Rabindranath Tagore:Selected Essays is a collection of the author's most acclaimed essays. The Poet's Religion and The Creative Ideal reveal someof his fundamental tenets of art and aesthetics, of life and religion, and 'the religion of the poet'.The essays in Sadhana (1913) tell us of the ancient spirit of India, as revealed in our sacred texts and manifested in the life of today. Crisis in Civilisation (Sabhyatar Samkat) was the last public address delivered by Tagore on April 14,1941.The essays incorporatedfrom The Religion of Man (1941) are an extensive and commandingexposition of Tagore's understanding of the meaning and significance of religion in the cultural history of man. Greater India (1921) deals with the Swadeshi Movement in Bengal,one of the most turbulent periods in Indian history.One of India's most cherished renaissance figures, Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) put India on the literary map of the world when his Gitanjali was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. Myriadminded,he was a poet, short story writer, novelist, dramatist, essayist, painter and composer of songs.
Tagore S English Writings Originals And Translations Have Not Received The Attention That They Deserve. The Purpose Of This Edition Is To Make The English Writings Of Tagore Available To The Widest Possible Range Of Readers Interested In The Writings Of Tagore All Over The World, With Just The Bare, Minimum Information Necessary For Appreciating The Writings, And Leave The Critical Assessment To The Readers Themselves.There May Be Two Possible Reasons For The Neglect Of Tagore S English Writings. Firstly, Tagore S Prolific Output, Shakespearean Felicity And Protean Plasticity As A Bengali Poet, Who, Though Well-Versed In English, Chose To Write In The Medium Of His Mother Tongue For Nearly The First Fifty Years Of His Life, And There Is Hardly Any Literary Form That He Did Not Touch Upon And Turn Into Gold. His Creative Genius Found Expression In Poems, Plays, Novels, Essays, Short Stories, Satirical Pieces, Textbooks For Children, And Songs Of All Kinds. The Only Literary Form That He Did Not Try Is Epic. But In His Long, Eventful And Creative Eighty Years Of Life He Virtually Lived An Epic. It Is Largely Due To His Mighty Stature As A Bengali Poet That Nobody Really Bothered About His English Writings And His Own Translations Of His Own Writings.Secondly, It Is Owing To The Supposedly Poor Quality Of His Translations Subsequent To The Translation Of Gitanjali. It Was Only After Tagore Received The Nobel Prize For Literature In 1913 That There Was A Growing Demand For His Writings In The West, And As Tagore Was Not Apparently Satisfied By The Translations That Others Mainly His Admirers Made, He Began To Translate His Writings Himself. But The Tremendous Haste With Which He Had To Translate, Possibly Affected The Quality Of Translations. Come What May, The Point Is Whether Tagore S English Translations Are Good Or Bad, Whether The Translation Furthered His Reputation Or Damaged It, Is Immaterial. The Fact Of The Matter Is That They Are His, And His Own Translation Of Whatever Quality It May Be Is More Valuable To A Tagore Lover Than The Best Translation Made By Somebody Else, As Van Gogh S One Original Single Scratch Is More Valuable Than The Best Possible Copy By Some Other Artist.The Value Of Tagore S English Writings Lies Here : They Constitute An Important Part Of His Total Oeuvre, Add A New Magnificent Dimension To It And Offer Us A Glimpse Into The Mystique Of The Creative Anxiety That Could Have Haunted Even The Greatest Writer Of The Twentieth Century, About His Possible Reception In An Alien Culture.
While Rabindranath Tagore needs no introduction, his place as a critic has been partially eclipsed by his fame as a creative writer. One of the founders of modern Bengali critical thought and among the most perceptive analysts in the language, his corpus of critical writings spanning almosthis entire literary career, comprises more than one hundred pieces of varying length.This volume is part of The Oxford Tagore Translations series, a prestigious project undertaken by Oxford University Press in collaboration with Visva-Bharati to publish English translations of a wide range of Tagore's writings including his poetry, non-fiction prose, and fiction. The volume includesessays which reveal Tagore's engagement with the central issues of criticism, as well as with literary theory and aesthetics. Bringing together an authoritative selection of Tagore's critical writings, most of which have not been translated before, this book also includes a detailed introduction andextensive notes.
