Rabindranath Tagore the greatest writer of Bengali Language

Rabindranath Tagore

Introduction: Rabindranath Tagore is, without any doubt, the greatest writer of Bengali Language. His talent was multifaceted. He was a poet, a dramatist, a novelist, a short story writer, a composer, a painter, an essayist, a critic, and a philosopher at the same time. For sixty years, from his boyhood till his death he contributed to the Bengali literature in many ways.

Birth: Rabindranath Tagore was born on the 7^th May 1861 in the famous Tagore family of Jorasako. He was the youngest son of Maharshi Debendranath Tagore.

Education: He was sent to school but his mind refused the narrow discipline of school and formal education. So in his boyhood he was taught mostly at home with the help of private tutors. His receptive mind absorbed knowledge from his house tutors, cultural environment of hid house, and his talented siblings. At the age of seventeen he was sent to England to study law but he could not complete his study there and returned home. After that, he devoted himself to writing.

Contributions: The modern Bengali language is largely his contribution. He raised Bengali Literature to a great height and writings include innumerable poems. Each of them was unique in style and literary merit. He also wrote many novels and short stories. He composed thousands of songs. One of them was accepted as the national anthem of Bangladesh. His lyrics contain deep emotions, lofty idealism, and incomparable music. In 1921, he established an international university named Vishya Barati at Shantiniketan. This university will continue to contribute in the field of true and quality education. He was a patriot. He never failed to support the cause of the country with his strong writing and messages.

Achievements: He won the ‘Nobel Prize’ for the English version of ‘Gitanjali’ in 1913. The British Government made him knight, but he refused the award in protest of the massacre in Jakianwalabag.

Death: He died on August 07, 1941, at the age of eighty.

Conclusion: Rabindranath Tagore was a versatile genius. He led the Bengali literature to certain height where nobody dares to touch him. He has left us a rich heritage of writings. We should preserve his literary contributions properly.