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Rabindranath Tagore as a poet, dramatist, and Novelist
About Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore was born on 7th May 1861 in
Calcutta and died on 7th August 1941. He was short story writer,
song-composer, playwright, essayist and painter. He has also introduced new
prose and verse forms. He has introduced Indian culture to the west. Therefore
he was regarded as the outstanding creative artist of 20th century,
India. He has received Nobel Prize for
literature. The name of his father was Devendranath tagore who was a religious
reformer.
Tagore has completed “Manasi” in 1890. It is a collection of
poems as well as social and political satire. In 1891 Tagore went to East
Bengal (now in Bangladesh) to manage his family’s estates for 10 years. There
he often stayed in a houseboat on the Padma River in close contact with village
life and later on he has wrote much about Village.
His love for Bengali countryside was reflected in his work
“humble lives and small miseries”. During 1890s Tagore has published several
poetry collections like “Sonar tari” means the Golden boat in 1894,.
Founder of Shantiniketan
In 1901 Tagore founded an experimental school in rural west
Bengal at Shantiniketan. He settled
permanently at the school, which became Vishva Bharati University in 1921. His
later poetry was affected by his personal life because he has faced the death
of his wife and two children. Therefore sadness can easily identify in his
poetry. This was introduced in “Gitanjali” (1912) which contains English
translations of religious Bengali poems. Tagore won nobel prize for for
“Gitanjali” in the year 1913. He was
also awarded with Knighthood in 1915 but he has given it back as a protest
against Jallianwala bagh Massacre.
Tagore as a Dramatist
Tagore’s experience with drama began when he was sixteen, with his
brother Jyotindranath. His first dramatic piece is “Valmiki Pratibha”. He wrote
this work when he was just twenty year old. Tagore stated that his work focuses
on “ the play of feeling and not of action”. In 1890 he wrote Visarjan (an
adaptation of his novella Rajarshi), which has been regarded as his finest
drama. Such works includes subplots and extended monologues. Later on Tagore’s
dramas used more philosophical and allegorical themes.
-Dak Ghar
His one of the best play “Dak Ghar” (The post office; 1912)
describes the child “Amal” who lives in his adoptive uncle’s home. He has an
incurable disease. Therefore Dak ghar deals with death as, in Tagore’s words
“spiritual freedom” from the worls of wealth.
-Chandalika
Another important play is Chandalika. It is a story of an
untouchable girl. It is based on ancient Buddisht story in which the disciple
of Buddha, Anand asks a tribal girl for water.
-Raktakarabi
This play is an allegorical struggle against a king who
rules over the residence of Yaksha Puri.
-Rabindra Nritya Natya
Chitrangada, Chandalika and Shyama are the key plays that
have dance drama adaptation, which together are known as Rabindra Nritya Natya.
Tagore as a short story writer
Tagore began his career in short stories in 1877 when he was
only sixteen. His first short story is “ Bhikharini” (The beggar Woman). The
four years from 1891 to 1895 are known
as Tagore’s “Sadhana” period. It means in these four years he has contributed a
lot for his magazine “Sadhana”. In “Galpaguchchha” there is collection of 84
stories. Such stories usually showcase Tgaore’s reflections upon his
surroundings, on modern and fashionable ideas and on interesting mind puzzles.
Other short stories
-Kabuliwala, 1892 (The fruitseller from Kabul)
-Kshudita Pashan, 1895 (The Hungry stones)
- Atithi, 1895 (The Runaway)
These stories focuses on downtrodden life or poor people.
Tagore as a novelist
Tagore wrote eight novels and four novellas. The names of
some of his works are:-
-Chaturanga
-Shesher Kobita
-Char Odhay
-Naukadubi
- Ghare Baire
-Gora
-Jagojag
-Ghare Baire ( The Home and the world)- is written through
the lens of idealistic Zamindar Nikhil. He is the protagonist of this story. It
deals with the theme of Indian Nationalism, terrorism, and religious Zeal in
the Swadeshi movement. This novel ends with Hindu-Muslim Violence.
