law sharing a very intimate relationship and that maybe the two were in love; however, there has been no confirmation on the same. Later, his wife, Mrinalini Devi, too died due to an illness. He lost his two daughters, Madhurilata, who R.N Tagore adored and was fond of the most due to tuberculosis, and Renuka and his son Shamindranath due to cholera. These deaths shook him to the core, but he never failed to pick up his pen again. Even though all these encounters with death gave him shaping his personality and writing style, he kept longing for a companion who shares the same interests as he does. 

Life was a little less cruel to him at this point. When he found that companion, he had been longing for - his niece Indira Devi, who was highly educated and well-read. R.N Tagore wrote to her about some sensitive details about his life. These letters to Indira Devi witnessed the sheer vulnerability of his emotional state, sensibilities, and experiences. Since Indira Devi had copied all his letters in a notebook; it eventually got published. “Chinnapatra” can give one a glimpse of Tagore’s growth as a human and as an artist. Grief had been a constant part of R.N Tagore’s life, which is often reflected in his literary works; after losing Rabindranath Tagore's wife and daughters, he lost his father too. These years of sadness and sorrow, which were very actively reflected in his literary works, were introduced as “Gitanjali” which won him the Nobel Prize.

Rabindranath Tagore and His Nationalism

R.N Tagore was politically very aware and very critical at the same time, he not only criticized the British Raj, but he was also very vocal about the mistakes his fellow Bengalis and Indians made. These were reflected in the socio-political satires he wrote and published. When R.N Tagore had been awarded a knighthood, as a sign of protest against the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, he repudiated the award. Recognition, fame, money nothing mattered to him when it came to his country. He loved his country, the lands, rivers, and the people of his country very much. 

It is thus quite right to say that Tagore opposed European colonialism and supported Indian nationalists. He also shunned the Swadeshi Movement and urged Indians to accept that education is the way forward. A blind revolution will only lead to the loss of lives and unwanted and unnecessary loss of life.

Rabindranath Tagore and His Love For Literature, Art, and Music

Some of the most renowned works of Tagore which are highly recommended works of literature are “Noukadubi'', “Shesher Kobita”, “Chaturanga”, “Gora”, “Char Adhyay”, “Jogajog”, “Ghare Baire”. “Ghare Baire'' was also produced as a film by another precious talent Satyajit Ray. His novels were very underappreciated in his time but gained a lot of respect after film directors like Tapan Sinha, Tarun Majumdar and of course, Satyajit Ray adapted and made feature films based on his novels. In popular culture, even his songs, poems and novels are employed in Movies and as background scores. The genre of the songs by Rabindranath Tagore are known as “Rabindra Sangeet'' and movies have been adapted and made out of his novels “Noukadubi” and “Chokher Bali”. It is highly recommended to read “Gitanjali'' to appreciate Tagore's poetic style and to appreciate some very heartfelt and moving songs that he wrote, it is recommended to listen to “Tobu Mone Rekho”. 

In addition to all this, Rabindranath Tagore was a commendable artist and musician too. His paintings are celebrated both nationally and internationally and have received wide acclaim. His songs are considered to be at the heart of Bengal culture and his compilations are fondly termed Rabindra Sangeet. These songs elaborate on themes of love, worship, devotion, and so on. RN Tagore started painting at the age of 60. His brilliant artwork is displayed to this day in several museums globally.

Rabindranath Tagore And His Last Days

Rabindranath Tagore died in the place he loved the most. However, the last few years of his life were quite painful.  He was affected by chronic illness during the last 4 years of his life. In 1937, he went into a comatose condition due to this prolonged suffering he was enduring. On August 7th in 1941, this great novelist, poet, musician, and painter passed away quietly in the same Jorasanko mansion in which he was brought up.

Conclusion 

Here is everything students should know about Rabindranath Tagore, his life, his works and his achievements in life.

FAQs on Rabindranath Tagore Biography

1. What are the Famous Books Written by Rabindranath Tagore?

We all know that Rabindranath Tagore took a keen liking to write from a young age. Although he was frequently seen skipping school, you could always find him scribbling something in his notebook. This paved the way for a great future novelist who even received the Nobel Prize for Literature. His works talked about nationalism, social evils, and the need for harmony between Indians. Gitanjali is RN Tagore’s most acclaimed work. It has received critical praise internationally and is loved by all literary aficionados. Here are some famous books are written by Rabindranath Tagore: 

The Home and the world

The Post Office

2. Why is Rabindranath Tagore so Famous?

Rabindranath Tagore is famous for the Nobel Prize Award for literature and he was the first Indian to achieve such huge respect and honour. He had many talents apart from writing great poems. It should be noted that RN Tagore’s popularity in English speaking nations grew in leaps and bounds after the publication of his book Gitanjali. Later in 1913, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for this critically acclaimed book. Another huge factor contributing to Tagore’s growing popularity was the renunciation of his knighthood. He did not accept this honour conferred by the British crown on him in protest against the Jalianwala Bagh massacre. This great poet also toured extensively around Japan and the U.S., where he talked about the importance of nationalism. This helped him earn deep admiration and respect from foreigners all over the world.

3. Why Did Rabindranath Tagore Receive the Nobel Prize for Literature?

The Nobel Prize award was awarded to Rabindranath Tagore in the year 1913 because of his sensitive, impeccable, fresh, unique, and beautiful verse. He expressed his poetic thoughts in his own words that are mostly followed in the West. Rabindranath Tagore is considered responsible for the modernization of Bengali literature. He preserved the cultural heritage of this beautiful language all while breathing some new life into it. Gitanjali is a collection of song offerings that have been penned down by this legendary novelist and poet. It was this book that won him the revered Nobel Prize in Literature. In total, there were 157 poems in that book that touched upon various themes such as devotion, nationalism, worship, etc.

4. What was Tagore’s Stint as an Actor?

We all know that Rabindranath Tagore is famous for writing many dramas that have derived inspiration from Indian mythology and contemporary social issues facing society in those days. He began his drama career writing alongside his brother when he was only a young teenager. At 20 years of age, RN Tagore penned a drama named ‘Valmiki Pratibha’ and also played the lead role of the titular character in it. The drama was based on stories about the legendary dacoit named Valmiki. It is Valmiki who later changed his ways and wrote one of the two greatest Indian epics – Ramayana. This was Tagore’s short stint as an actor.

5. Did RN Tagore Receive a Formal Education?

Rabindranath Tagore’s family always wished that he became a barrister. They sent him to elite schools and universities, in the hopes that he would pursue a career in law. However, young Rabindranath always shied away from rote learning and spent most of his time scribbling down ideas in his notebook. RN Tagore was also enrolled in the University College in London but he dropped out without completing his formal education. However, his love for English, Irish, and Scottish literature soon helped him morph into the much revered and loved novelist he is known as today.

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Rabindranath Tagore Biography: Early Life, Education, Literary Work, Achievements & More

Rabindranath tagore jayanti 2023: he was a great scholar, novelist, essayist, song composer, and playwright. rabindranath tagore jayanti marks the birth anniversary of the famous writer rabindranath tagore. he was born on 7 may, 1861. let us read more about rabindranath tagore, his early life, childhood days, works, family, awards, and achievements..

Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti 2023: The birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore is observed on May 7, according to the Gregorian calendar but according to the Bengali calendar, he was born on the 25th day of Boishakh month. So, in West Bengal, his birthday, as per the Bengali calendar, is being celebrated this year on 9 May. In the article below, learn all about Tagore's early life, his family, education, career and more. 

Rabindranath Tagore: Early life and Childhood Days

He was born on 7 May, 1861, to Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi in the Jorasanko mansion, which is the ancestral home of the Tagore family in Kolkata (Calcutta). Among his siblings, he was the youngest. He lost his mother when he was very young, his father was a traveler, and so he was mostly raised by his servants and maids. At a very young age, he was part of the Bengal Renaissance, and his family also took active participation in it. At the age of 8, he started writing poems and by the age of sixteen, he also started composing artworks and started publishing his poems under the pseudonym Bhanusimha. In 1877, he wrote the short story 'Bhikharini' and, in 1882, the collection of poems 'Sandhya Sangit'.

He was influenced by the classical poetry of Kalidasa and started writing his own classical poems. His sister, Swarnakumari, was a well-known novelist. In 1873, he toured with his father for several months and gained knowledge on several subjects. He learned Sikhism when he stayed at Amritsar and wrote around six poems and many articles on the religion.

Rabindranath Tagore: Education

Rabindranath tagore: established shantiniketan.

His father bought a huge land for meditation and named it Shantiniketan. Debendranath Tagore founded an 'Ashram' in 1863. In 1901, Rabindranath Tagore established an open-air school. It was a prayer hall with marble flooring and was named 'The Mandir'. It was also named 'Patha Bhavana' and started with only five students. Classes here were held under trees and followed the traditional Guru-Shishya method of teaching. This trend of teaching revived the ancient method of teaching, which proved beneficial when compared with the modernised method. Unfortunately, his wife and two children died and he left alone. At that time, he was very disturbed. In the meantime, his works started growing and became more popular among Bengali as well as foreign readers. In 1913, he gained recognition, was awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature, and became Asia's first Nobel Laureate. Shantiniketan is now a famous University town in West Bengal.

Rabindranath Tagore: Literary Works

Japajog: Published in 1929, His novel is a compelling take on marital rape.

Nastanirh: Published in 1901. This novel is about relationships and love, both requited and unrequited.

Ghare Baire: Published in 1916. It is a story about a married woman constricted in her household trying to find her own identity.

Gora: In the 1880s, it is an expansive, exhaustive, and extremely relevant novel that deals with several themes like religion, gender, feminism, and also tradition against modernity.

Chokher Bali: In 1903, a novel which consists of various facets of relationships.

His short stories are Bhikarini, Kabuliwala, Kshudita Pashan, Atottju, Haimanti and Musalmanir Golpo etc.

Poems are Balaka, Purobi, Sonar Tori and Gitanjali.

No doubt he has changed the dimensions of Bengali literature as it was earlier viewed. Many countries have even erected statues to pay tribute to the legendary writer. Around five museums are dedicated to Tagore, of which three are situated in India and the remaining two in Bangladesh.

He spent his last years in severe pain and even in 1937, he went into a comatose condition. After a lot of suffering, he died on August 7, 1941, in the Jorasanko mansion where he was brought up. 

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Rabindranath Tagore

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On his 70th birthday, in an address delivered at the university he founded in 1918, Rabindranath Tagore said: “I have, it is true, engaged myself in a series of activities. But the innermost me is not to be found in any of these. At the end of the journey I am able to see, a little more clearly, the orb of my life. Looking back, the only thing of which I feel certain is that I am a poet ( ami kavi ).”

Although Nobel Prize-winning poet Tagore prioritized poetry, he also made notable contributions to literature as a dramatist, novelist, short story writer, and writer of nonfictional prose, especially essays, criticism, philosophical treatises, journals, memoirs, and letters. In addition, he expressed himself as musician, painter, actor-producer-director, educator, patriot, and social reformer. Referring to the variety and abundance of Tagore’s creative output, Buddhadeva Bose declared in An Acre of Green Grass , “It would be trite to call him versatile; to call him prolific very nearly funny.” Bose added, “The point is not that his writings run into a hundred thousand pages of print, covering every form and aspect of literature, though this matters: he is a source, a waterfall, flowing out in a hundred streams, a hundred rhythms, incessantly.”

A man of prodigious literary and artistic accomplishments, Tagore played a leading role in Indian cultural renaissance and came to be recognized, along with Mohandas Gandhi, as one of the architects of modern India. India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, wrote in Discovery of India , “Tagore and Gandhi have undoubtedly been the two outstanding and dominating figures in the first half of the twentieth century. ... [Tagore’s] influence over the mind of India, and especially of successive rising generations has been tremendous. Not Bengali only, the language in which he himself wrote, but all the modern languages of India have been molded partly by his writings. More than any other Indian, he has helped to bring into harmony the ideals of the East and the West, and broadened the bases of Indian nationalism.”

Tagore’s career, extending over a period of more than 60 years, not only chronicled his personal growth and versatility but also reflected the artistic, cultural, and political vicissitudes of India in the late 19th and the first half of the 20th century. Tagore wrote in “My Life,” an essay collected in Lectures and Addresses (1988), that he “was born and brought up in an atmosphere of the confluence of three movements, all of which were revolutionary”: the religious reform movement started by Raja Rammohan Roy, the founder of the Bramo Samaj (Society of Worshipers of the One Supreme Being); the literary revolution pioneered by the Bengali novelist Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, who “lifted the dead weight of ponderous forms from our language and with a touch of his magic aroused our literature from her age-long sleep”; and the Indian National Movement, protesting the political and cultural dominance of the West. Members of the Tagore family had actively participated in all the three movements, and Tagore’s own work, in a broad sense, represented the culmination of this three-pronged revolution.

The earliest influences that shaped Tagore’s poetic sensibility were the artistic environment of his home, the beauty of nature, and the saintly character of his father. “Most members of my family,” he recalled in “My Life,” “had some gift—some were artists, some poets, some musicians—and the whole atmosphere of our home was permeated with the spirit of creation.” His early education was administered at home under private tutors, but, Tagore wrote in My Boyhood Days (1940), he did not like “the mills of learning” that “went on grinding from morn till night.” As a boy, he was admitted to four different schools in Calcutta, but he hated all of them and began frequently to play truant. Nature was his favorite school, as he recorded in “My Life”: “I had a deep sense, almost from infancy, of the beauty of nature, an intimate feeling of companionship with the trees and the clouds, and felt in tune with the musical touch of the seasons in the air. ... All these craved expression, and naturally I wanted to give them my own expression.” His father, Debendranath, popularly called Maharshi (Great Sage), was a writer, scholar, and mystic, who for many years had been a distinguished leader of the Brahmo Samaj (Theistic Church) movement founded by Raja Rammohan Roy.

In Letters to a Friend (1928) Tagore told C.F. Andrews, “I saw my father seldom; he was away a great deal, but his presence pervaded the whole house and was one of the deepest influences on my life.” When Rabindranath was 12 years old, his father took him on a four-month journey to the Punjab and the Himalayas. “The chains of the rigorous regime which had bound me snapped for good when I set out from home,” he wrote in his Reminiscences. Their first stop was at Bolpur, then an obscure rural retreat, now internationally known as Santiniketan, the seat of Visva-Bharati University founded by Tagore on December 22, 1918. This visit was Tagore’s first contact with rural Bengal, which he later celebrated in his songs. The Tagores’ final destination was Dalhousie, a beautiful resort in the Himalayas. Overwhelmed by the beauty and majesty of the mountains, young Tagore wandered freely from one peak to another. During the sojourn, Debendranath took charge of his son’s education and read with him selections from Sanskrit, Bengali, and English literatures. Debendranath also sang his favorite hymns and recited to Rabindranath verses from the metaphysical Hindu treatises, the Upanishads. Stephen N. Hay surmised, in Asian Ideas of East and West, that “the special attention Debendranath had paid to his youngest sons” during this trip and the sense of liberation experienced by Rabindranath miraculously transformed him “from ugly duckling into much-admired swan.” In Hay’s view, “the pleasurable memory of sudden recognition consequent to a glamorous journey may have remained for the rest of Rabindranath’s life a stimulus to re-enact this archetypal experience.”

