88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Tagore, Rabindranath
88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Rabindranath Tagore | |
|---|---|
 Autochrome portrait, 1926 | |
| Pronunciation | [ˈrobind̪ɾonat̪ʰ ˈʈʰakuɾ] ⓘ |
| Born | 7 May 1861 |
| Died | 7 August 1941 (aged 80) Jorasanko Thakur Bari, Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British Raj |
| Other name | Bhanusimha |
| Citizenship | British Indian |
| Occupations |
|
| Era | Bengal Renaissance |
| Notable work | |
| Movement | Contextual Modernism |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 5, including Rathindranath Tagore |
| Relatives | Tagore family |
| Awards | Nobel Prize in Literature (1913) |
| Signature | |
 | |
88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
"The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough." (08/28/2022)
8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
"The sparrow is sorry for the peacock at the burden of his tail." (04/06/2024)
8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
"You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water."
88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Rabindranath Tagore (born May 7, 1861, Calcutta [now Kolkata], India—died August 7, 1941, Calcutta) was a Bengali poet, short-story writer, song composer, playwright, essayist, and painter who introduced new prose and verse forms and the use of colloquial language into Bengali literature, thereby freeing it from traditional models based on classical Sanskrit. He was highly influential in introducing Indian culture to the West and vice versa, and he is generally regarded as the outstanding creative artist of early 20th-century India. In 1913 he became the first non-European to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Early life and education
The son of the religious reformer Debendranath Tagore, he early began to write verses, and, after incomplete studies in England in the late 1870s, he returned to India. There he published several books of poetry in the 1880s and completed Manasi (1890), a collection that marks the maturing of his genius. It contains some of his best-known poems, including many in verse forms new to Bengali, as well as some social and political satire that was critical of his fellow Bengalis.
Life in East Bengal and literary maturity
Did You Know?
Rabindranath Tagore is the only poet credited with authoring the national anthems of two countries.
India’s national anthem, “Jana Gana Mana,” is derived from his 1911 Bengali poem “Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata.” It was formally adopted by the Constituent Assembly on January 24, 1950.
Bangladesh’s national anthem, “Amar Sonar Bangla” (“My Golden Bengal”), was written in 1905 during the partition of Bengal. It was officially adopted in 1972 after independence under Article 4.1 of the country’s constitution.
In 1891 Tagore went to East Bengal (now in Bangladesh) to manage his family’s estates at Shilaidah and Shazadpur for 10 years. There he often stayed in a houseboat on the Padma River (the main channel of the Ganges River), in close contact with village folk, and his sympathy for them became the keynote of much of his later writing. Most of his finest short stories, which examine “humble lives and their small miseries,” date from the 1890s and have a poignancy, laced with gentle irony, that is unique to him (though admirably captured by the director Satyajit Ray in later film adaptations). Tagore came to love the Bengali countryside, most of all the Padma River, an often-repeated image in his verse. During these years he published several poetry collections, notably Sonar Tari (1894; The Golden Boat), and plays, notably Chitrangada (1892; Chitra). Tagore’s poems are virtually untranslatable, as are his more than 2,000 songs, which achieved considerable popularity among all classes of Bengali society.
Shantiniketan and educational vision
In 1901 Tagore founded an experimental school in rural West Bengal at Shantiniketan (“Abode of Peace”), where he sought to blend the best in the Indian and Western traditions. He settled permanently at the school, which became Visva-Bharati University in 1921. Years of sadness arising from the deaths of his wife and two children between 1902 and 1907 are reflected in his later poetry, which was introduced to the West in Gitanjali (Song Offerings) (1912). This book, containing Tagore’s English prose translations of religious poems from several of his Bengali verse collections, including Gitanjali (1910), was hailed by W.B. Yeats and André Gide and won him the Nobel Prize in 1913. Tagore was awarded a knighthood in 1915, but he repudiated it in 1919 as a protest against the Amritsar (Jallianwala Bagh) Massacre.
Rabindranath Tagore’s prose translation of Verse XXXIX from Gitanjali (Song Offerings) (1912)
When the heart is hard and parched up, come upon me with a shower of mercy.
When grace is lost from life, come with a burst of song.
When tumultuous work raises its din on all sides shutting me out from beyond, come to me, my lord of silence, with thy peace and rest.
When my beggarly heart sits crouched, shut up in a corner, break open the door, my king, and come with the ceremony of a king.
When desire blinds the mind with delusion and dust, O thou holy one, thou wakeful, come with thy light and thy thunder.
Later works and artistic pursuits
From 1912 Tagore spent long periods out of India, lecturing and reading from his work in Europe, the Americas, and East Asia and becoming an eloquent spokesperson for the cause of Indian independence. Tagore’s novels in Bengali are less well known than his poems and short stories; they include Gora (1910) and Ghare-Baire (1916), translated into English as Gora and The Home and the World, respectively. In the late 1920s, when he was in his 60s, Tagore took up painting and produced works that won him a place among India’s foremost contemporary artists.
88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Rabindranath Tagore’s quotes inspire reflection on life, love, joy, and wisdom, blending poetic insight with philosophical depth.
Selected Quotes
- “The one who plants trees, knowing that he will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life.” – emphasizes selfless action and foresight .
- “It is very simple to be happy, but it is very difficult to be simple.” – a reflection on the challenge of living a content and uncomplicated life .
- “I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.” – highlighting the fulfillment found in serving others .
- “Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.” – a metaphor for hope and trust in uncertain times .
- “The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.” – a reminder to cherish the present .
- “Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but for the heart to conquer it.” – on courage and resilience .
- “Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.” – a poetic view of life’s challenges as enriching experiences .
- “Everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the capacity to receive it.” – on readiness and personal growth .
- “We live in the world when we love it.” – a simple yet profound statement on the power of love and engagement with life .
- “Reach high, for stars lie hidden in you. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.” – motivational guidance for ambition and self-realization .
Themes in Tagore’s Quotes
- Life and Joy: Many quotes explore the meaning of life, happiness, and the pursuit of joy through simplicity and service.
- Love and Relationships: Tagore often reflects on love as timeless, universal, and transformative.
- Wisdom and Learning: He emphasizes humility, continuous learning, and the cultivation of inner capacity.
- Courage and Resilience: Several quotes encourage facing challenges with fearlessness and strength of heart.
- Nature and Beauty: Nature frequently serves as a metaphor for life, growth, and inspiration.
These quotes capture Tagore’s unique blend of poetic elegance and philosophical insight, making them timeless sources of inspiration and reflection .
88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
No comments:
Post a Comment