(Video) Hiland Park Children's Performance of 150th

(Video) Rabindranath's Creativity (contd-3) toshali_261108.mpg

"From the mixed cultivation of foreign and native melody was born Valmiki Pratibha.  The tunes in this musical drama are mostly Indian, but they have been dragged out of their classic dignity, that which soared in the sky was taught to run on the earth. Those who have seen and heard it performed will, I trust, bear witness that harnessing of  Indian melodic modes to the service of drama has proved neither derogatory nor futile. This conjunction is the only special feature of Valmiki Pratibha. The pleasing task of loosening the chains of melodic forms and making them adaptable to a variety of treatment completely engrossed me."

These are the words said by Rabindranath in his Reminiscences. The influence of Biharilal Chakraborty on this drama is evident. Biharilal Chakraborty was the favourite poet of Rabindranath at that time. Jyotirindranath helped him in music composition.Valmiki Pratibha was first staged in Thakur bari on the occasion of Biddwatjana Sabha.. Later this drama was staged many times in Thakur Bari on different occasions. It is a popular drama of Rabindranath. Even today it is staged on different occasions. In Thakur Bari Rabindranath himself took the role of Valmiki and Prativa, the daughter of Hemendranath, acted in the role of Saraswati. Amongst the important persons present on the occasion were Bankimchandra (43), Gurudas Bandyopadhyaya (37), Haraprasad Shastri (28)  etc. Gurudas babu became so inspired that he wrote a poem mentioning the genius of the young poet Rabindranath. Haraprasad took the help of this drama while writing his book "Valmikir Joy."  In this year Rabindranath finished two other Natya Kabyas - Rudrachandra and Bhagnahridaya. Rudrachandra and Bhagnahridaya were dedicated to Jyotirindranath and Kadambari. 

Rabindranath's Creativity (contd-2)

Ahmedabad, Shahibaug : After about five years of discontinuation from school, it was decided that Rabindranath be sent to England to become a Barrister. To prepare him, especially with adequate knowledge of English, he was sent to Satyendranath, then residing at Ahmedabad. Rabindranath stayed for a few months in Shahibaug, Ahmaedabad where he had to stay alone in a big palace as his sister-in-law was in England with her children and Satyendranath remained out on his job. He always read English there in the library of Satyendranath and tried to understand with a dictionary and his imagination. He didn't stop his creation . He was a constant supplier of articles to Bharati. He wrote critical essays on the works of Goethe, Dante, Petrarch etc. First thing he did in Ahmedabad was to set his own songs to music.  Here he constructed lyric and music of  "Niraba rajani dakho magna jochanaya", "Boli o amar golapabala", etc. To increase his English vocabulary he was sent to Satyendranath's friend, Atmaram Panduranga, whose daughter Anna Tarkhar was well versed in English. Rabindranath would improve his vocabulary with her help. Here Rabindranath did one thing to increase his knowledge and vocabulary. He translated Kabikahini in English and recited those before Anna Tarkhar. Anna Tatkhar asked him  to give her a name. Rabindranath gave her the name Nalini and wrote a poe ,

Shuno Nalini, kholo go Ankhi -

Ghum ekhono Bhngilo na ki !

Dekho , Tomari Duara pare

Sakhi, eseche tomari Rabi //  

In England Rabindranath went straight to Brighton accompanying Satyendranath where his sister-in-law lived with her children. He was admitted in a Public School. Within a very short time,  he practiced  English Dance and learnt many English songs. He had private tutor for teaching him Latin. He went to Devonshire for a week end and wrote a poem, "Magna Bhagnatari". 

Tarak Nath Palit,  a friend of Satyendranath, took him to London University. Rabindranath liked the method of teaching there, specially Prof. Henry Morley. In London, he attended Parliamentary sittings.  He heard the lecture of Gladstone and observed Old Brighton listening silently.

He wrote regularly of his experiences, later compiled as "Europe Prabasir Patra", which was published in Bharati. After coming back to India he took one and half years to publish the book. In London he stayed in the house of Dr. Scott. He wrote a poem "Dui Din", mentioning the two daughters of Dr. Scott. He didn't complete his  studies in London and had to come back home at the request of his guardians.

After coming back home he found that a rehearsal was going on for a drama Manmoyee written by Jyotirindranath, Rabindranath joined the program and wrote a song "Ay tabe sahachari, hate hate dhari dhari". 

In  London he wrote one or two poems and started a kabya "Bhagnahriday".  