Among other influences, Tagore acknowledged three main sources of his literary inspiration: the Vaishnava poets of medieval Bengal and the Bengali folk literature; the classical Indian aesthetic, cultural, and philosophical heritage; and the modern European literary tradition, particularly the work of the English Romantic poets. Underlining Tagore’s many affinities with the European mind, Alexander Aronson, in Rabindranath through Western Eyes , tried to fit him into the Western literary tradition, but, as Edward J. Thompson pointed out in Rabindranath Tagore: Poet and Dramatist , “Indian influences, of course, were the deepest and touched his mind far more constantly than any European ones, and at a thousand points.” Harmoniously blended and synthesized in Rabindranath were the sensuous apprehension and the mythopoeic tendency of the English romantics, the vision of the great mystics of India, the metaphysical quest of the sages of the Upanishads, the aesthetic sensibilities of an ancient poet like Kalidasa, and the devotional spirit of the medieval Vaishnavite poet-saints and the Bauls—mendicant wandering religious minstrels of Bengal.

Tagore began writing poetry at a very early age, and during his lifetime he published nearly 60 volumes of verse, in which he experimented with many poetic forms and techniques—lyric, sonnet, ode, dramatic monologue, dialogue poems, long narrative and descriptive works, and prose poems. “Unfortunately for both the West and for Tagore,” Mary M. Lago pointed out in Rabindranath Tagore , “many of his readers never knew—still do not know—that so many of his poems were written as words for music, with musical and verbal imagery and rhythms designed to support and enhance each other.” His Gitabitan (“ Song Collection ”), containing 2,265 songs that were all composed, tuned, and sung by himself, not only started a new genre in Bengali music, known as Rabindrasangit, but, in Lago’s view, became “an important demonstration” of his “belief in the efficacy of cultural synthesis. He used all the musical materials that came to hand: the classical ragas, the boat songs of Bengal, Vaishnava kirtan [group chanting] and Baul devotional songs, village songs of festival and of mourning, even Western tunes picked up during his travels and subtly adapted to his own uses.” Such spirit of experimentation and synthesis marked Tagore’s entire creative career.

His first notable book of lyrics, Sandhya Sangit (1882; “ Evening Songs ”), won the admiration of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. Tagore later wrote in his Reminiscences , “the sadness and pain which sought expression in the Evening Songs had their roots in the depth of my being.” The book was closely followed by Prabhat Sangit (1883; “ Morning Songs ”), in which he celebrated his joy at the discovery of the world around him. The new mood was the outcome of a mystical experience he had had while looking at the sunrise one day: “As I continued to gaze, all of a sudden a covering seemed to fall away from my eyes, and I found the world bathed in a wonderful radiance, with waves of beauty and joy swelling on every side. This radiance pierced in a moment through the folds of sadness and despondency which had accumulated over my heart, and flooded it with this universal light,” he recalled in Reminiscences. He recounted this experience in greater detail in The Religion of Man : “I felt sure that some Being who comprehended me and my world was seeking his best expression in all my experiences, uniting them into an ever-widening individuality which is a spiritual work of art. To this Being I was responsible; for the creation in me is His as well as mine.” He called this Being his Jivan devata (“ The Lord of His Life ”), a new conception of God as man’s intimate friend, lover, and beloved that was to play an important role in his subsequent work.

His newly awakened sense of all-pervading joy in the universe expressed itself in Chhabi O Gan (1884; “ Pictures and Songs ”) and Kari O Kamal (1886; “ Sharps and Flats ”), in which he boldly celebrated the human body in such poems as “Tanu” (“Body”), “Bahu” (“Arms”), “Chumban” (“The Kiss”), “Stan” (“Breasts”), “Deher Milan” (“Physical Union”), and “Vivasana” (“Undraped Beauty”). He described Kari O Kamal as “the Song of Humanity standing on the road in front of the gateway of the Palace of Life” and believed it to be an important landmark in the evolution of his poetic outlook. It was, however, his new contemplative, mystical, religious, and metaphysical tone dominating Manasi (1890; “ The Mind’s Creation ”), Sonar Tari (1894; “ The Golden Boat ”), Chitra (1896), Naivedya (1901; “ Offerings ”), Kheya (1906; “ Ferrying Across ”), and Gitanjali (1910; Song Offerings ) that gave his lyrical poetry depth, maturity, and serenity and that eventually brought him world renown with the publication of the English translations of Gitanjali in 1912.

The publication of Gitanjali was the most significant event in Tagore’s writing career, for, following the volume’s appearance, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913—the first such recognition of an Eastern writer. And yet this slender volume of poems, which was “hailed by the literary public of England as the greatest literary event of the day” and which created “the literary sensation of the day” in America, according to the editors of the Literary History of the United States , reached English readers almost by chance. As Tagore explained in a letter to his niece Indira, he undertook the task of translating some of his poems into English during a March, 1912, illness that delayed his departure for England; he began his translations because he “simply felt an urge to recapture through the medium of another language the feelings and sentiments which had created such a feast of joy within me in the days gone by.” And once on board the ship in May 1912, he continued his translations to while away the time of travel.

Arriving in London in June 1912, he gave these translations to English painter William Rothenstein, who had visited India in 1910 and had shown interest in the poet’s work. Deeply impressed, Rothenstein had copies typed and sent to poet William Butler Yeats , poet and critic Stopford Brooke, and critic Andrew Bradley—all of whom enthusiastically received them. On June 30, Tagore gave a reading of his poems at Rothenstein’s house to a distinguished group of fellow poets, including American poet Ezra Pound , who was at that time the foreign editor of Poetry , founded by Harriet Monroe . Pound wanted Poetry to be the first American magazine to print Tagore, and in a letter of December 24, 1912, he wrote to Harriet Monroe that Tagore’s poems “are going to be THE sensation of the winter.” In November 1912, the India Society of London published a limited edition of 750 copies of Gitanjali , with an introduction by Yeats and a pencil-sketch of the author by Rothenstein as frontispiece. In December 1912, Poetry included six poems from the book. And thus the Gitanjali poems reached both sides of the Atlantic to an ever-widening circle of appreciative readers.

Gitanjali was written shortly after the deaths of Tagore’s wife, his two daughters, his youngest son, and his father. But as his son, Rathindranath, testified in On the Edges of Time , “he remained calm and his inward peace was not disturbed by any calamity however painful. Some superhuman sakti [force] gave him the power to resist and rise above misfortunes of the most painful nature.” Gitanjali was his inner search for peace and a reaffirmation of his faith in his Jivan devata. Its central theme was the realization of the divine through self-purification and service to humanity. When presenting Tagore the Nobel Prize, Harold Hjarne noted, “The Gitanjali is Mysticism, but not a mysticism that, relinquishing personality, seeks to become absorbed in the All to a point of Nothingness, but one that, with all the faculties of soul at highest pitch, eagerly sets forth to meet the Living Father of all Creation.” Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan said in The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore , “The poems of Gitanjali are the offerings of the finite to the infinite.” In his introduction to Gitanjali , Yeats called it “the work of supreme culture” and confessed, “I have carried the manuscript of these translations about me for days, reading it in railway trains, or on top of omnibuses and in restaurants, and I have often had to close it lest some stranger would see how it moved me.” Pound, in his Fortnightly Review essay, described Gitanjali as a “series of spiritual lyrics” and compared it to “the Paradiso of Dante.” Yeats and Pound set the tone of Tagore criticism in the West, and Gitanjali came to be looked upon as his most characteristic work.

The publication of Gitanjali was followed by five major poetical works in English translation: The Gardener (1913), The Crescent Moon (1913), Fruit-Gathering (1916), Lover’s Gift and Crossing (1918), and The Fugitive and Other Poems (1919). The Gardener was a feast of love lyrics, though it also included mystical and religious poems, nature poems, and even a few poems with political overtones. The Crescent Moon , a book of songs about children, celebrated their beauty, innocence, charity, divinity, and primordial wisdom. Thompson called these poems a “revelation of a child’s mind, comparable to the best that any language had seen.” The combined Lover’s Gift and Crossing contained some of Tagore’s best lyrics, and The Fugitive and Other Poems included “Urvashi,” Tagore’s rapturous incantation of the Eternal Female, suggesting affinities with Shelley’s “ Hymn to Intellectual Beauty .” In “Urvashi,” observed Thompson, there was “a meeting of East and West indeed, a glorious tangle of Indian mythology, modern science, and legends of European romance.”

J.C. Ghosh noted in Bengali Literature that “the more substantial and virile side of [Tagore’s] work, such as his social, political, descriptive, and narrative poetry and his poetry of abstract thought, was either never presented at all or was presented in a terribly mutilated and emasculated form.” Reviewing Tagore’s literary reception in the West, Nabaneeta Sen in a Mahfil essay came to the conclusion that “Rabindranath only became a temporary craze, but never a serious literary figure in the Western scene. He was intrinsically an outsider to the contemporary literary tradition of the West, and after a short, misunderstood visit to the heart of the West, he again became an outsider.”

In 1916 appeared Balaka ( A Flight of Swans ), which pointed to the new direction Tagore’s poetry was to take. “The poems of Balaka,” wrote Lago in Rabindranath Tagore , “reflect a time of account-taking and of Tagore’s reactions to the turbulence of the past four years: the excitement surrounding the Nobel award and the knighthood that followed in 1915, the premonitions of political disaster, and the anxieties of the World War.” The flying swans symbolized, for the poet, movement, restlessness, a longing for faraway sites, an eternal quest for the unknown. “I am like a migratory bird having two homes—and my home on the other side of the sea is calling me,” he had written to William Rothenstein in 1915. Between 1916 and 1934, Tagore made five visits to America and traveled to nearly every country in Europe and Asia, delivering lectures, promoting his educational ideas, and stressing the need for a meeting of the East and the West. And wherever he went he was greeted as a living symbol of India’s cultural and spiritual heritage.

In the last decade of his life, as he became conscious of his approaching death, Tagore turned to radical experimentation in poetic techniques and to purely humanistic concepts dealing with the problems of life and death. This new trend was reflected especially in his later Bengali poems collected in Punascha (1932; Postscript ), Shesh Saptak (1935; Last Octave ), Patraput (1935; Cupful of Leaves ), Prantik (1938; The Borderland ), Semjuti (1938; Evening Lamp ), Nabajatak (1940; Newly Born ), Rogashajyaya (1940; From the Sickbed ), Arogya (1941; Recovery ), and Sesh Lekha (1941; Last Writings ). These poems “became increasingly terse, luminous and precise in the use of imagery,” wrote Amiya Chakravarty in A Tagore Reader. In The Later Poems of Tagore , Sisir Kumar Ghose said, “Full of dramatic discords, through alternate rhythms of intensity and exhaustion, the[se] poems unfold the history of a conflict, long and carefully concealed, at the heart of the Rabindrean imagination.” He concluded, “To accept the best among the later poems is to alter our total conception of Tagore’s poetry.” “But,” he added, “its hour is not yet. In order to do this as it should be done the ideal critic of Tagore needs to be as, if not more, sensitive than the poet himself. ... Such a critic we do not have, unless he is in hiding.”

Tagore also published more than 40 plays, most of which were written for production in the open air for his students at Santiniketan. He himself took part in their performance as actor, producer, director, composer, and choreographer. He “mocked the commercial Bengali theater, burdened with heavy sets and realistic decor, and created a lyrical theater of the imagination,” wrote Balwant Gargi in his Folk Theater of India. Though Tagore was influenced by Western dramatic techniques and his plays, as Mohan Lal Sharma pointed out in a Modern Drama essay, “have close affinity with the poetic or symbolist European drama of the present century typified in the works of such writers as Maurice Maeterlinck,” he upheld the classical Indian tradition of drama as the depiction of emotion or rasa rather than of action. He blended this classical element with the folk tradition of Bengali Jatra performance—a combination of group singing, dancing, and acting induced by a trance-like state—to achieve a synthesis of music, poetry, dance, drama, and costume. Consequently, most of Tagore’s plays are interspersed with songs and are either lyrical or symbolic with subtle emotional and metaphysical overtones. The main principle of his plays, as he said himself, was “the play of feeling and not of action.” Judged by the standards of Western drama, therefore, they seem static, ill-constructed, and unsuitable for commercial production.

Tagore’s experiments in dramatic forms extended from his earliest musical and verse dramas in the 1880s, through rollicking social comedies and symbolic plays in prose, to the highly imaginative and colorful dance dramas of the 1930s. Well known in the first category are Valmiki Pratibha (1881), Kal-Mrigaya (1882), Prakritir Pratisodh (1884; published in English as Sanyasi in 1917), Mayar Khela (1888), Raja O Rani (1889; The King and the Queen , 1917), Visarjan (1890; Sacrifice , 1917), Chitrangada (1892; published in English as Chitra in 1913), and Malini (1896; English translation, 1917). All of these, except Malini , are in blank verse, and most of them could be described in Tagore’s own words as “a series of dramatic situations ... strung on a thread of melody.” The social comedies include Goday Galad (1892), Vaikunther Khata (1897), and Chirakumar Sabha (1926); and the notable symbolic plays in prose are Raja (1910; The King of the Dark Chamber, 1914), Dak-Ghar (1912; The Post Office, 1914), Phalguni (1916; The Cycle of Spring, 1917), Mukta-dhara (1922; The Waterfall , 1922), and Rakta-karavi (1924; Red Oleanders , 1925). Among the famous dance dramas are Chandalika (1933), Nrityanatya Chitrangada (1936), Chandalika Nrityanarya (1938), and Syama (1939).

Thematically, Prakritir Pratisodh —which means “nature’s revenge” and which was published in English under the title Sanyasi —was Tagore’s first important play. “This Nature’s Revenge ,” he wrote in Reminiscences , “may be looked upon as an introduction to the whole of my future literary work; or, rather this has been the subject on which all my writings have dwelt—the joy of attaining the Infinite within the finite.” In his own words, “the hero was a Sanyasi (hermit) who had been striving to gain a victory over Nature by cutting away the bonds of all desires and affections and thus to arrive at a true and profound knowledge of self. A little girl, however, brought him back from his communion with the infinite to the world and into the bondage of human affection. On coming back the Sanyasi realised that the great is to be found in the small, the infinite within the bounds of form, and the eternal freedom of the soul in love. It is only in the light of love that all limits are merged in the limitless.” Allegorically, the play represented the turning point in the poet’s own life. “This was to put in a slightly different form,” he confessed, “the story of my own experience, of the entrancing ray of light which found its way into the depths of the cave into which I had retired away from all touch of the outer world, and made me more fully one with Nature again.” By 1884, the year of the play’s first publication, Rabindranath had married his child-bride, Mrinalini Devi. He was then 22 and she only 10.