-Gora, is the fifth in order of writing and the longest of
Tagore’s twelve novels. In is about debate on politics and religion. Gora
(Whitey) is an Irish boy and he is raised by Hindu. He falls in love for a Brahmo girl. It consist of two parallel love stories. One
is Gora with Sucharita and other is Binoy with Lolita. Their emotional
development is shown in the background of the social and political problems.
-In Jagojag (Relationship), The heroine Kumidini is
influenced by the ideals of Shiva and Sati. Tagore deals with feminist reading
and theplight of women trapped by pregnancy, duty, and family honour. The story
revolves around the two rival families-
The Chatterjees( Biprodas) and The Ghosals (Madhusudan). Kumidini is the sister
of Biprodas, belonging to aristocrat family. She is caught between the two as
she married to Madhusudan.
Tagore as a Poet
Internationally, Gitanjali is Tagore’s best known collection
of poetry, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1913.
Besides Gitanjali, other notable works include:-
-Manasi
-Sonar Tori (Golden Boat)
- Balaka (wild geese)(the title is metaphor for migrating
souls)
Tagore’s poetic style proceeds from classical to comic,
visionary. He was influenced by Vyasa, author of Upanishad, the Bhakti-sufi
sant Kabir and Ramprasad sen.
Later on with the development of new poetic ideas in Bengal-
many originating from younger poets seeking to break with Tagore’s style. But
Tagore absorbed new ideas which allowed him to develop unique identity. Example
of this includes “Africa” and “Camalia”, which are among the better known of
his latter poems.
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T.P kailasam’s plays
Introduction
Thanjavur Paramsiva Kailasam was a playwright and prominent
writer of Kannada literature. His contribution to Kannada theatrical comedy
earned him the title of ‘Prahasana Prapitamaha’, the father of humorous plays
and later on he was also called ‘Kannadakke Obbane Kailasam’ meaning ‘one and
only Kailasam for kannada.
He was born in Tamil family in southern Karnataka, India. His
father T. Paramsiva Iyer was the chief Justice of the Mysore High Court.
Kailasam had a good education and was supported by maharaja of Mysore to study
geology in London. He spent six years in
school in England and participatinf in theatre whenever possible.
After returning from abroad he has joined government job but
soon quit to write plays. His father plan for him is different who wanted him
to become the Director General of the Geology Departmenht. Therefore Kailasam
stop talking to him.
Plays
Kailasam had written many plays in both Kannada and English.
His books in Kannada Language are:-
-Makala school mana alawa
-Sikarni
-Savitri
-Sathavana santhapra
-Haninabal Kanirranu
English Plays:-
-Fulfillment
-Purpose
- The Brahmin’s curse
T.P Kailasam has written seventeen social Dramas. All of
tehm deal with the common man’s every day life. His style of writing is
different, some readers find difficult to read the titles of the plays because
of kannada language. He uses Telugu, Tamil, Urdu with kannada and Enflish in
his plays. In is known as “Kanglish”. According to him he uses real language of
the common man. So his style of writing is realistic.
Kailasam uses realistic characters in all his plays. All his
characters are the middle class men and women of south Indian society.
Kailasam’s popularity lies in humour Brilliant conversation with rhyming. The
dialogues make the audience laugh. Because of the unique theme of Drama,
Kailasam becomes the great writer of India.
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-The play “Purpose’ is based on the famous Mahabharata story
focusing on the incident of Eklavya, Arjun and their partial mentor
Draunacharya. Kailasam puts the minor character Eklavya in center and Arjun at
periphery. He gives voice to a low caste Nishada Boy Eklavya.
-The play “Fulfilment” is based on the character of
Mahabharata. Eklavya, the Nishad boy and Krishna, the chief of Vrishnis. It is a sequel to “Purpose”. The play full
fledged with three acts. In the last act eklavya meets his end by Krishna’s
hands.
-The play Brahmin’s curse is again based on the story of
Mahabharata. It is about the tragic prince “Karna”. It is not very difficult
for Kailasam to turn Karna’s life into tragic dram because the life of Karna is
already full of tragedy in Mahabharata.
