Rabindranath Tagore

 Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore Introduction:

Rabindranath Tagore was born on 7 May 1861 in Kolkata. Rabindranath Tagore was the son of Debendranath Tagore, one of Brahmo Samaj's active members a known celebrated philosopher, and literate. R.N Tagore died after a prolonged illness on the 7 August 1941. 

Rabindranath Tagore's Early Life:

Debendranath Tagore married Sarada Devi and welcomed their youngest child, Rabindranath Tagore into the world on 7 May 1861 in Kolkata. Rich landowner and social reformer Dwarkanath Tagore was his grandpa. The Brahmo Samaj a revolutionary religious movement in nineteenth-century Bengal that sought to revive the supreme monistic foundation of Hinduism outlined in the Upanishads, was led by his father, Debendranath Tagore. The Tagore family had been a gold mine of ability in every profession. In addition to hosting literary magazine publications, they frequently presented their performances and presentations of Bengal and Western classical music. To educate the kids on Indian classical music, Tagore's father recruited several seasoned musicians to stay at their home. Dwijendranath, Tagore's elder brother was a poet and philosopher. The first Indian to be appointed to the hitherto all-European Indian civil service was another brother named Satyendranath. Jyotitindranath, another brother, was a writer, composer, and musician. His sister Swarna Kumari went on to publish novels.

Education:

 The traditional education of Rabindranath Tagore began in a public school in Brighton, East Sussex in England. His father intended him to be a barrister, therefore, he went to England in 1878. Later, he was joined by a number of his family members to help him throughout his stay in England, including his nephew, niece, and sister-in-law.  Rabindranath was never interested in studying at his school he detested conventional education. Later, he was accepted into the University College of London, where he was required to pursue a legal education. But he left class once more and picked up several Shakespearean plays on his own. He returned to India and wed Mrinalini Devi when she was ten years old after absorbing the core of English, Irish, and Scottish literature and music.

Rabindranath Tagore's childhood and education:

 While growing up, R.N Tagore shared a very intimate relationship with his elder brother and his sister-in-law.  Rabindranath Tagore's father's name is Debendranath Tagore, and his mother's name is Sarada Devi.  Rabindranath Tagore's birthday is on the 7 May1861, and he was born in Kolkata, Bengal Presidency then. It is believed that they did everything together.  Rabindranath Tagore's education didn't seem too impressive. R.N Tagore did not enjoy schooling, he was mostly found procrastinating and pondering for hours. He went to one of the most prestigious St. Xavier's Schools and later he went to the University of London in Bridgton, England, to study law and become a barrister. Still, as we know he did not enjoy schooling much he returned home in two year but without a degree. Even though he did not enjoy schooling much, he was always found with books, pen, and ink. He would always be scribbling things in his notebook, however, he was too shy to reveal his writings.

Rabindranath Tagore At Shantiniketan:

Rabindranath Tagore student at the incredibly unique and extraordinary institution he founded at Shantiniketan, named ' Visva Bharati University', gave him the honorific epithet 'Gurudev' out of reverence. The Tagore family created and built Shantiniketan. Rabindranath Tagore was extremely familiar with this little town. In this location, R.N. Tagore authored some poems and songs. 'Visva Bharati' University, in contrast to other institutions, welcomed any student motivated to study. The learning opportunities at this university were just not limited to the four walls of the classroom. Instead, classes were held outside, behind the campus's huge banyan trees. The custom of student and teacher meeting in open areas for courses has persisted to this day.

Literary works: 

Rabindranath Tagore wrote various poetry, novels, and short tales throughout his lifetime. Though he began writing at an early age, his ambition to produce more creative works only grew after the loss of his wife and his children. The following are a few of his literary works.

1- Novels:

    His books are believed to be the most underappreciated of his works. His work '      Shesher Kobita' told its plot through poetry and the main protagonist's rhythmic sections. He also added a sarcastic touch to it by having his characters make fun of an out-of-date poet titled Rabindranath Tagore! His other well-known books      are 'Noukadubu,' 'Gora', ' Chaturanga', 'Ghare Baire', and 'Jogajog.'  

 2-  Short stories:

  Tagore began writing short tales as a teenager. His literary career began with          'Bhikharini.' During the early stages of his profession, his tales reflected his environment. He also it a point to include social themes and poor man troubles in  his novels. He also wrote about the disadvantages of Hindu marriages and some other traditions that were common in the country at the time. Among his        famous short stories are 'Kabuliwala,' 'Kshudita Pashan,'  'Atottju,' 'Haimanti,'          and 'Musalmanir Golpo.'

3- Poems:

    Rabindranath was inspired by old poets such as Kabir and Ramprsad Sen.                Interestingly, he wrote a poem in 1893 and dedicated it to a future poet. while  reading the poem, he exhorted the yet-to-be-born poet to recall Tagore and his  works. Among his outstanding works are 'Balaka,' 'Purobi,' 'Sonar Tori,' and          'Gitanjali.'   

    Nobel Prize 

     Tagore won won many prizes. He won the Literature Nobel Prize in 1913. Just       after the Jallianwala Bagh murder in 1919, he resigned the knighthood rank he        had received from King George in 1915. Eventually, in March 2004, the Nobel      prize was taken from Visva-Bharati, and the Swedish Academy delivered two         copies of the prize-one made of gold and the other of bronze in December.               But  in 2016, the robber's hiding place was discovered, and the treasure was            retrieved. 

Rabindranath Tagore's Death and His Encounters with Death :

   R.N Tagore was only fourteen years old when Sharada Devi, his mother, passed    away. After his mother's sudden and heartbreaking demise, R.N Tagore was            mostly seen avoiding the classroom and schooling. Instead, he would roam about    his town Bolpur. He had to face the death of several of his loved ones, too, one       after the other, which left him devastated and heartbroken. After his mother, R.N     Tagore lost a very close friend and a very significant influence, Kadambari Devi,   his sister-in-law. It is presumed that R.N Tagore's novella called ''Nastanirh'' was      about Kadambari Devi. 

  It is also believed that she had committed suicide four months after R.N Tagore's marriage to Mrinalini  Devi. There are some serious speculations made about R.N  Tagore and his sister-in-law sharing a very intimate relationship and that maybe the two were in love, however, there has been no confirmation on the same. Later,   his wife, Mrinalini Devi too died due to an illness. He lost his two daughters,   Madhurilata, whom R.N Tagore adored and was found of the most due to tuberculosis, and Renuka and his son Shamindranath due to cholera. These deaths shook him to the core, but he never failed to pick up his pen again. Even though all these encounters with death gave him shaping his personality and writing style,  he kept longing for a companion who shared the same interests as he did.

 Life was a little less cruel to him at this point. When he found that companion, he   had been longing for his niece Indira Devi, who was highly educated and well-      read. R.N Tagore wrote to her about some sensitive details about his life. These   letters to Indira Devi witnessed the sheer vulnerability of his emotional state,     sensibilities, and experiences. Since Indira Devi and copied all his letters in a     notebook; it eventually got published. ''Chinnapatra'' can give one a glimpse of  Tagore's growth as a human and as an artist. Grief had been a constant part of R.N  Tagore's life, which is often reflected in his literary works; after losing     Rabindranath Tagore's wife and daughter, he lost his father too. These years of     sadness and sorrow, which were very actively reflected in his literary works, were  introduced as 'Gitanjali'' which won him the Nobel Prize.