Of these earliest plays, however, Visarjan ( Sacrifice ) is the best as a drama of conflict and ideas, as Chitrangada ( Chitra ) is the loveliest as poetry. Sacrifice is a powerful denunciation of violence, bigotry, and superstition. It expresses Tagore’s abhorrence of the popular Bengali cult of Kali-worship involving animal sacrifice. The characters of the play, as Thompson observed, are “swayed by the strong wind of their creator’s emotions—puppets in the grip of a fiercely felt idea.” “The theme of Sacrifice ,” Thompson added, “had been implicit in many an obscure page of Indian religious thought. But Rabindranath’s play first gave its protest a reasoned and deliberate place in art.” Chitra is a fascinating poetic play dealing with a romantic episode from the ancient Hindu epic, the Mahabharata: the love between Arjuna and Chitrangada, the beautiful daughter of Chitravahana, the king of Manipur. It seems to be modeled on Kalidasa’s Shakuntala, a romantic play that probably dated from the fourth century B.C., and it presents the evolution of human love from the physical to the spiritual. Thompson called it “a lyrical feast.” Krishna R. Kripalani, Tagore’s biographer, regarded it as “one of Rabindranath’s most beautiful plays, almost flawless as a work of art.” “The simple and bald episode” of the Mahabharata , he added, “was transformed by Rabindranath into a drama tense and vibrant with lyrical rapture and full of deep psychological insight.”

Among Tagore’s allegorical-philosophical-symbolic plays, Raja ( The King of the Dark Chamber ) is the most complex, written in the vein of Maeterlinck. The story is taken from a Buddhist Jataka , or story of reincarnation, but it undergoes a spiritual transformation in Tagore’s hands. The symbolic significance of the play has attracted the attention of many critics. In An Introduction to Rabindranath Tagore , Vishwarath S. Naravane wrote: “In this play, Queen Sudarshana represents the finite soul which longs for a vision of the Infinite” that is hidden in the dark, like “the true King, her real husband.” Radhakrishnan, in The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore , gave the following interpretation of the play: “An individual cannot reach the ideal so long as fragments of finiteness stick to him, so long as intellect and will are bound to the realm of finite nature.” As he explained in The Bengali Drama , P. Guha Thakurta regarded the theme of the play as the realization of truth through suffering and sorrow. Other critics have interpreted the play in terms of allegorical symbols: the real King is Truth or God or Life-Spirit; Queen Sudarshana is the individual soul; Suvama is Maya or illusion; Kanchi symbolizes the mind; and the maid Surangama represents self-surrender. Artistically, the play is a fine blending of the Jatra tradition and the classical form of Sanskrit drama.

Perhaps the most popular and the most frequently performed among Tagore’s plays is Dak-Ghar ( The Post Office ), which dramatizes the story of a lonely boy, Amal, confined to his sickroom, longing to be free. Day after day, he sits at the window, watching the colorful spectacle of life passing him by, until death brings him deliverance from earthly pain and confinement. The story presents Rabindranath’s own childhood experience of bondage and loneliness in a house governed by “servocracy.” As he wrote to Andrews, “I remember, at the time when I wrote it, my own feeling which inspired me to write it. Amal represents the man whose soul has received the call of the open road.”

The play was produced in 1913 by the Abbey Theatre Company in Dublin and in London. Kripalani reported that after attending a performance of the play in London, William Butler Yeats testified: “On the stage the little play shows that it is very perfectly constructed, and conveys to the right audience an emotion of gentleness and peace.” “Judged by a London standard,” wrote Ernest Rhys in Rabindranath Tagore: A Biographical Study , “it may seem that all [Tagore’s] dramatic work is lacking in ordinary stage effect, but to this criticism one can only reply that his plays were written to attain a naturalness of style and a simplicity of mode which only Irish players have so far realised for us.” A reviewer for The Times called the play “dreamy, symbolical, spiritual ... a curious play, leaving to a certain extent a sense of incompleteness, since it ends before the climax, rich in poetical thought and imagery, as well as a kind of symbolism that must not be pressed too closely.” Since The Post Office can be read on two levels, the naturalistic and the symbolic, it has remained a special favorite with Tagore readers. In his book Rabindranath Tagore , Thompson paid the play a high compliment: “ The Post Office does what both Shakespeare and Kalidas failed to do. It succeeds in bringing on the stage a child who neither shows off nor is silly.”

Following the public controversy that broke out between Mahatma Gandhi and Tagore in 1921 over the poet’s opposition to Gandhi’s noncooperation movement and his cult of the charkha (spinning wheel), Tagore’s popularity suffered a steep decline and he found himself more and more publicly isolated. Gandhi, failing to enlist the poet’s support, remarked: “Well, if you can do nothing else for me you can at least ... lead the nation and spin.” Tagore immediately replied: “Poems I can spin, songs I can spin, but what a mess I would make, Gandhiji, of your precious cotton!” There the controversy stopped. But the churnings in the poet’s mind over the political situation in the country produced Mukta-dhara in January 1922, a symbolic play with political overtones. A distant echo of Prayaschitta (1909; Atonement ), the play has been regarded by several critics as a noble tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and his campaign of nonviolence. Kripalani called the ascetic central character Dhananjaya, who teaches the people of Shivtarai to defy the authority of their unjust ruler through nonviolent civil resistance, a “prototype of Mahatma Gandhi” and wrote, “Perhaps no other play of Tagore expresses his political convictions with such directness and vigour. ... His abhorrence of exploitation, whether by a foreign or a native tyrant, and his faith that tyranny can be effectively resisted by non-violence and evil redeemed by voluntary sacrifice.” Tagore was making preparations to stage the play, but when he heard the news of Gandhi’s arrest in March 1922, he abandoned the preparations and Mukta-dhara was never produced.

Like Gandhi, Tagore preached against and fought the Indian caste system that fostered the concept of untouchability. The first number of Gandhi’s weekly Harijan , issued in Poona on February 11, 1933, carried a poem by Tagore, “The Cleanser,” on its front page. The same year, Tagore wrote Chandalika ( The Untouchable Girl ), a drama based on the Buddhist legend of Sardulakarnavadana. This is the story of a young untouchable girl, Prakriti, who falls in love with a handsome Buddhist monk, Ananda, when the latter asks her to give him some water to drink. As Ananda drinks water from her hands, she feels redeemed, spiritually reborn, newly aware of herself as a woman, and emancipated from the bondage of her birth and caste. No one could have paid a better tribute to Gandhi’s cause of Harijan uplift than Tagore did in this poetic play. It remains a personal testament of Tagore the humanist, exemplifying his faith in the dignity of humanity.

Between 1883 and 1934 Tagore published 14 novels, several of which were translated into English during his lifetime: Ghare-Baire (1916; The Home and the World , 1919), Nauka Dubi (1906; The Wreck , 1921), and Gora (1910; published in English under same title, 1924). Others were translated after his death, including: Dui Bon (1933; Two Sisters , 1945), Sesher Kavita (1929; Farewell, My Friend , 1946), Malancha (1934; The Garden , 1956), and Nashtanir (1901; The Broken Nest , 1971). Most of these are fundamentally social novels, a few with strong political undercurrents. Among his translated novels, Chokher Bali (1903; Binodini , 1959), Gora , and The Home and the World are the best known in the Western world.

With Binodini, titled in the original Bengali Chokher Bali —literally, “Eyesore”—Tagore “paved the way for the truly modern novel in India, whether realistic or psychological or concerned with social problems,” wrote its English translator Krishna R. Kripalani in his foreword to the 1959 edition. The novel gives an intimate picture of domestic relations in an upper middle-class Bengali Hindu family at the turn of the century and portrays the plight of a young widow, Binodini, who “asserts her right to love and happiness.” In Kripalani’s view, “Of all women characters created by Tagore in his many novels, Binodini is the most real, convincing, and full-blooded. In her frustrations and suffering is summed up the author’s ironic acceptance of the orthodox Hindu society of the day.”

In Gora Tagore created a socio-political novel voicing the aspirations of the resurgent India. Published in 1910, the year of the Gitanjali series of poems, it represented the peak of his fictional career. “This work,” wrote Naravane in An Introduction to Rabindranath Tagore, “has everything that one might expect from a masterpiece: brilliant delineation of characters; a story which offers surprises till the very end; a fluent, powerful style interspersed with bursts of poetic imagery, and absolute serenity.” Though heavily filled with polemics reflecting the social, religious, and political issues of the time, the novel projected Tagore’s concept of liberal nationalism based on the ideal of vishwa-bandhutva or international brotherhood. In a March 13, 1921, letter to Andrews, Tagore declared, “All humanity’s greatest is mine. The infinite personality of man has come from the magnificent harmony of all races. My prayer is that India may represent the cooperation of all the people of the earth.” In the extraordinary character and personality of the protagonist Gourmohan or Gora, Tagore tried to bring about the fusion of the East and the West to exemplify his ideal of the Universal Man. In Rabindranath Tagore , Lago declared Gora “a study of the relation between Hindu orthodoxy and Indian nationalism.” Gora’s sudden discovery that he has no parents, no home, no country, no religion, brings him freedom from all barriers: “But today I am free—yes, am standing freely in the center of a vast truth. Only now do I have the right to serve India. Today I have truly become an Indian. For me there is no conflict between Hindu, Muslim and Christian.”

The subject of The Home and the World is the political agitation resulting from the partition of Bengal in 1905. Tagore was at the time deeply involved in the Indian National Movement. But when militant Hindu nationalism began to turn to violence and terrorist methods, he took a public stand against this development and openly condemned the excesses of the Swadeshi ( swa, self; deshi , national) movement, which advocated the use of goods made in India. This position made him so unpopular with the nationalist Hindu intelligentsia that, in utter disillusionment, he withdrew from active politics and retreated into what he called the “poet’s corner.” But to answer his critics who had accused him of desertion and to reaffirm his own faith in the principles of truth and nonviolence, he wrote The Home and the World , which, as Bhabani Bhattacharya noted in an article that appeared in Rabindranath Tagore: A Centenary Volume , “roused a storm of controversy when it first appeared in serial form in the literary magazine Subui Patra and harsh pens assailed it not only as ‘unpatriotic’ but ‘immoral.’”

E.M. Forster, in a review that first appeared in Athenaeum and was later reprinted in Abinger Harvest , admired the novel’s theme but was repelled by its persistent “strain of vulgarity.” He wrote, “throughout the book one is puzzled by bad tastes that verge upon bad taste.” He thought the novel contained much of “a boarding-house flirtation that masks itself in mystic or patriotic talk.” “Yet the plain fact is,” as Bhattacharya pointed out, “that in matters of sex Tagore always retained in him a conservative core that was near-prudery, and his moments of realism in the context of such relationships were a whole epoch apart from the trends which our modern literary idiom calls ‘naturalistic.’”

Revolving around the three main characters—Nikhil, an aristocrat with noble ideals; his beautiful wife, Bimla; and his intimate but unscrupulous friend Sandip—the story is told in the first person singular by each one of these in the manner of Robert Browning ’s The Ring and the Book. Nikhil, the young protagonist, perhaps reflects Tagore’s own feelings and predicament at seeing the nationalist hostility against him simply “because I am not running amuck crying Bande Mataram. ” “Although a poet’s manifesto,” wrote Kripalani, “the novel is equally a testament of Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence, of love and truth, of his insistent warning that evil means must vitiate the end, however nobly conceived.”

Though Tagore was the first modern Indian writer to introduce psychological realism in his fiction, his novels were generally looked upon as old-fashioned in form. As Aronson noted in Rabindranath through Western Eyes , “At a time when writers, like Aldous Huxley, James Joyce and Virginia Woolf, were experimenting with new forms of novel writing, at a time when the novel had reached its fullest maturity with the work of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky in Russia, with Marcel Proust and Andre Gide in France, Rabindranath could not but strike his European contemporaries as belonging both in style and characterisation to a different order of artistic expression, which they had passed long ago, somewhere in the first half of the nineteenth century.”

From the artistic point of view, however, Tagore excelled in the art of short story writing. As Bhattacharya wrote, “The short story was intrinsically suited to Tagore’s temperament and it could carry the strongest echoes of his essentially poetic genius.” Tagore himself wrote in a letter from the Tagore family estate headquarters at Shileidah: “If I do nothing but write short stories I am happy, and I make a few readers happy. The main cause of happiness is that the people about whom I write become my companions: they are with me when I am confined to my room in the rains. On a sunny day they move about me on the banks of the Padma.”

Tagore wrote about 200 stories, the best of which appeared in English translation in four major collections during his lifetime: Broken Ties and Other Stories (1925), Mashi and Other Stories (1918), The Hungry Stones and Other Stories (1916), and The Glimpses of Bengal Life (1913). As a short story writer, Tagore was not only a pioneer in Bengali literature, but he also paved the way for modern writers like Premchand and such contemporary writers as Mulk Raj Anand, Raja Rao, and R.K. Narain. Bose acknowledged in An Acre of Green Grass that Rabindranath “brought us the short story when it was hardly known in England.” Naravane wrote in An Introduction to Rabindranath Tagore , “The modern short story is Rabindranath Tagore’s gift to Indian literature.”

A substantial amount of Tagore’s writing was in the form of nonfictional prose—essays and articles, religious and philosophical treatises, journals and memoirs, lectures and discourses, history and polemics, letters, and travel accounts. Of these, his philosophical writings— Sadhana: The Realisation of Life (1913), Nationalism (1917), Personality (1917), Creative Unity (1922), The Religion of Man (1931), and Towards Universal Man (1961)—were central to his thought. These writings were deeply influenced by the teachings of the Upanishads. In the preface to Sadhana, which was published in the Harvard lecture series, he confessed, “The writer has been brought up in a family where texts of the Upanishads are used in daily worship; and he has had before him the example of his father who lived his long life in the closest communion with God while not neglecting his duties to the world or allowing his keen interest in all human affairs to suffer any abatement.” What appealed to Tagore the most in the teachings of the Upanishads was the concept of God as positive, personal, and realizable through love. He was also attracted to the Vaishnava ideal of love as the basis of man-God relationship. He believed that the love-drama between man and God was being enacted in the sensible world of color, sound, and touch. He was not only conscious of man’s divinity but also of God’s humanity. In Sonar Tari he wrote, “Whatever I can offer to God I offer to man and to God I give whatever can I give to man. I make God man and man God.” Such philosophical wisdom was reflected in many of his lyrics and dramas.

Tagore dictated his last poem a few hours before his death on August 7, 1941. The leading newspapers of the world published editorials paying tribute to him as “India’s greatest man of letters,” “the soul of Bengal,” and “ambassador of friendship between East and West.” But the Washington Post provided perhaps the most telling of assessments: “Tagore believed that East and West do not represent antagonistic and irreconcilable attitudes of the human mind, but that they are complementary, and since Tagore’s own work and thought represented a fusion of East and West, the fate of his poems and dramas at the hands of later generations ... may be the test of whether the age-old gulf between Asia and Europe can ever be bridged.”