This book provides a critical introduction and translation of fifty Śāntiniketan (Abode of Peace) essays written by Rabindranath Tagore between 1908 and 1914. It provides key insights into Tagore's fundamental meditations on life, nature, religion, philosophy and the world at large. As the first of its kind, this volume is a definitive collection of Tagore's Śāntiniketan essays translated into English which contains a substantial amount of scholarly material on them. The essays look at Tagore's ideas of universality, his socio-cultural location along with the development of his thought, his reflections on Buddhism, Vaiṣṇavism, Bāul philosophy, the Bhagavadgītā and to a great extent the Upanishads and their contemporary relevance. It also connects Sri Ramakrishna's concepts of vijnāna and bhāvamukha with Tagore's thought, an original contribution, through the study of these essays. A nuanced exploration into translation theory and praxis, it fills a lacuna in Tagore Studies by bringing to the fore profound religious, spiritual and philosophical knowledge in Tagore's own voice. This volume will be useful for scholars and researchers of Translation Studies, Tagore Studies, Language and Literature, Cultural Studies and readers interested in Tagore's philosophical ideas.
The poems of Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) are among the most haunting and tender in Indian and in world literature, expressing a profound and passionate human yearning. His ceaselessly inventive works deal with such subjects as the interplay between God and the world, the eternal and transient, and with the paradox of an endlessly changing universe that is in tune with unchanging harmonies. Poems such as 'Earth' and 'In the Eyes of a Peacock' present a picture of natural processes unaffected by human concerns, while others, as in 'Recovery - 14', convey the poet's bewilderment about his place in the world. And exuberant works such as 'New Rain' and 'Grandfather's Holiday' describe Tagore's sheer joy at the glories of nature or simply in watching a grandchild play.
India’s Rabindranath Tagore was the first Asian Nobel Laureate and possibly the most prolific and diverse serious writer ever known. The largest single volume of his work available in English, this collection includes poetry, songs, autobiographical works, letters, travel writings, prose, novels, short stories, humorous pieces, and plays.
Kazi Nazrul Islam (1899-1976) is widely remembered as the fiery iconoclast who fought against the structures of oppression and orthodoxy. The iconic ‘rebel poet’ of Bengal, Nazrul continues to be loved for his songs and poetry. But what of his prose, his journalism, and his politics? Selected Essays reveals to us the extraordinary versatility of Nazrul as an essayist. Addressing subjects as diverse as social reform, politics, communal harmony, environmental concerns, education, aesthetics, ethics, and philosophy, this rich collection showcases Nazrul’s dynamic vision and unique use of language as an instrument of change. The essays chart his evolving consciousness as a thinker, writer and activist, offering vivid glimpses of the ethos of his times, his relationships with leading figures such as Tagore and Gandhi, and his active engagement with social, political and cultural processes. These new translations bring Nazrul’s powerful voice to life, all its vibrant immediacy.
This book provides a critical introduction and translation of fifty Śāntiniketan (Abode of Peace) essays written by Rabindranath Tagore between 1908 and 1914. It provides key insights into Tagore’s fundamental meditations on life, nature, religion, philosophy and the world at large. As the first of its kind, this volume is a definitive collection of Tagore’s Śāntiniketan essays translated into English which contains a substantial amount of scholarly material on them. The essays look at Tagore’s ideas of universality, his socio-cultural location along with the development of his thought, his reflections on Buddhism, Vaiṣṇavism, Bāul philosophy, the Bhagavadgītā and to a great extent the Upanishads and their contemporary relevance. It also connects Sri Ramakrishna’s concepts of vijnāna and bhāvamukha with Tagore’s thought, an original contribution, through the study of these essays. A nuanced exploration into translation theory and praxis, it fills a lacuna in Tagore Studies by bringing to the fore profound religious, spiritual and philosophical knowledge in Tagore’s own voice. This volume will be useful for scholars and researchers of Translation Studies, Tagore Studies, Language and Literature, Cultural Studies and readers interested in Tagore’s philosophical ideas.
“Their real freedom is not within the boundaries of security, but in the highroad of adventures, full of the risk of new experiences.” Nationalism was a popular subject of debate in the pre-Independence era and academics from across the world shared their ideas on the same. Tagore’s idea of nationalism is deep-rooted in his belief that growth has to be all-inclusive – not just for a nation, but also for its people. This book is a collection of Tagore’s lectures on Nationalism in the West, Japan and India. His mastery with expression is further highlighted as he recounts the need of the concept of Nation to benefit its people, and not just exist as an idealistic theory that benefits a few. Nationalism brings to fore Tagore’s deep understanding of contemporary politics and paves a middle path between growth of the people and a nation, and aggressive ways towards modernity.
Open the pages of this extraordinary collection and immerse yourself in the brilliance of Rabindranath Tagore's artistry and genius. From heart-wrenching tragedies to heart-warming tales of hope and resilience, Tagore's stories capture the human experience in all its richness and complexity. Whether you're a lifelong fan of Tagore's work or new to his writings, this collection is a treasure trove of literary gems that will leave you spellbound and longing for more.
