The dynamics of modern Bengali poetry after Rabindranath Tagore: from the beginning to the end of the 1940s/ রবীন্দ্রোত্তর আধুনিক বাংলা কবিতার গতিপ্রকৃতি : শুরু থেকে চল্লিশের শেষ

Abstract

Departing from the obscurities of the medieval period, Michael Madhusudan Dutt (1824-1873) was the first poet in Bengali literature to articulate, through his works, the diverse sensibilities of a modern consciousness. The defining features of modern literature—individuality and the assertion of selfhood—were most prominently realized in his poetry. Biharilal Chakraborty’s (1835—1894) inclination to voice personal sentiments in an authentic idiom found a fuller and more accomplished expression in the poetry of Rabindranath Tagore (1861—1941), who engaged with multiple strands and possibilities of modernity. Nevertheless, the emergence of genuine modernism in Bengali poetry was ultimately conditioned by the necessity of transcending Tagore’s overwhelming influence.

              The earliest conscious desire to liberate Bengali poetry from the overwhelming influence of Rabindranath Tagore was most distinctly articulated by the poets of the ‘Kallol’ group. Yet, even prior to them, Kazi Nazrul Islam (1898–1976) had, perhaps unwittingly, with his rebellious, fiery verse freed himself from the spell of Tagore’s influence, but the decisive breakthrough arrived with the ‘Kallol’ group. Journals like ‘Kallol’ (1923), ‘Kalikalam’ (1926), ‘Pragati’ (1927), ‘Parichay’ (1931), and later ‘Kobita’ (1935) created platforms for a radically modernist generation of modern Bengali Poetry.

              This new poetry was inseparable from its turbulent historical context: the First and Second World Wars, the Russian Revolution, India’s Non-Cooperation Movement, the Great Depression, and the rise of Marxist ideology. Against this backdrop, the 1930s produced some of the most remarkable poets in Bengali literature. Jibanananda Das (1899–1954) became a central voice with his haunting imagery, skepticism, and unique meditative tone. Sudhindranath Dutta (1901–1960) emphasized classical discipline, dense intellectualism, and impersonality. Buddhadeb Basu (1908–1974) championed modernism through lyrical romanticism, frank sensuality, and aesthetic delight. Amiya Chakravarty (1901–1986) combined scientific rationality with spiritual quest, while Bishnu Dey (1909–1982) brought Marxist thought, historical awareness, and realist concerns into poetry. Alongside them, poets like Premendra Mitra (1904–1988), Ajit Dutta (1907–1979), and Achintyakumar Sengupta (1903–1976) enriched the movement with varied stylistic experiments.

            The 1940s brought further transformation under catastrophic events—World War II, the Bengal Famine of 1943, communal riots, the struggle for Independence, and Partition. Poetry now became more overtly political and socially committed. Sukanta Bhattacharya (1926–1947), who died tragically young, emerged as a symbol of revolutionary hope and youthful defiance, while Birendra Chattopadhyay (1920–1985) and Ram Basu articulated leftist ideals and collective struggle. Yet not all poets turned activist; some, like Ashok Bijoy Raha (1915–1997), Arun Kumar Sarkar (1919–2001), and Naresh Guha (1923–2009), retained a lyrical attachment to nature and beauty. Others, such as Arun Mitra (1909–2000) and Jyotirindranath Maitra (1911–2000), attempted a balance between realism, social consciousness, and humanist values.

            Thus, from the beginning of 1930s through the late 1940s, Bengali poetry underwent a vibrant and multi-layered transition. Beginning with a conscious break from Tagore’s dominance, it moved through experimental modernism, embraced skepticism and historical awareness, and finally reached politically engaged verse that voiced hunger, protest, and the dream of social transformation. These decades decisively shaped the foundation of post-Independence Bengali poetry, ensuring its richness, diversity, and modernity.