• Appeared in Poetry Magazine ("Amidst the rush and roar of life...")
• Appeared in Poetry Magazine (“Come as you are...”)

Crossing 16

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Common Core State Standards Text Exemplars

Poetry and music, from the archive: rabindranath tagore, “harriet monroe, poet, friend of poets”, “high priestess of poetry”, lena khalaf tuffaha and cindy juyoung ok on the renowned and rebellious palestinian poet zakaria mohammed.

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Bibliography

("amidst the rush and roar of life..."), (“come as you are...”), fruit-gathering lv, the gardener 38, the gardener 85, gitanjali 35, ("i asked of destiny..."), ("i found a few old letters..."), i will not let you go, (“keep me fully glad...”), ("keep me fully glad..."), the last bargain, ("leave off your works, bride..."), ("lest i should know you..."), ("my soul is alight..."), ("o you mad, you superbly drunk..."), on the seashore, ("over the green and yellow..."), ("sing the song of the moment...", song vii (“my song has put off her adornments”), ("tell me if this is all true..."), the temple of gold, ("we both live in the same village..."), ("with a glance of your eyes...").

Poems to integrate into your English Language Arts classroom.

Composed, produced, and remixed: the greatest hits of poems about music.

14 of this Indian poet's love poems, first published in Poetry magazine. 

The Business of Poetry

Women’s Rights and Spirituality at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair

On this week’s episode, Cindy Juyoung Ok speaks with poet, essayist, and translator Lena Khalaf Tuffaha about the life and work of the renowned Palestinian poet and writer Zakaria Mohammed....

PUBLISHED IN INDIA IN BENGALI

• Kavi-Kahini (poetry), 1878.
• Bana-Phul (poetry), 1880.
• Valmiki Pratibha (play), 1881.
• Bhagnahriday (play), 1881.
• Rudrachanda (play), 1881.
• Europe-Pravasir Patra (letters), 1881.
• Kal-Mrigaya (play), 1882.
• Sandhya Sangit (poetry; title means Evening Songs ), 1882.
• Prabhat Sangit (poetry; title means Morning Songs ), 1883.
• Bau-Thakuranir Hat (novel), 1883.
• Vividha Prasanga (essays), 1883.
• Chhabi O Gan (poetry; title means Pictures and Songs ), 1884.
• Nalini (play), 1884.
• Saisav Sangit (poetry), 1884.
• Bhanusimha Thakurer Padavali (songs), 1884.
• Alochana (essays), 1885.
• Rabichchhaya (songs), 1885.
• Kari O Kamal (poetry; title means Sharps and Flats ), 1886.
• Rajarshi (novel), 1887.
• Chithipatra (essays), 1887.
• Samalochana (essays), 1888.
• Mayar Khela (play), 1888.
• Manasi (poetry; title means The Mind's Creation ), 1890.
• Europe Yatrir Diary (travel), Part 1, 1891, Part 2, 1893.
• Goday Galad (play), 1892, new edition published as Sesh Raksha, 1928.
• Sonar Tari (poetry; title means The Golden Boat ), 1894.
• Chhota Galpa (short stories), 1894.
• Vichitra Galpa (short stories), Parts 1 and 2, 1894.
• Katha-Chatushtay (short stories), 1894.
• Galpa-Dasak (short stories), 1895.
• Nadi (poetry), 1896.
• Chitra (poetry), 1896.
• Chaitali (poetry), first published in Kavya Granthavali, 1896.
• Vaikunther Khata (play), 1897.
• Panchabhut (essays), 1897.
• Kanika (poetry), 1899.
• Katha (poetry), 1900.
• Kalpana (poetry), 1900.
• Kshanika (poetry), 1900.
• Kahini (poetry and verse drama), 1900.
• Naivedya (poetry; title means Offerings ), 1901.
• Smaran (poetry), first published in Kavya-Grantha, 1903.
• Sisu (poetry), first published in Kavya-Grantha, 1903.
• Karmaphal (story), 1903.
• Atmasakti (essays), 1905.
• Baul (songs), 1905.
• Bharatvarsha (essays), 1906.
• Kheya (poetry; title means Ferrying Across ), 1906.
• Vichitra Prabandha (essays), 1907.
• Charitrapuja (essays), 1907.
• Prachin Sahitya (essays), 1907.
• Lokasahitya (essays), 1907.
• Sahitya (essays), 1907.
• Adhunik Sahitya (essays), 1907.
• Hasya-Kautuk (plays), 1907.
• Vyangakautuk (essays and plays), 1907.
• Prajapatir Nirbandha (novel), 1908.
• Raja Praja (essays), 1908.
• Samuha (essays), 1908.
• Svades (essays), 1908.
• Samaj (essays), 1908.
• Siksha (essays), 1908.
• Mukut (play), 1908.
• Sabdatattva (essays), 1909.
• Dharma (sermons), 1909.
• Santiniketan, Parts 1-8, 1909, Parts 9-11, 1910, Parts 12-13, 1911, Parts 14-15, 1915, Parts 15-16, 1916.
• Prayaschitta (play; title means Atonement ), 1909, new edition published as Paritran, 1929.
• Vidyasagar-Charit (essays), c. 1909.
• Galpa Chariti (short stories), 1912.
• Achalayatan (play), 1912, new edition published as Guru, 1918.
• Utsarga (poetry), 1914.
• Gitali (title means Songs ), 1914.
• Atati Galpa (short stories), c. 1915.
• Sanchay (essays), 1916.
• Parichay (essays), 1916.
• Galpasaptak (short stories), 1916.
• Palataka (poetry), 1918.
• Payla Nambar (short stories), 1920.
• Sisu Bholanath (poetry), 1922.
• Vasanta (play), 1923.
• Puravi (poetry), 1925.
• Grihapraves (play), 1925.
• Pravahini (songs), 1925.
• Chirakumar Sabha (play), 1926.
• Sodhbodh (play), 1926.
• Lekhan (epigrams), 1927.
• Rituranga (plays), 1927.
• Yatri (diary), 1929.
• Yogayog (novel), 1929.
• Tapati (play), 1929.
• Bhanusimher Patravali (letters), 1930.
• Navin (play), 1931.
• Vanavani (poems and songs), 1931.
• Sapmochan (play), 1931.
• Punascha (poetry; title means Postscript ), 1932.
• Parisesh (poetry), 1932.
• Kaler Yatra (play), 1932.
• Manusher Dharma (lectures), 1933.
• Vichitrita (poetry), 1933.
• Taser Des (play), 1933.
• Bharatpathik Rammohan Roy (essays and addresses), 1933.
• Sravan-Gatha (play), 1934.
• Shesh Saptak (poetry; title means Last Octave ), 1935.
• Sur O Sangati (letters), 1935.
• Vithika (poetry), 1935.
• Chhanda (essays), 1936.
• Nrityanatya Chitrangada (play), 1936.
• Japane-Parasye (travel), 1936.
• Sahityer Pathe (essays), 1936.
• Praktani (addresses), 1936.
• Khapchhada (rhymes), 1937.
• Kalantar (essays), 1937.
• Sey (stories), 1937.
• Chhadar Chhabi (poetry), 1937.
• Pathe O Pather Prante (letters), 1938.
• Banglabhasha Parichay (essays), 1938.
• Semjuti (poetry; title means Evening Lamp ), 1938.
• Prahasini (poetry), 1939.
• Akas-Pradip (poetry), 1939.
• Pather Sanchay (essays and letters), 1939.
• Nabajatak (poetry; title means Newly Born ), 1940.
• Sanai (poetry), 1940.
• Tin Sangi (short stories), 1940.
• Galpasalpa (stories and poetry), 1941.
• Janmadine (poetry), 1941.
• Asramer Rup O Vikas (essays), 1941.
• Chhada (poetry), 1941.
• Smriti (letters), 1941.
• Chithipatra I (letters), 1942.
• Chithipatra II (letters), 1942.
• Chithipatra III (letters), 1942.
• Atmaparichay (essays), 1943.
• Sahiryer Svarup (essays), 1943.
• Chithipatra IV (letters), 1943.
• Sphulinga (poetry), 1945.
• Chithipatra V (letters), 1945.
• Muktir Upay (comedy), 1948.
• Mahatma Gandhi (essays and addresses), 1948.
• Visvabharati (addresses), 1951.
• Baikali (songs and poetry), 1951.
• Samavayaniti (essays), 1954.
• Chitravichitra (poetry), 1954.
• Itihas (essays), 1955.
• Buddhadeva (essays and poetry), 1956.
• Khrishta (essays and poems), 1959.
• Chithipatra VI (letters), 1960.
• Chithipatra VII (letters), 1960.
• Chhinnapatravali (letters), 1960.

COLLECTED WORKS IN BENGALI

• Kavya Granthavali, Satyaprasad Gangopadhyaya, 1896.
• 1908-09 Galpaguchha, [India], Part 1, 1900, Part 2, 1901, enlarged edition in five parts, single volume edition, three parts, Visva-Bharati (Calcutta), 1960.
• 1903-04 Kavya-Grantha, nine volumes, Majumdar Library, published in ten volumes, Indian Press, Volumes 1-6, 1915, Volumes 7-10, 1916.
• Rabindra Granthavali, Hitavadi, 1904.
• 1907-09 Gadya-Granthavali, sixteen volumes, [India].
• Gitabitan (songs; title means Song Collection ), [India], Part 1, 1914, Parts 1 and 2, 1931, Part 3, 1932, single volume edition, three parts, Visva-Bharati, 1960.
• Ritu-Utsav, [India], 1926.
• Patradhara (letters), [India], 1938.
• 1939-48 Rabindra-Rachanavali, twenty-six volumes, Visva-Bharati.
• 1940-41 Rabindra-Rachanavali Achalita Sangraha, two volumes, Visva-Bharati.
• Rabindra-Rachanavali, Government of West Bengal, 1961.
• Chelebhulano chaora (selection of Bengali rhymes, including essays and articles), edited by Biasvanatha Racya, Ananda Pabaliasarsa (Kalakata), 1995.

POETRY IN ENGLISH TRANSLATION

• Gitanjali (title means Song Offerings ), [India], 1910, translation by the author, introduction by W. B. Yeats, India Society (London), 1912, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1913, Branden Press, 1978, translation by Brother James, University Press (Khaka, Bangladesh), 1983.
• The Gardener, translation by the author, Macmillan (New York), 1913.
• The Crescent Moon, translation by the author, Macmillan (London), 1913, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1916.
• Balaka, [India], 1916, translation by Aurobindo Bose published as A Flight of Swans: Poems from Balaka, foreword by S. Radhakrishnan, J. Murray, 1955.
• Fruit-Gathering, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1916.
• Stray Birds, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1916.
• Lover's Gift and Crossing, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1918.
• The Fugitive and Other Poems, Santiniketan Press, 1919.
• The Fugitive (poetry, songs, and plays), Macmillan (New York, NY), 1921.
• Lipika (poetry, allegories, and stories), [India], 1922, translation by A. Bose, Jaico Publishing House (Bombay), 1969.
• Poems from Tagore, introduction by C. F. Andrews, Macmillan (Calcutta), 1923.
• Rabindranath Tagore: Twenty-two Poems, translation by Edward J. Thompson, E. Benn, 1925.
• Fireflies, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1928, Collier Books, 1975.
• Sheaves, Poems, and Songs by Rabindranath Tagore, compiled and translated by Nagendranath Gupta, Indian Press (Allahabad), 1929, 2nd edition, Greenwood Press, 1971.
• The Child (originally published in English), Allen & Unwin, 1931.
• Patraput (title means Cupful of Leaves ), [India], 1935, translation by Sisir Chattopadhyaya, foreword by Kalidas Bhattacharya, Patrhikrit Prakashani (Calcutta), 1969.
• Syamali, [India], 1936, translation by Sheila Chatterjee and the author, Visva-Bharati, 1955.
• Prantik (title means The Borderland ), [India], 1938 [and] Rogashajyaya (title means From the Sickbed ), [India], 1940 [and] Arogya (title means Recovery ), [India], 1940 [and] Sesh Lekha (title means Last Writings ), [India], 1941, translated together by A. Bose as Wings of Death: The Last Poems of Rabindranath Tagore, foreword by Gilbert Murray, J. Murray, 1960.
• The Herald of Spring: Poems from Mohua, translation by A. Bose, J. Murray, 1957.
• Ode to a Parted Love, Jaico Publishing House (Bombay), 1959.
• Shesh Lekha: The Last Poems of Rabindranath Tagore, translation by Pritish Nandy, Dialogue Publications (Calcutta), 1973.
• On the Shores of Eternity: Poems from Tagore on Death and Mortality , Harmony Books (New York, NY), 1999.
• Particles, Jottings, Sparks: The Collected Brief Poems of Rabindranath Tagore , HarperCollins (New Delhi, India), 2000.
• Rabindranath Tagore: Final Poems , George Braziller (New York, NY), 2001.
• Songs of Rabindranath Tagore: Translated in Rhyme , Shipra Publications (Delhi, India), 2002.

Translated poetry collected in numerous omnibus volumes, including Later Poems of Rabindranath Tagore, translation and introduction by A. Bose, foreword by Yehudi Menuhin with assessment by Hermann Hesse, P. Owen, 1974, Funk, 1976, Minerva Press (New York, NY), 1976; Forty Poems of Rabindra Nath Tagore, edited by Sisir Kumar Ghose, Arnold-Heinemann (New Delhi), 1984; Some Songs and Poems from Rabindranath Tagore, translation by Pratima Bowes, Allied, 1984; and Selected Poems: Rabindranath Tagore, translation by William Radice, Viking Penguin, 1985.

