Rabindrantah Tagore: His Universality & Relevance
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The Criterion: An International Journal in English
ISSN 0976-8165
Rabindranath Tagore: A Reappraisal of His Universality and Relevance
Prakash Bhadury
Lecturer (English)
Department of Humanities & Social Sciences
National Institute of Technology,
Hamirpur, H.P, India- 177005
Abstract:
Rabindranath Tagore stands as a millennium in himself reflecting the ancient Indian wisdom through the raptures of his lyrics and mystic vision. His metaphysical bent of mind was quite rooted to the realities of his time inasmuch as he served as an anchor of intellectual moorings upon which the emerging nation state was to set foot on to shape a new course of journey. As a liberal humanist he advocated for Inclusive nationalism. The national anthem itself speaks of universality of Indian thought. He crystallised the Indian Renaissance of new awakening in the 19th century via the path of Bengal Renaissance which first stimulated all the
Indian vernaculars of a promise of lofty creative potentials. Tagor’s international repute as the first noble Laureate of Asia helped the subalterns to gain a voice during freedom struggle.
Though the English translation of his poems and other literary works lost the vitality of language, the mellifluous rhyming quality, lyrical beauty and the word-magic but the power of his vision continues to be a source of great inspiration for whoever reads them. This paper is attempted to illumine on Tagore’s universality as a poet-seer and his relevance in modern time when the world is still reeling under indeterminacy of post modern fluidity that continues to witness global terrorism, religious hatred, racism, rampant corruption and discrimination of various sorts.
Hence, it is worth that the myriad minded man, ‘the East of Suez’, may be reviewed afresh for his universality and relevance ever.
Keywords: Avant –Garde, East-West, eternal, globalization, liberal humanist, ‘mantra, religion,
Renaissance,
The Criterion: An International Journal in English
ISSN 0976-8165
Rabindranath Tagore: A Reappraisal of His Universality and Relevance
Prakash Bhadury
Lecturer (English)
Department of Humanities & Social Sciences
National Institute of Technology,
Hamirpur, H.P, India- 177005
Abstract:
Rabindranath Tagore stands as a millennium in himself reflecting the ancient Indian wisdom through the raptures of his lyrics and mystic vision. His metaphysical bent of mind was quite rooted to the realities of his time inasmuch as he served as an anchor of intellectual moorings upon which the emerging nation state was to set foot on to shape a new course of journey. As a liberal humanist he advocated for Inclusive nationalism. The national anthem itself speaks of universality of Indian thought. He crystallised the Indian Renaissance of new awakening in the 19th century via the path of Bengal Renaissance which first stimulated all the
Indian vernaculars of a promise of lofty creative potentials. Tagor’s international repute as the first noble Laureate of Asia helped the subalterns to gain a voice during freedom struggle.
Though the English translation of his poems and other literary works lost the vitality of language, the mellifluous rhyming quality, lyrical beauty and the word-magic but the power of his vision continues to be a source of great inspiration for whoever reads them. This paper is attempted to illumine on Tagore’s universality as a poet-seer and his relevance in modern time when the world is still reeling under indeterminacy of post modern fluidity that continues to witness global terrorism, religious hatred, racism, rampant corruption and discrimination of various sorts.
Hence, it is worth that the myriad minded man, ‘the East of Suez’, may be reviewed afresh for his universality and relevance ever.
Keywords: Avant –Garde, East-West, eternal, globalization, liberal humanist, ‘mantra, religion,
Renaissance,
Cited: 23, No. 2, Cultures of Creativity: The Centennial Celebration of the Nobel Prizes (spring, 2001), pp Hurwitz, Harold M. “Yeats and Tagore”. Comparative Literature, Vol. 16, No. 1 (winter, 1964), pp Indian Literature , Vol. 29, No. 3 (113) (May-June, 1986), pp. 12- 32.Web.12Aug’13. 2/3, The Work and Life of Rabindranath Tagore (June - September 1961), pp Review, Vol. 197, No. 690 (May, 1913), pp. 659-676.Web.26Aug’13. < www.jstor.org/stable/25120002> Vol. IV. Issue V (October 2013) 8 www.jstor.org/stable/738467> Tagore Rabindranath (1922) Sadhana .London: Macmillan publication, 1933.Print. No. 3 (1995), pp. 590592.Web.