Usually lyrics are constructed first and music with notations are attributed later on. But in Tagore family things became reversed. Jyotirindranath played the instrument and asked Rabindranath to put words in it. Showers of songs were coming out through his mouth. In Rabindranath's language, "Eibar chutlo amar ganer phoara."  In 1881 Rabindranath prepared 7 Brahma Sangeet for Magh Utsab. He was also asked to write drama for the ensuing Viddwatjjana Sabha. He wrote Valmiki Prativa , a lyrical  drama in which he took the main role of Valmiki..   

(Video)1 My Indian Heroes Nobel Laureate Poet Rabindranath Thakur

(Video) Rabindranath Tagore's paintings to be auctioned

Rabindranath's Creativity (contd-1)

Sarada Devi, mother of Rabindranath, died in 1875. Hindu Mela gradually became a cultural organisation and this organisation could not help in bringing freedom to the country. Hence, under the leadership of Jyotirindranath and Rajnarayan Basu,  another organistation, Sanjibani Sabha, a secret revolutionary one, was formed in Tagore's house.  The sittings were held in a tumbledown building in an obscure Calcutta lane. Its proceedings were shrouded in mystery. In fact, there was nothing in their deliberations or doings of which Govt or people needed to be afraid.  Even Rabindranath became a member. Rabindranath wrote a song for this organisation, "Eksutre Bnadhiyavhi Sahasrati Jiban". The boy Rabindranath wrote a poem and recited it in Tenth Annual Function of Hindu Mela in 1877. The poetry was inspiring. Viceroy Lord Lytton with usual pomp and grandeur arranged in  famine stricken Delhi to welcome Queen Victoria and he addressed her as Empress of India (Bharat Samrangi). Rabindranath's poetry was a real answer to the inhuman attitude of Lord Lytton. After writing this poetry (attached in the margin ) Rabindranath wrote another Kabya Kabi-Kahini , which was  published in Bharati. Later on, it was printed as a book in 1878. This was his first printed book of Rabindranath. Kabi-Kahini was praised by Kaliprasanna, editor of Bandhab Patrika and others.  

Rabindranath's Creativity

While reading in Normal School, at the age of eight, Rabindranath began to practice writing poetry  under the influence of Jyoti, a son of a niece of the father of Rabindranath. He finished the "blue manuscript book" with the words "like the hive of some insect, with a network of variously slanting lines and the thin and thick strokes of letters.". When he was reading in Bengal Academy, in the year 1873, he went to Bolpur with his father Debendranath, enroute to Dalhousie,  and there he wrote a drama-"Prithwiraj Parajoy"  at the age of twelve, sitting under a coconut tree .. But the manuscript of the book was lost. Though it was similar to Rudrachandra, written after few days.. His attendance in school did not improve even after coming back from the Himalayas.. He was then at St. Xavier.s School in 1874. He translated in Bengali verse from  Kumar Sambhaba, the original book in Sanskrit and Macbeth in English. Some of these translations were published in Bharati, later on, .without mentioning his name. He also had to recite those translations in front of Vifdyasagar one day when he visited his place with Ramsarbaswa. At the age of twelve, his first poetry Abhilash was published in Tattwabodhini Patrika (in Agrahayan of 1796 Shakabda). He wrote a song "Jwal jwal chita, dwigun, dwigun." for the drama Sorojini of Jyodirindranath without mentioning his name.The first poetry, Hindu Melar Upahar ,mentioning his name of  was published in Bilingual magazine "Amrita Bazar Patrika " which was also recited by him in the  Annual Festival of Hindu Mela.. He was then thirteen years eight months. The poetry was written in the line of "baj re singa baj, ei rabe" written by Hemchandra Bandyopadhaya.He also wrote another poetry Prakritir Khed  which he read in a gathering of learned people person. The then Sadharani Patrika published the Prakritir Khed wrtten by Rabindranath was so alluring that the depressed condition of the country became visible when it was read in the gathering.It was published in Pratibimba edited by Pandit Ramsarbaswa..Gnanankur was amalgamated  with Pratibimba. "Banaful" , the first kabya-novel of Rabindranath, was published in serial in this magazine  from Agrahayan 1282- Kartik 1283..His age at that time was not more than thirteen when he wrote Banaful..Later on Somendranatjh, in March 1880, published it as a  Book.Some other short poem of boy Rabi was also published in  Gnanankur. Rabindranath also wrote Critical Essay at this stage (1876) in Gnanankur, .Bhuban Mohini Prtiva.  In a discussion about the thtee Kabyas "Mohini Mohan Prativa, Abasar Sarojini and Duukha Sangini " , he enunciated  the three forms,  a lyric, an epic and a short poem and proved that the three Kabyas were not upto the standard.Within the age of fifteen Rabindranath, showed his efficiencies   in writing Poetry, Kabya, Essay and in recitation, singing.   .