PLAYS IN ENGLISH TRANSLATION

• Prakritir Pratisodh (verse drama), [India], 1884, translation by Edwin Lo-tien Fang published as Sanyasi, Commercial Press (Shanghai), 1936; also published as Sanyasi; or, The Ascetic in Sacrifice and Other Plays, Macmillan (New York), 1917.
• Raja O Rani (verse drama), [India], 1889, translation published as The King and Queen in Sacrifice and Other Plays, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1917; translation by Shakuntala Rao Sastri published as Devouring Love, East West Institute (New York), 1961.
• Visarjan (verse drama), [India], 1890, translation published in Sacrifice and Other Plays, Macmillan (New York), 1917; new version edited and translated by R. K. Bamsal, published as Sacrifice, Uniteck Publications (Agra), 1971.
• Chitrangada (verse drama), [India], 1892, translation by Birenda Nath Roy, Sribhumi Publishing Co., 1957; translation by the author published as Chitra, the India Society (London), 1913, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1926.
• Viday-Abhisap (verse drama), [India], 1894, translation by Thompson published as The Curse at Farewell, Harrap, 1924; also published as Kach and Debjani in The Fugitive, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1921.
• Malini, first published in Kavya Granthavali, Satyaprasad Gangopadhyaya, 1896, translation published in Sacrifice and Other Plays, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1917.
• Saradotsav (one-act), [India], 1908 (new edition published as Rinsodh, 1921), translation published as Autumn Festival, Brahmo Mission Press (Calcutta), 1919.
• Raja, [India], 1910 (new edition published as Arup Ratan, 1920), translation by the author published as The King of the Dark Chamber, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1914.
• Dak-Ghar, [India], 1912, translation by Devabrata Mukerjea published as The Post Office, preface by W. B. Yeats, Cuala Press (Ireland), 1914, T. M. MacGlinchey, 1971, new translation published as The Post Office, Macmillan (New York), 1914, Verry, 1978.
• Phalguni, [India], 1916, translation by Andrews and Nishi-Kanta Sen with revision by the author published as The Cycle of Spring, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1917.
• Sacrifice and Other Plays, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1917, Macmillan (London), 1963.
• Mukta-dhara, [India], 1922, translation published as The Waterfall in Modern Review, 1922 ; translation by Marjorie Sykes published in Three Plays, Oxford University Press (Bombay), 1950.
• Rakta-karavi, [India], 1924, translation published as Red Oleanders, illustrations by Gagendranath Tagore, in Visva-Bharati Quarterly, September, 1924, translation published as Red Oleanders, Macmillan (London), 1925, Macmillan (New York), 1926.
• Natir Puja, [India], 1926 (first produced at Santiniketan, May 7, 1926), translation by Sykes published serially in Visva-Bharati Quarterly, February-October, 1945 , published as Dancing Girl's Worship in Three Plays, Oxford University Press (Bombay), 1950.
• Chandalika, [India], 1933 (first produced in Calcutta at Madan Theatre, September 12, 1933), translation and introduction by Kripalani published in Visva-Bharati Quarterly, February, 1938, translation by Sykes published in Three Plays, Oxford University Press (Bombay), 1950.
• Chandalika Nrityanatya (dance drama), [India], 1938, translation by Shyamaree Devi published in Orient Review, January-February, 1956.
• 1955-56 Syama, [India], 1939 (first produced in Calcutta, October 10, 1936), translation by Bharatendu Chakravarti published in Eastern Post, winter, translation by P. K. Saha published in Thought, July 31, 1971.
• Bansari, Visva-Bharati, 1943, reprinted, 1948.
• Three Plays (contains Mukta-dhara, Natir Puja, and Chandalika ), translation by Sykes, Oxford University Press (Bombay), 1950, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1970.
• Three Riddle Plays (contains The Test, The Reception, and The Patron ), translation by Prithvindra Chakravarti, Ind-US, 1983.

NOVELS IN ENGLISH TRANSLATION

• Nashtanir, [India], 1901, translation by Mary M. Lago and Supriya Sen published as The Broken Nest, introduction by Lago, University of Missouri Press, 1971.
• Chokher Bali (first published serially in Bangadarsan, 1901), [India], 1903, translation by Surendranath Tagore published as Eyesore in Modern Review, January-December, 1914, translation by Kripalani published as Binodini, W. S. Heinman (New York, NY), 1959, revised edition, Sahitya Akademi (New Delhi), 1968.
• Nauka Dubi (first published serially in Bangadarsan, 1903), [India], 1906, translation by J. G. Drummond published as The Wreck, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1921.
• Gora (first published serially in Pravasi, 1907-10), [India], 1910, translation by W. W. Pearson published serially in Modern Review, January-December, 1923, translation by the author with revision by Surendranath Tagore, Macmillan (London), 1924 , Macmillan (New York, NY), 1925; abridged and simplified edition by E. F. Dodd, Macmillan (London), 1963.
• Chaturanga, [India], 1916, translation published serially as A Story in Four Chapters in Modern Review, February-May, 1922, translation published as Broken Ties, Macmillan (London), 1925, translation by Asok Mitra published as Chaturanga, Sahitya Academi (New Delhi), 1963, Interculture Associates, 1974.
• Ghare-Baire, [India], 1916, translation by Surendranath Tagore published serially as At Home and Outside in Modern Review, January-December, 1918, translation with revision by the author published as The Home and the World, Macmillan (New York), 1919, Verry, 1978.
• Sesher Kavita, [India], 1929, translation by Kripalani published as Farewell My Friend, New India Publishing Co. (London), 1946.
• Dui Bon, [India], 1933, translation by Kripalani published as Two Sisters, Visva-Bharati, 1945.
• Malancha, [India], 1934, translation by Kripalani published with Sesher Kavita as Farewell My Friend [and] The Garden, Jaico Publishing House (Bombay), 1956.
• Char Adhyay, [India], 1934, translation published as Novelette of Young India: Four Chapters in Asia, December, 1936-April, 1937, translation by Surendranath Tagore published as Four Chapters, Visva-Bharati, c. 1950.

SHORT FICTION IN ENGLISH TRANSLATION

• Glimpses of Bengal Life, translation and introduction by Rajani Ranjan Sen, G. A. Nateson & Co. (Madras), 1913.
• The Hungry Stones and Other Stories, translation by the author, Andrews, Thompson, Panna Lal Basu, Prabhat Kumar Mukerji, and Sister Nivedita, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1916, AMS Press, 1970.
• Mashi and Other Stories, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1918, Arno Press, 1978.
• Tota-Kahini, translation published as The Parrot's Training, Thacker, Spink & Co., 1918, published in Bengali in Lipika, 1922.
• The Trial of the Horse, Brahmo Mission Press (Calcutta), 1919, published in The Parrot's Training and Other Stories.
• Broken Ties and Other Stories, Macmillan (London), 1925, Arno Press, 1978.
• The Runaway and Other Stories, edited by Somnath Maitra, Visva-Bharati, 1958.

Translated short fiction collected in numerous omnibus volumes, including Collected Stories from Rabindranath Tagore, Macmillan (Calcutta), 1970, and Collected Stories, Macmillan (New Delhi), 1974.

NONFICTION IN ENGLISH TRANSLATION

• Jivansmriti (autobiography; first published serially in Pravasi, 1911), [India], 1912, translation by Surendranath Tagore published serially in Modern Review as My Reminiscences, January-December, 1916, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1917, Gordon Press, 1978, published as Reminiscences, Macmillan (London), 1946, reprinted, 1971.
• Sadhana: The Realisation of Life, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1913, Omen Press (Tuscon, AZ), 1972.
• Personality, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1917, Macmillan (Madras), 1970.
• Nationalism (lectures), Macmillan (New York, NY), 1917, Greenwood Press, 1973.
• Japan Yatri, [India], 1919, translation by Shakuntala Rao Sastri published as A Visit to Japan, edited by Walter Donald Kring, East West Institute, 1961.
• Greater India, S. Ganesan (Madras), 1921.
• Thought Relics, translation by the author, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1921, enlarged edition published as Thoughts from Rabindranath Tagore, edited by Andrews, 1929.
• Creative Unity, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1922, Gordon Press, 1978.
• Ethics of Destruction, Ganesh & Co. (Madras), 1923.
• Talks in China: Lectures Delivered in April and May, 1924, Visva-Bharati, 1925.
• The Religion of Man (lectures), Macmillan (New York, NY), 1931, AMS Press, 1981.
• India and the Pacific, Allen & Unwin, 1937.
• The True India: A Plea for Understanding, Allen & Unwin, 1939.
• Chhelebela, [India], 1940, translation by Sykes published as My Boyhood Days, Visva-Bharati (Santiniketan), 1940, 2nd edition, Visva-Bharati (Calcutta), 1941.
• Man (lectures), Kitabistan (Allahabad), 1946, Andhra University Press (Waltair), 1965.
• My Early Life, edited by Rajendra Verma, Macmillan (Madras), 1952, Macmillan (Bombay), 1955.
• Visva-Bharati and Its Institutions, Pulinbihari Sen (Santiniketan), 1956.
• Our Universe (first published as Visva-Parichaya 1937), translation by Indu Dutt, foreword by Malcolm MacDonald, Meridian Books (London), 1958, Interculture Associates, 1969.
• Towards Universal Man (essays), edited by Bhabani Bhattacharya, introduction by Humayan Kabir, Asia Publishing House (New York, NY), 1961.
• Pioneer in Education: Essays and Exchanges Between R. Tagore and L. K. Elmhirst, J. Murray, 1961.
• Rabindranath Tagore on Rural Reconstruction, Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (New Delhi), 1962.
• The Cooperative Principle (essays and addresses), edited by Pulinhihari Sen, translation by Surendranath Tagore, Apurvakumar Chanda, Somnath Maitra, and Jitendranarayan Sen, Visva-Bharati, 1963.
• Mahatma Gandhi, compiled by Pulinbihari Sen, Visva-Bharati, 1963.
• Gagendranath Tagore (art criticism), edited by Pulinbihari Sen, Indian Society of Oriental Art (Calcutta), 1972.
• Selected Writings on Literature and Language , edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2001.
• Rabindranath Tagore, Selected Writings for Children , edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2002.

Translated nonfiction collected in numerous omnibus volumes, including Glorious Thoughts of Tagore, compiled by N. B. Sen, New Book Society of India (New Delhi), 1965; Upanishads in the Eyes of Rabindranath Tagore: An Anthology of the Poet Tagore's Writings, Interpretative of and Related to Upanishadic Verse, compiled by Anil Kumar Mukherji, foreword by Saroj Kumar Das, Dasgupta (Calcutta), 1975; and Lectures and Addresses, Asia Book Corporation of America, 1988.

LETTERS IN ENGLISH TRANSLATION

• Chhinnapatra, [India], 1912, translation by Surendranath Tagore published as Glimpses of Bengal, Macmillan (London), 1911, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1921.
• Letters, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1917.
• Letters from Abroad (first published serially in Modern Review, October, 1921-December, 1922), S. Ganesan (Madras), 1924, enlarged edition published as Letters to a Friend, edited by Andrews, Allen & Unwin, 1928.
• Paschim Yatrir Diary, [India], 1924, translation by Dutt published as The Diary of a Westward Voyage, Asia Publishing House (New York, NY), 1962, Greenwood Press, 1975.
• Russiar Chithi, [India], 1931, translation by Sasadhar Sinha published as Letters from Russia, Visva-Bharati, 1960.
• (With Mohandas Gandhi) Mahatmaji and the Depressed Humanity, Visva-Bharati Book Shop (Calcutta), 1932.
• (With Gilbert Murray) East and West, Allen & Unwin, 1935.
• (With Yone Noguchi) Poet to Poet, Visva-Bharati, 1939.
• Rolland and Tagore: Letters and Transcripts of Conversations, 1919-1930, translation by Indira Chaudhurani and Alex Aronson, edited by Aronson and Kripalani, Visva-Bharati, 1945.
• Imperfect Encounter: Letters of William Rothenstein and Rabindranath Tagore, 1911-1941, edited with introduction and notes by Mary M. Lago, Harvard University Press, 1972.
• The Mahatma and the Poet: Letters and Debates between Gandhi and Tagore, 1915-1941, compiled and edited with an introduction by Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, National Book Trust (New Delhi, India), 1997.
• Tagore's works are collected in numerous general omnibus volumes, including The Golden Boat, translation by B. Bhattacharya, Allen & Unwin, 1932, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1933, 5th revised edition, Ind-US, 1980; The Housewarming and Other Selected Writings, edited and with an introduction by Chakravarty, translation by Mary Lago, Tarun Gupta, and Chakravarty, New American Library, 1965; Tripura's Ties with Tagore: A Compilation of Selected Letters and Songs of Tagore, translation by Chiranjiv Kaviraj, Directorate of Education, Government of Tripura Press (Agartala), 1969; Collected Works, Gordon Press, 1978; The Mystifying Songs by Tagore, Gloucester Art Press, 1988; Selected Short Stories, Viking Penguin, 1991; I Won't Let You Go: Selected Poems, South Asia Books, 1992; The Collected Poems and Plays, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1993 and The English Writings of Rabindranath Tagore, edited by Sisir Kumar Das, Sahitya Akademi (New Delhi), 1994.
• Author of numerous songs, collected in such volumes as Gitimalya, [India], 1914, translation by Brother James published as Gitimalya: Garland of Songs, University Press (Dhaka, Bangladesh), 1984; Twenty-six Songs of Rabindranath Tagore, introduction and literal translation by Arnold A. Bake and Phillip Stern, free translation by R. Tagore, P. Geuthner (Paris), 1935; and Svaralipi: Anthology of One Hundred Songs of Rabindranath Tagore in Staff Notation, introduction by Dhurjati Prasad Mukerji, foreword by Kamaladevi Chattapadhyay, Sangeet Natak Akademi (New Delhi), Volume 1, 1961, Volume 2, 1967.
• Translator of numerous works, and contributor of works in a variety of genres to books and periodicals.

Further Readings

FURTHER READINGS ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

• Acyuiba, Abu Sacyaida, Modernism and Tagore, Sahitya Akademi (New Delhi), 1995.
• Aronson, Alexander, Rabindranath through Western Eyes, Kitabistan (Allahabad), 1943.
• Aronson, Alexander and Krishna R. Kripalani, editors, Rolland and Tagore, Visva-Bharati (Calcutta), 1945.
• Basu, Sankar, Chekov and Tagore: A Comparative Study of Their Short Stories, Sterling Publishers, 1985.
• Bhattachaya, Bhabani, Rabindranath Tagore: A Centenary Volume, 1861-1961, Sahitya Akademi (New Delhi), 1961.
• Bose, Abinash Chandra, Three Mystic Poets: A Study of W. B. Yeats, A. E., and Rabindranath Tagore, Folcroft, 1970.
• Bose, Buddhadeva, An Acre of Green Grass: A Review of Modern Bengali Literature, Orient Longmans (Calcutta), 1948.
• Bose, Buddhadeva, Tagore: Portrait of a Poet, University of Bombay, 1962.
• Chakrabarti, Mohit, Rabindranath Tagore: A Quest, Gyan (New Delhi), 1995.
• Chakravorti, Byomkesh Chandra, Rabindranath Tagore: His Mind and Art, Young India Publications (New Delhi), 1971.
• Chatterjee, Ramananda, editor, The Golden Book of Tagore, Golden Book Committee (Calcutta), 1931.
• Chatterjee, Bhabatosh, Rabindranath Tagore and Modern Sensiblity, Oxford University Press, 1996.
• Dutta, Krishna, Rabindranath Tagore: The Myriad -Minded Man, St. Martin's (New York, NY), 1995.
• Dutta, Krishna and Andrew Robinson, Rabindranath Tagore: A Modern Reader, St. Martin's Press, 1997.
• Elmhirst, Leonard, Rabindranath Tagore: Pioneer in Education, J. Murray, 1961.
• Forster, E. M., Abinger Harvest, Harcourt, 1964.
• Gargi, Balwant, Folk Theater of India, University of Washington Press, 1966.
• Ghose, Sisir Kumar, The Later Poems of Tagore, Asia Publishing House (London), 1961.
• Ghosh, Jyotis Chandra, Bengali Literature, Oxford University Press (London), 1948.
• Ghosha, aSacnkha, The Poet's Intention: The Writer, the Writing, the Reader, Papyrus (Calcutta), 1994.
• Hay, Stephen N., Asian Ideas of East and West: Tagore and His Critics in Japan, China, and India, Harvard University Press, 1970.
• Henn, Katherine, Rabindranath Tagore: A Bibliography, Scarecrow, 1985.
• Joshi, R. G. , Myth in Indian Drama, B. R. Pub. Corp. (New Delhi), 1994.
• Kabir, Humayun, Studies in Bengali Poetry, Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan (Bombay), 1962.
• Khanolkar, Gangadhar Devarau, The Lute and the Plough: A Life of Rabindranath Tagore, Grove, 1962.
• Kripalani, Krishna R., Rabindranath Tagore: A Biography, Oxford University Press (London), 1962.
• Lago, Mary M., Imperfect Encounter: Letters of William Rothenstein and Rabindranath Tagore, 1911-1941, Harvard University Press, 1972.
• Lago, Mary M., Rabindranath Tagore, Twayne, 1976.
• Leny, V., Rabindranath Tagore: His Personality and World, translation by Guy McKeever, Phillips, Allen & Unwin, 1939.
• Maitraye Devi, Rabindranath: The Man behind His Poetry, Writers Workshop (Calcutta), 1973.
• Manindranath, Jana, Education for Life: Tagore and Modern Thinkers, South Asia Books, 1985.
• Mukherjee, Sujit, Passage to America: The Reception of Rabindranath Tagore in the United States, 1912-1914, Bookland Private (Calcutta), 1964.
• Mukherji, Bhabani Charan, Vedanta and Tagore, M. D. Publications (New Delhi), 1994.
• Mukherji, Dhurjati Prasad, Tagore: A Study, Padma Publications (Bombay), 1944.
• Mukherji, Prabhat Kumar, Life of Tagore, translation by Sisirkumar Ghosh, Interculture Associates, 1975.
• Nagar, Anupam Ratan Shankar, Mysticism in Tagore's Poetry, Prakash Book Depot (Bareilly), 1995.
• Naik, M. K., Perspectives on Indian Prose in English, Humanities, 1982.
• Naik, M. K. and S. Mokashi-Punekar, editors, Perspectives on Indian Drama in English, Oxford University Press (Madras), 1977.
• Nandy, Ashis, The Illegitimacy of Nationalism, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1994.
• Naravane, Vishwanath S., An Introduction to Rabindranath Tagore, Macmillan (Madras), 1977.
• Nehru, Jawaharlal, Discovery of India, John Day, 1946.
• Radhakrishan, Sarvepalli, The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore, Macmillan (London), 1918.
• Raj, G. V., Tagore: The Novelist, South Asia Books, 1983.
• Ramaswami Sastri, Kadami Sundararama, Sir Rabindranath Tagore: His Life, Personality, and Genius, Ganesh & Co. (Madras), 1916.
• Ray, Nihar-Ranjan, An Artist in Life: A Commentary on the Life and Works of Rabindranath Tagore, University of Kerala (Trivandrum), 1967.
• Rhys, Ernest, Rabindranath Tagore: A Biographical Study, Macmillan (London), 1915.
• Roy, Basanta Koomar, Rabindranath Tagore: The Man and His Poetry, Dodd, 1915.
• Roy, Dilip Kumar, Among the Great, Jaico Publishing House (Bombay), 1950.
• Sen Gupta, Santosh Chandra, The Great Sentinel: A Study of Rabindranath Tagore, A. Mukherjee & Co. (Calcutta), 1948.
• Sheth, Nirumpama (with Ajita aSeotha), Tagore, Indian Film & Film Music, Pankaj Mullic Music Research Foundation (Bombay, India), 1994.
• Spiller, Robert E. and others, editors, Literary History of the United States, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1962, 4th edition, revised, 1974.
• Srinivasa Iyengar, Kodaganallur Ramaswami, Indian Writing in English, Asia Publishing House (New York, NY), 1962.
• Sykes, Marjorie, Rabindranath Tagore, Orient Longmans (Madras), 1943.
• Tagore, Rabindranath, Sonar Tari, [India], 1894.
• Tagore, Rabindranath, Gitanjali, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1913.
• Tagore, Rabindranath, My Reminiscences, Macmillan (New York), 1917.
• Tagore, Rabindranath, Letters to a Friend, edited by C. F. Andrews, Allen & Unwin, 1928.
• Tagore, Rabindranath, My Boyhood Days, translation by Marjorie Sykes, Visva-Bharati (Santiniketan), 1940.
• Tagore, Rabindranath, Binodini, translated by Krishna R. Kripalani, Sahitya Akademi (New Delhi), 1959.
• Tagore, Rabindranath, A Tagore Reader, edited by Amiya Chakravarty, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1961.
• Tagore, Rabindranath, A Tagore Testament, translation by Indu Dutt, Jaico Publishing House (Bombay), 1969.
• Tagore, Rabindranath, Lectures and Addresses, Macmillan (New Delhi), 1970.
• Tagore, Rabindranath, Sadhana: The Realisation of Life, Macmillan (New York, NY), Omen Press (Tuscon, AZ), 1972.
• Tagore, Rathindranath, On the Edges of Time, Orient Longmans (Calcutta), 1958.
• Thakurta, P. Guha, The Bengali Drama: Its Origin and Development, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1930.
• Thompson, Edward J., Rabindranath Tagore: Poet and Dramatist, 2nd edition, revised, Oxford University Press (London), 1948.
• Thompson, Edward J. and Arthur Mariman Spencer, Rabindranath Tagore: His Life and Work, YMCA Publishing House (Calcutta), 1921.
• Twentieth Century Literary Criticism, Volume 3, Gale, 1980.
• Venma, Rajendra, Man and Society in Tagore and Eliot, Humanities, 1982.

PERIODICALS

• American Quarterly, fall, 1962.
• Booklist, July, 1992.
• Books Abroad, Volume 46, number 3, 1972.
• Cornhill Magazine, spring, 1972.
• Encounter, January, 1974.
• Fortnightly Review, March, 1913.
• Indian Literature, Volume 9, number 5, 1976; September-October, 1980.
• Journal of Asian Studies, November, 1959.
• Journal of Commonwealth Literature, Volume 8, 1973.
• Journal of Indian Writing in English, Volume 6, number 1, 1978.
• Mahfil: A Quarterly of South Asian Literature, Volume 3, 1966.
• Modern Drama, May, 1970.
• New Statesman and Nation, August 16, 1941.
• New Statesman and Society, June 14, 1991.
• Review of National Literatures, Volume 10, 1979.
• Saturday Review of Literature, August 16, 1941.
• South Asian Review, Volume 5, number 2, 1981.
• Studies in Romanticism, Volume 31, 1963-64.
• Times (London), July 11, 1913.
• Town Topics, June 4, 1914.
• Visva-Bharati Quarterly, Volume 17, 1951; Volume 41, numbers 1-4, 1975-76.
• Washington Post, August 8, 1941.
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Rabindranath Tagore: Biography

Last updated on April 8, 2024 by ClearIAS Team

Rabindranath Tagore was an iconic figure in the Indian cultural renaissance. He was a polymath poet, philosopher, musician, writer, and educationist.

Rabindranath Tagore became the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize in 1913 for his collection of poems, Gitanjali.

He was called Gurudev, Kabiguru, and Biswakabi affectionately and his songs are popularly known as Rabindrasangeet.

The national anthems of India and Bangladesh – the Jana Gana Mana and the Amar Shonar Bangla respectively are from the Rabindrasangeet.

Table of Contents

The early life of Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore was born on 7 th May 1861 in Calcutta as the youngest son of Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi.

His grandfather Dwarkanath Tagore was a rich landlord and social reformer. His father, Debendranath Tagore was a leader of the Brahmo Samaj , a new religious sect in nineteenth-century Bengal which attempted a revival of the ultimate monistic basis of Hinduism as laid down in the Upanishads.

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The Tagore family was a treasure trove of talent in every field. They hosted the publication of literary magazines; theatre and recitals of Bengali and Western classical music featured there regularly. Tagore’s father invited several professional musicians to stay in the house and teach Indian Classical music to the children.

Tagore’s oldest brother Dwijendranath was a philosopher and poet. Another brother, Satyendranath, was the first Indian appointed to the formerly all-European Indian Civil Service. Another brother, Jyotitindranath, was a musician, composer, and playwright. His sister Swarnakumari became a novelist.

Also read: Modern Indian Sculpture

Rabindra Nath Tagore had his initial education in Oriental Seminary School. But he did not like the conventional education and started studying at home under several teachers. He was mostly trained by his siblings both in literary as well as physical activities like gymnastics and martial arts.

Tagore was a child prodigy when it comes to writing as he has started writing and publishing poetry by the age of eight.

In 1873, at the age of eleven, Tagore and his father left Calcutta to tour India for several months. He visited his father’s Santiniketan estate and Amritsar before reaching the Himalayan hill station of Dalhousie where he read biographies, studied history, astronomy, modern science, and Sanskrit, and examined the classical poetry of Kalidasa.

At the age of seventeen, he was sent to England for formal law schooling but he did not finish his studies there. He rather took up independent studies of Shakespeare.

He returned from England in 1880 and regularly published poems, stories, and novels in Bengali, slowly starting to transform Bengali literature.

In 1883, he married Mrinalini Devi, a child bride as was the tradition in those times.

Rabindranath Tagore in Santiniketan

Tagore moved to Santiniketan ashram in 1901, where he started an experimental school based on traditional guru-shishya teaching methods from the Upanishads. He hoped that the revival of the ancient methods of teaching will be more beneficial than the British imparted modern education system.

His wife and two of their children died during this time which left him distraught.

After his return from England and during his stay in Santiniketan, Tagore wrote several literary works of poetry, stories, and novels. His works had started gaining immense popularity in India as well as abroad.

In 1909, Rabindranath Tagore started writing Gitanjali. In 1912, Tagore went to Europe for the second time. On the journey to London, he translated some of his poems/songs from Gitanjali to English. He met William Rothenstein, a noted British painter, in London who was impressed by the poems, made copies, and gave to Yeats and other English poets. Yeats was enthralled and later wrote the introduction to Gitanjali when it was published in September 1912 in a limited edition by the India Society in London. And in 1913, this collection of poems won the Nobel Prize in Literature. He was the first non-European to receive the prestigious award.

In 1915, he was awarded a knighthood by King George V.

Rabindranath Tagore in Independence movement

Tagore participated in the Indian nationalist movement from time to time, though in his own non-sentimental and visionary way; and Gandhi, the political father of modern India , was his devoted friend. Tagore came to be recognized as one of the architects of modern India.

India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru , wrote in  Discovery of India , “Tagore and Gandhi have undoubtedly been the two outstanding and dominating figures in the first half of the twentieth century. Tagore’s influence over the mind of India, and especially of successive rising generations has been tremendous. Not Bengali only, the language in which he wrote, but all the modern languages of India have been molded partly by his writings. More than any other Indian, he has helped to bring into harmony the ideals of the East and the West, and broadened the bases of Indian nationalism.”

In 1905, Viceroy Curzon decided to divide Bengal into two parts. Rabindranath Tagore strongly protested against this decision. Tagore wrote many national songs and attended protest meetings. He initiated the Rakhibandhan ceremony, symbolizing the underlying unity of undivided Bengal.

In 1919, following the Jallianwala Bagh massacre , Tagore renounced his knighthood condemning the act. He was a supporter of Gandhiji but he stayed out of politics. He was opposed to nationalism and militarism as a matter of principle, and instead promoted spiritual values and the creation of a new world culture founded in multi-culturalism, diversity, and tolerance.

Tagore the educationalist

1n 1921, Rabindranath Tagore established Viswabharati University and gave all his money from Nobel Prize and royalty money from his books to this University.

Tagore was quite knowledgeable of Western culture, especially Western poetry and sciences. Tagore had a good grasp of modern – post-Newtonian – physics and was well able to hold his own in a debate with Einstein in 1930 on the newly emerging principles of quantum mechanics and chaos. His meetings and tape-recorded conversations with his contemporaries such as Albert Einstein and H.G. Wells, epitomize his brilliance.

In 1940 Oxford University arranged a special ceremony in Santiniketan and awarded Rabindranath Tagore with a Doctorate of Literature.

Literary works of Rabindranath Tagore

Although Tagore wrote successfully in all literary genres, he was, first of all, a poet. Among his fifty and odd volumes of poetry are:

Manasi  (1890) (The Ideal One),  Sonar Tari  (1894) (The Golden Boat),  Gitanjali (1910) (Song Offerings), Gitimalya  (1914) (Wreath of Songs), and  Balaka  (1916) (The Flight of Cranes).

The English renderings of his poetry, which include  The Gardener  (1913),  Fruit-Gathering  (1916), and  The Fugitive  (1921), do not generally correspond to particular volumes in the original Bengali.

Tagore’s major plays are  Raja  (1910) [The King of the Dark Chamber],  Dakghar  (1912) [The Post Office] ,   Achalayatan  (1912) [The Immovable],  Muktadhara  (1922) [The Waterfall], and  Raktakaravi  (1926) [Red Oleanders].

He is the author of several volumes of short stories and many novels, among them Gora  (1910),  Ghare-Baire  (1916) [ The Home and the World ], and  Yogayog  (1929) [Crosscurrents].

Besides these, he wrote musical dramas, dance dramas, essays of all types, travel diaries, and two autobiographies, one in his middle years and the other shortly before his death in 1941. Tagore also left numerous drawings and paintings, and songs for which he wrote the music himself.

He also played the title role in his first original dramatic piece- Valmiki Pratibha.

After an extended period of suffering, Tagore died on August 7, 1941, in the same mansion in which he was brought up.

Legacy of Rabindranath Tagore:

Rabindranath Tagore changed the way Bengali literature was perceived as he left an everlasting impression on the readers.

Many countries have his statues erected and host many yearly events to pay tribute to the legendary writer.

Many of his works have been made global, thanks to a host of translations by many famous international writers.

There are five museums dedicated to Tagore. While three of them are situated in India, the remaining two are in Bangladesh. The museums’ house his famous works, and are visited by millions every year.

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• Remembering Rabindranath Tagore: A Poet, Philosopher, and Visionary

Remembering Rabindranath Tagore: A Poet, Philosopher, and Visionary  Blogs Home

• 08 May 2024

Introduction

There have been many exemplary leaders, visionaries, artists, poets, philosophers, and politicians born to the pious soil of India. Their lives have been a benchmark in the nation’s history and their work is a testimony to the extraordinary excellence that India represents. The most eminent and mundane parts of such stalwarts’ lives are inspirational and substantial to learn from. One of these great personalities was Rabindranath Tagore , who played an instrumental role in shaping India’s culture and socio-political history. His birth anniversary is celebrated on the 8 th of May every year, to commemorate his invaluable contribution to poetry, literature, philosophy and educational fortes of independent India.

Youth and Background

Rabindranath Tagore, born in 1861 , hailed from a distinguished Bengali family in Calcutta, a part of British India then. His upbringing was a blend of tradition and modernity . His father, Debendranath Tagore, was a leader of the Brahmo Samaj , a reformist Hindu sect believing firmly in reason and social justice. This was a reason for a deep spirituality and questioning mind in Tagore since his youth.

Despite attaining his formal education in England, Tagore felt a strong connection to his Bengali roots. His youth was filled with artistic pursuits - poetry, music, and theater, as described in his autobiography, ‘Boyhood Days’. He began writing prolifically at a young age. By his teenage years he had published several volumes of poetry, establishing himself as a rising literary star.

Tagore's early life was marked by privilege and loss. He experienced the loss and grief of his mother and several siblings, shaping his sensitive nature. These experiences would later infuse his work with profound themes of love, loss, and the human condition.

An Eclectic Career: Development as a Poet and Philosopher

Rabindranath Tagore's literary career was a symphony of poetic genius and philosophical inquiry. He was a sculptor of language, shaping Bengali poetry into a vibrant and expressive form. He defied traditional structures, weaving together colloquial Bengali with classical imagery , creating a voice that resonated with both the common man and the intellectual elite. His poems, like " Gitanjali, " captured the beauty of nature, the complexities of love and loss, and the yearning for the divine with a profound simplicity that transcended language barriers. This masterpiece, translated by Tagore himself, became a bridge between East and West, earning him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.

Tagore’s literary pursuits ventured into the realm of philosophy, questioning societal constraints and championing the freedom of the individual. He believed in a universal humanity that transcended cultural boundaries. His novels, essays, and plays explored love and social justice themes. "Ghare-Baire" (The Home and the World) grappled with the clash between tradition and modernity, while "Chitra" (Chitraangada) reinterpreted ancient myths to explore themes of women empowerment.

Tagore's philosophy drew deeply from India's rich spiritual heritage, but he didn't shy away from Western ideals. He believed in a holistic education that nurtured both the intellect and the spirit, a philosophy that found expression in his establishment of Visva-Bharati University. Through his writings, Tagore became a voice for a resurgent India, one that looked both inwards to its rich traditions and outwards to engage with the world.

Contribution to the Freedom Struggle

Rabindranath Tagore's contribution to India's freedom struggle was unique and multifaceted. While not an active political leader, he wielded immense power through his words and actions . He championed the revival of India's rich cultural heritage, emphasizing the importance of self-reliance and economic empowerment. His writings awakened a sense of national pride, particularly through his songs like "Jana Gana Mana" (later adopted as India's national anthem) and "Bangla Mata" (Mother Bengal). These songs became rallying cries for unity during times of political unrest, fostering a sense of shared identity among Indians.

Tagore wasn't afraid to confront British injustices. He vehemently opposed the brutal Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919. He believed that education was key to achieving self-governance. He established Visva-Bharati University, a unique institution that was beyond national boundaries. This emphasis on education empowered Indians with the knowledge and skills necessary to challenge British dominance.

While Tagore supported the cause of freedom, he didn't advocate for violent resistance . He believed that true freedom required a moral and spiritual awakening, a vision that resonated with many Indians seeking a peaceful path to independence. Through cultural revival, symbolic protests, and educational initiatives, Rabindranath Tagore left an indelible mark on India's freedom struggle. His legacy reminds us that the fight for liberation can be waged on multiple fronts, with the power of words and ideas playing a crucial role alongside political action.

Impactful Memories and Incidents

These are the more popular and impactful memories and incidents involving Tagore during India's freedom struggle:

1. Renouncing the Knighthood: In 1919, the brutal Jallianwala Bagh massacre shook India. British troops fired upon a peaceful crowd of protestors, killing hundreds. In response, Tagore, a knighted recipient of the prestigious title from the British crown , returned his knighthood in a powerful public statement. This act of defiance resonated deeply with Indians, symbolizing the growing anger towards British rule and Tagore's unwavering commitment to justice.

2. "Jana Gana Mana" Becomes a Rallying Cry: Tagore's composition, "Jana Gana Mana," originally penned in 1910, transcended its origins as a poem to become a powerful anthem during the freedom struggle. Its lyrics, celebrating the "Eternal Charioteer of India's destiny," resonated with a yearning for national unity and self-determination. Public gatherings and protests often featured renditions of "Jana Gana Mana," solidifying its place as a symbol of India's fight for freedom and ultimately becoming the nation's national anthem after independence.

Impact on Contemporary Literature and Philosophy

Even today, Rabindranath Tagore's influence ripples through contemporary literature and philosophy, a testament to the enduring power of his themes and ideas. Tagore's innovative use of language continues to inspire writers. His ability to bridge the gap between the personal and the universal resonates with contemporary authors exploring themes of identity, belonging, and the human condition. Writers like Salman Rushdie and Jhumpa Lahiri acknowledge his influence in their explorations of national identity and the immigrant experience. His emphasis on nature as a source of spiritual connection finds echoes in the works of eco-poets like Mary Oliver.

Tagore's questioning of societal norms and his critique of colonialism resonates with postcolonial writers grappling with issues of cultural identity and the legacy of oppression . His call for a universal humanity is echoed by contemporary philosophers working in areas like intercultural dialogue and global ethics . His belief in holistic education that fosters both intellectual and spiritual growth continues to inspire educational reform movements that emphasize creativity and critical thinking.

Rabindranath Tagore's impact isn't limited to the literary world. His musical compositions, infused with Bengali folk traditions and devotional themes, continue to inspire musicians across genres. His vision of intercultural understanding finds expression in initiatives promoting global citizenship and peace education.

Eternal Flame of Legendariness

Rabindranath Tagore remains a towering figure, reminding us of the power of literature and philosophy to transcend borders and speak to the human condition across generations. His influence is a testament to the enduring relevance of his message of love, unity, and the pursuit of truth . His legacy remains a testament to his multifaceted genius, a poet who sang of love and loss, and a philosopher who championed a world united by a shared humanity.

1. https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Boyhood_Days/UWhnwlQyplEC?hl=en

2. https://www.idiaspora.org/en/contribute/blog-entry/rabindranath-tagore-world-poet

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

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Paragraph on Rabindranath Tagore [100, 150, 200, 250 Words]

Paragraph on Rabindranath Tagore: Rabindranath Tagore is one of the greatest poets in the world. In this article, you are going to learn how to write a paragraph on Rabindranath Tagore in English. Here, we’ve provided 4 paragraphs on Rabindranath Tagore (100, 150, 200, and 250 words). These paragraphs will be very helpful for students of all classes (class 1 to class 12). So, let’s begin.

Table of Contents

Paragraph on Rabindranath Tagore [100 Words]

Rabindranath Tagore was a great Indian poet. He was born at Jorasanka, Kolkata on 7th May 1861. His father’s name was Devendranath Tagore . His mother’s name was Sarala Devi. He started writing poems from his childhood. Rabindranath wrote many poems, short stories, essays, dramas, novels and songs.

He was also a great composer. He composed the national anthem of our county, Jana Gana Mana . His Important works are Gitanjali, Ghare Baire, Rabindra Sangeet, Amar Sonar Bangla, etc. He was the first Indian to win the noble prize in 1913 for ‘Gitanjali’. He died on 7th august 1941. Rabindranath tagore will remain in our hearts forever.

Paragraph on Rabindranath Tagore [150 Words]

Rabindranath Tagore, one of the greatest sons of India, was born in a very rich, cultured and zamindar family at Jorasanko, Calcutta, in 1861. His father’s name was Maharshi Devendranath Tagore. He went to England several times in his early childhood.

Tagore showed great promise as a writer and composer from his early childhood. His first opera Bhanu Singher Padabali created a sensation. He was married to Mrinalini Devi . Rabindranath wrote a large number of dramas, novels, short stories, poems, etc. His most brilliant work was Geetanjali for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913.

However, his greatest creation was Santiniketan . Rabindranath was not only a great writer and composer but also a strong supporter of the nationalist movement. He also worked for international brotherhood and advocated equality among mankind. He died at the age of 80 in 1941.

Also Read: Paragraph on Swami Vivekananda 

Paragraph on Rabindranath Tagore [200 Words]

Nothing can be said enough for Rabindranath’s genius. Rabindranath Tagore popularly known as Gurudev was born in a rich aristocratic Bengali family in 1861. His father’s name was Debendranath Tagore and his mother’s name was Sarada Devi. Rabindranath was the youngest member of his family.

Rabindranath had no formal University education. But he went to England at the age of 17. He joined the University of London but he returned home soon after. His poetic career started quite early. His first collection of lyrics ‘Manashi’ was published in 1890. That was followed by two more collections of lyrics- ‘Chitra’ and ‘sonar Tari’ .

‘Gitanjali’ was published in 1909. That won for him the Nobel Prize of Literature in 1913. Rabindranath was a versatile literary master. He was a novelist and dramatist of repute. Rabindranath wrote innumerable poems, Dramas, essays, plays, short stories, novels etc. He was a sincere educator and social reformer.

He founded Viswa-Bharati University at Santiniketan, Bolepur in 1901. As a man Rabindranath was outstanding. He was a great patriot and peace-lover. Rabindranath wrote our national anthem, Jana Gana Mana. He ever stood against social wrongs. The great poet passed away on August 7, 1941.

Also Read: Paragraph on Mother Teresa

Rabindranath Tagore Paragraph [250 Words]

Rabindranath Tagore was a great Indian poet. He was lovingly called Gurudev or Kabi Guru . He was born at Jorasanka, Kolkata on 7th May 1861. His father was Devendranath Tagore and his mother was Sarada Devi. He was born in a rich Brahmin family in Kolkata. He was the youngest sibling in his family.

Rabindranath was educated at home. At the age of seventeen, he was sent to England to become a barrister to fulfill his father’s wish. He was interested in writing poems from his childhood. His first poem was published when he was only eight. He started publishing his poems under the pseudonym Bhanusingha .

Tagore was a multi-talented personality with a great desire to learn new things. He was a novelist, essayist, playwright, short-story writer, painter and song composer. Rabindranath Tagore wrote ‘Jana Mana Gana’, which was adopted as the National Anthem of India.  His notable works are Gitanjali, Chokher bali, Ghare Baire, Kabuliwallah, Rabindra sangeet, Amar Sonar bangla etc.

He was the first Indian to win the noble prize in literature in 1913 for ‘Gitanjali’. He was married to Mrinalini Devi.  Rabindranath Tagore found Visva Bharati University at Shantiniketan, Birbhum. Tagore was also a great patriot, he participated in the Indian nationalist movement.

Tagore was awarded Knighthood by the ruling British Government in 1915. But he renounced his Knighthood as a protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919. This eminent person died at the age of 80 on 7th august 1941. He will remain in our loving memory forever.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. where was rabindranath tagore born.

Rabindranath was born on May 7, 1861 in a wealthy Brahmin family in Calcutta.

Q. Why Tagore was awarded Noble Prize?

He won the Nobel Prize for his collection of poems, Gitanjali, in 1913

Q. Why did Rabindranath give up his Knighthood?

Rabindranath Tagore gave up his knighthood as a protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919 .

Q. What are the famous books of Rabindranath Tagore?

His famous books are Chokher Bali, Kabuliwallah, Ghare Baire, Gora, The Post Office, Gitanjali, The Astronomer, etc.

Read More Paragraphs: 1. Paragraph on Mother Teresa 2. Paragraph on APJ Abdul Kalam 3. Paragraph on Swami Vivekananda

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Rabindranath Tagore Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on rabindranath tagore.

Essay on Rabindranath Tagore: Rabindranath Tagore was a legendary Indian poet. Furthermore, he was also a great philosopher , patriot , painter, and humanist. People often made use of the word Gurudev with regard to him. This exceptional personality was born on the 7th of May in 1861 at Calcutta. His early education took place at home by a variety of teachers. Also, through this education, he got knowledge of many subjects. His higher education took place in England. Above all, Rabindranath Tagore began writing poems from a very young age.

Works of Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore began to write drama from sixteen years of age. At the age of twenty, Rabindranath Tagore wrote original dramatic piece Valmiki Pratibha. Most noteworthy, Rabindranath Tagore works focused on feelings and not on action. In 1890 he wrote another drama work Visarjan. Visarjan is probably the best drama work of Rabindranath Tagore.

Similarly, from the age of sixteen Rabindranath Tagore began to write short stories. His first short story was Bhikarini. Most noteworthy, he is the founder of the Bengali-language short story genre. Tagore certainly wrote numerous stories from 1891 to 1895. Also, stories from this period form the collection of Galpaguchchha. It is a big collection of 84 stories.

Rabindranath Tagore was certainly in touch with novels as well. He wrote eight notable novels. Furthermore, he wrote four novellas.

Rabindranath Tagore was certainly not short on songs. The man enjoys the reputation of writing a mighty 2230 songs. The popular name in usage is rabindrasangit, which refers to Tagore’s songs. His songs certainly reflect Indian culture . His famous song Amar Shonar Bangla is the national anthem of Bangladesh. Above all, he wrote the national anthem of India Jana Gana Mana.

Rabindranath Tagore also had excellent skills in drawing and painting. Probably, Rabindranath Tagore was red-green color blind. Due to this, his artworks contain strange color themes.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Rabindranath Tagore’s contribution to politics

Rabindranath Tagore was active in politics. He was in total support of Indian nationalists. Furthermore, he was in opposition to British rule . His work Manast contains his political views. He also wrote a number of patriotic songs. Rabindranath Tagore increased the motivation for Indian independence. He wrote some works for patriotism. There was great love among the masses for such works. Even Mahatma Gandhi showed his favor for these works.

Most noteworthy, Rabindranath Tagore did renunciation of his knighthood. Furthermore, he took this step to protest the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919.

In conclusion, Rabindranath was a patriotic Indian. He was certainly a man of many talents. His contribution to Literature, arts, music, and politics is brilliant.

Essay Topics on Famous Leaders

• Mahatma Gandhi
• APJ Abdul Kalam
• Jawaharlal Nehru
• Swami Vivekananda
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Rabindranath Tagore Biography: Early Life, Education, Literary Work, Achievements & More

Rabindranath Tagore Biography along with all details like Rabindranath Tagore Family, Education, Birth and Death are all given here. Check out the complete Rabindranath Tagore Biography.

Rabindranath Tagore Biography is one of the most important topics for understanding the scenario and role of Indian Literary work in Indian Independence. Rabindranath Tagore, a Nobel laureate poet, writer, and philosopher from India, is renowned for his contributions to literature, music, and art. 

Tagore’s impact extends globally, shaping cultural understanding and inspiring generations with his profound insights and creativity. Rabindranath Tagore voiced nationalist sentiments through his writings, promoting Indian independence and cultural pride, contributing to the freedom movement’s intellectual and emotional landscape.

Let us have a look at the Rabindranath Tagore Biography along with other details related to Rabindranath Tagore Early Life, Education and Awards. The literary works of Rabindranath Tagore and his involvement in the Indian Freedom Struggle is also given.

Rabindranath Tagore Biography

Rabindranath Tagore was a popular figure in the Indian cultural renaissance. Rabindranath  Tagore was a polymath poet, philosopher , musician, writer, painter and educationist. Rabindranath Tagore was the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize in 1913 for his collection of poems, Gitanjali.

Rabindranath Tagore had introduced the fresh prose and verse styles along with colloquial language, liberating Bengali literature from the confines of classical Sanskrit norms. Rabindranath Tagore bridged the gap between Indian and Western cultures, enriching both sides through his contributions.

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Rabindrath Tagore Brief Overview

Rabindranath Tagore was called Gurudev, Kabiguru , and Biswakabi affectionately and his songs are popularly known as Rabindrasangeet. Rabindranath Tagore penned down the national anthems of India and Bangladesh – the Jana Gana Mana and the Amar Shonar Bangla respectively are from the Rabindrasangeet.

The table below contains the overview of life of Rabindrath Tagore from his birth to death, Family and other details:

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Rabindranath Tagore Biography: Early Life

Rabindranath Tagore, born on May 7, 1861, in Kolkata, India. He was born into a distinguished family in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), West Bengal, India. 

• He was the youngest of thirteen children born to Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi. Debendranath Tagore was a prominent philosopher, religious leader, and reformer, while Sarada Devi was deeply engaged in cultural and social activities.

Rabindranath Tagore’s childhood and upbringing were greatly influenced by the cultural and literary environment of his family. He showed an early interest in literature, music, and art, and his talents were nurtured in a nurturing and intellectually stimulating household.

• By the age of sixteen, Tagore had already written his first collection of poems, “Kabi Kahini” (Tales of a Poet). This marked the beginning of his journey as a poet, and he soon began experimenting with various literary forms, infusing his work with his unique insights into human emotions and nature.

Rabindranath Tagore Biography: Early Education 

His early education began at home under the guidance of private tutors. He also attended various schools in Kolkata, where his unconventional approach to learning set him apart. Tagore was more interested in exploring his own interests and curiosities than adhering to traditional educational methods.

Rabindranath Tagore Family

.Rabindranath Tagore came from a distinguished and culturally rich family. His father, Debendranath Tagore, was a prominent philosopher and social reformer in Bengal, India. His mother was Sarada Devi. Rabindranath Tagore was the youngest of thirteen children.

1. Rabindranath Tagore Father – Debendranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore’s father was Debendranath Tagore. He was a prominent figure in the Bengali Renaissance and a leader of the Brahmo Samaj, a reformist Hindu movement. Debendranath Tagore was not only a philosopher and religious reformer but also a writer and composer of devotional songs. He played a significant role in shaping Rabindranath Tagore’s upbringing and education, fostering his creativity and intellectual development.

2. Rabindranath Tagore Mother – Sarada Devi

Rabindranath Tagore’s mother was Sarada Devi. She was a significant influence on Tagore’s life, particularly in his formative years. Sarada Devi was a devout and compassionate woman who played a crucial role in shaping her son’s values, spirituality, and worldview. Tagore had deep respect and admiration for his mother, and her teachings and affection profoundly impacted his literary and philosophical works.

3. Rabindranath Tagore Brothers

Rabindranath Tagore, the renowned poet, novelist, playwright, and composer, had several siblings. His brothers were significant figures in their own right, though their accomplishments might not be as widely recognized as Rabindranath’s.

• Dwijendranath Tagore: He was Rabindranath’s eldest brother, born in 1840. Dwijendranath was a philosopher, poet, and social worker. He was actively involved in social reforms and played a crucial role in the Brahmo Samaj movement, advocating for religious and social reforms in India.
• Satyendranath Tagore: Born in 1842, Satyendranath was another of Rabindranath’s older brothers. He was a distinguished civil servant in the Indian Civil Service under the British Raj. He was also a writer and the first Indian to join the Indian Civil Service (ICS).
• Jyotirindranath Tagore: Jyotirindranath was born in 1849 and was Rabindranath’s younger brother. He was a playwright, musician, painter, and theatre director. He collaborated closely with Rabindranath on various creative projects and was also involved in the Brahmo Samaj movement.

4. Rabindranath Tagore Wife – Mrinalini Devi

Rabindranath Tagore’s wife was Mrinalini Devi. They were married in 1883 when Tagore was just 22 years old. Mrinalini Devi was the daughter of Beni Madhab Sil, a wealthy landlord. Their marriage was arranged by Tagore’s father, Debendranath Tagore, who was a prominent figure in the Brahmo Samaj, a socio-religious reform movement in India.

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Rabindranath Tagore Biography Education at University College London

In 1878, Rabindranath traveled to London for studies. He began studying law at University College London but left before completing it. Instead, he delved into English Literature and explored the music of England, Ireland, and Scotland. Writing had been a passion for Rabindranath since childhood. His first poem, “Abhilash,” was written at the age of 13 and was published in Tattvabodhini magazine in 1874.

Rabindranath Tagore Biography: Return to India & Artistic Fusion in India

Following his time abroad, Rabindranath returned to India. It was during this period that he immersed himself in the essence of English, Irish, and Scottish literature and music. His exposure to these cultural facets significantly influenced his artistic development. It was also around this time that he entered into matrimony with Mrinalini Devi, who was merely ten years old at the time.

Rabindranath Tagore Biography: A Literary Journey Through Nature, Music, and Storytelling

Rabindranath Tagore’s educational journey was a blend of both conventional schooling and his own passionate pursuit of literature and the arts, ultimately shaping his unique and creative perspective that would go on to influence his remarkable contributions to the world of culture and literature. 

His relationship with nature also played a significant role in shaping his worldview and artistic expressions. Tagore’s close connection to the natural world is often reflected in his poetry, where he seamlessly weaved elements of nature with human emotions.

Rabindranath also wrote songs and the biggest admirer of his songs was Swami Vivekananda himself. His music was influenced by classical music, Carnatic music, Gurbani, and Irish music. He also started writing stories from a young age.

Rabindranath Tagore At Shantiniketan

Rabindranath Tagore’s association with Shantiniketan marked a significant chapter in his life. Shantiniketan, located in Birbhum district of West Bengal, India, became a hub of learning, creativity, and cultural exchange under his guidance.

In 1901, Tagore established an experimental school named “Patha Bhavana” in Shantiniketan, which later grew into Visva-Bharati University. His vision for education was unconventional, emphasizing a holistic approach that harmonized nature, arts, and intellectual pursuits. He aimed to break away from rote learning and cultivate a sense of free thought and creativity among students.

The open-air classrooms at Shantiniketan showcased Tagore’s belief in the symbiotic relationship between education and nature. Underneath the trees, students engaged in discussions, imbibing knowledge in a serene environment. The curriculum encompassed a fusion of Western and Indian educational philosophies, encouraging students to explore a wide spectrum of disciplines.

Tagore invited scholars, artists, and thinkers from around the world to Shantiniketan, fostering a global exchange of ideas and cultural influences. This unique approach enriched the educational experience, exposing students to diverse perspectives.

Integral to Shantiniketan was Tagore’s concept of “Gurudev” or the teacher-student relationship based on mutual respect and learning. He considered education a lifelong journey and envisioned Shantiniketan as a center for the cultivation of the mind, spirit, and character.

Tagore’s own contributions to literature, music, and art deeply influenced the atmosphere at Shantiniketan. His compositions, known as Rabindrasangeet, were taught and performed with zeal, echoing his belief in the power of art to connect individuals and communities.

Recently Santiniketan became the 41st UNESCO World Heritage Site in India and the third in West Bengal, after the Sundarbans National Park and the Darjeeling Mountain Railways. Last year, the state’s Durga Puja got space in “Intangible Cultural Heritage of humanity” under UNESCO .

Rabindranath Tagore: A Nobel Prize winner

Internationally, Gitanjali Tagore’s best-known collection of poetry, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. Tagore was the first non-European to receive a Nobel Prize in Literature and the second non-European to receive a Nobel Prize after Theodore Roosevelt.

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Rabindranath Tagore Literary works – Poetry, Prose, Novels, Plays, Short Stories, and Songs

Rabindranath Tagore’s literary works span a vast and diverse range of genres, including poetry, prose, fiction, drama, and songs. His creative output is celebrated for its profound philosophical insights, emotional depth, and innovative exploration of human experiences. Here are some of his notable literary contributions:

The table below contains the Genre wise list of notable literary contributions of Rabindranath Tagore:

Rabindranath Tagore Biography: From Literary Genius to Pioneering Painter

At the age of sixty, Rabindranath Tagore took up drawing and painting, showcasing his works in successful exhibitions across Europe after making his debut appearance in Paris, encouraged by artists he met in the south of France.

• Influenced by various styles, including scrimshaw from the Malanggan people of Papua New Guinea, Haida carvings from the Pacific Northwest, and woodcuts by the German Max Pechstein, Tagore demonstrated a diverse artistic approach.
• His keen artist’s eye extended to handwriting, evident in artistic and rhythmic leitmotifs adorning his manuscripts’ scribbles, cross-outs, and word layouts. Some of his lyrics even resonated synesthetically with specific paintings.

Despite his natural talent for writing, music, playwriting, and acting, painting proved elusive for Tagore. He expressed his desire to paint in letters and reminiscences, attempting to master the art.

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In a letter to Jagadish Chandra Bose in 1900, at nearly forty and already a celebrated writer, Tagore revealed his attempts at sketching, acknowledging that his pictures were not intended for prestigious salons in Paris. He humorously acknowledged using the eraser more than the pencil and, dissatisfied with the results, decided that becoming a painter was not his path.

The National Gallery of Modern Art in India houses 102 works by Tagore in its collections, reflecting his exploration of visual art alongside his literary and musical endeavors.

Rabindranath Tagore Biography Patriotism and Poetry

Rabindranath Tagore was very involved in politics and strongly supported Indian nationalists fighting against British rule. He created many patriotic songs to inspire people to fight for Indian independence.

His literary works were widely praised, even by Mahatma Gandhi . Rabindranath Tagore’s poems have been written in the spirit of freedom, independence, and patriotism. 

• When the British divided Bengal in 1905, he composed “Amar Shonar Bangla” which later became the national song of Bangladesh. The song “Ekla Chalo Re” written by him with the aim of continuing the struggle against injustice became very popular.

A significant moment in Tagore’s political journey was when he gave up his knighthood in protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919, showing his deep dedication to Indian independence.

Besides being a famous writer, Tagore was also a patriotic Indian involved in literature, art, music, and politics. His various contributions have had a lasting impact on India’s culture and politics. “Jana Gana Mana” written by Rabindranath Tagore was played for the first time during the Congress session in Calcutta in 1911.

Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore was a fearless person who dedicated his entire life to achieving complete independence for united India before gaining freedom from the British.

He believed that true freedom depended on the proper education and self-sufficiency of the Indian people, and he devoted himself to this goal.

Rabindranath Tagore’s Vision of Nationalism

Rabindranath Tagore’s views on nationalism were complex and thought-provoking. While he was a fervent advocate for the cultural and spiritual upliftment of India, his approach to nationalism was distinct from the mainstream political notions of his time.

Tagore expressed concerns about the aggressive and narrow forms of nationalism that were emerging, both in India and around the world. 

• He believed that such nationalism could lead to divisions, conflicts, and a suppression of individual freedom. In his view, narrow nationalism often disregarded the broader human connections that transcended borders.
• “Nationalism in the West” and “Nationalism in India.” In these essays, Tagore criticized the negative aspects of nationalism while emphasizing the importance of promoting mutual understanding and preserving cultural diversity.

Tagore believed in a more inclusive and universalistic approach to nationalism. He envisioned a world where different cultures could coexist, enriching each other without succumbing to superiority or dominance. He emphasized the need for a harmonious relationship between nations, highlighting the dangers of fanaticism and aggressive patriotism.

His vision of nationalism was closely tied to humanism, emphasizing the value of human beings over the rigid lines of nationality. He cautioned against blind allegiance to the nation and stressed the importance of cultivating a sense of humanity and empathy.

Tagore’s stance on nationalism drew both praise and criticism. Some appreciated his holistic perspective, while others accused him of being detached from the pressing political struggles of the time. Regardless, his ideas remain relevant in the context of today’s global challenges, emphasizing the importance of unity, understanding, and a broader perspective beyond national boundaries.

In essence, Rabindranath Tagore’s approach to nationalism was characterized by a deep concern for humanity, cultural preservation, and the need to transcend narrow divisions for the betterment of society as a whole.

Tagore’s literary creations transcend boundaries and languages, resonating with people from various cultures and backgrounds. His ability to capture the essence of human emotions and his deep philosophical reflections continue to inspire and influence generations of readers and thinkers worldwide.

Rabindranath Tagore Awards

Rabindranath Tagore’s prolific contributions to literature, arts, and philosophy earned him numerous awards and honors throughout his life. Here is a list of some of the most notable awards won by Tagore:

These awards are just a glimpse of the recognition Rabindranath Tagore received for his exceptional literary and cultural achievements. His influence extended far beyond accolades, as his works continue to touch hearts and inspire minds worldwide.

Rabindranath Tagore Death

Rabindranath Tagore, the renowned Bengali polymath who reshaped Bengali literature and music as well as Indian art with Contextual Modernism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, passed away on August 7, 1941. 

Tagore was not only a poet, novelist, playwright, and composer but also a philosopher and social reformer. His death marked the end of an era, but his legacy continues to inspire generations across the globe.

Rabindranath Tagore: A Multifaceted Legacy – Literature, Music, Education, and Global Impact

The legacy of Rabindranath Tagore is profound and enduring, spanning literature, music, art, education, and the broader realm of culture. His contributions have left an indelible mark on India and the world, shaping the course of thought, creativity, and social change. Here are some aspects of Tagore’s legacy:

His contributions to literature, arts, philosophy, and cultural exchange remain as vibrant and impactful as ever, ensuring that his influence lives on through his works and the institutions he founded, such as Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan. Tagore’s departure marked the end of a remarkable life, but his ideas and creations continue to illuminate the world.

The legacy of Rabindranath Tagore is profound and enduring, spanning literature, music, art, education, and the broader realm of culture. His contributions have left an indelible mark on India and the world, shaping the course of thought, creativity, and social change. 

The table below contains some aspects of Rabindranath Tagore’s legacy:

Top 10 Memorable Quotes by Rabindranath Tagore 

The table below contains Top 10 most memorable Quotes of Rabindranath Tagore:

Frequently Asked Questions

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