Bengali Poets of West Bengal have a major contribution in enriching the cultural heritage of the state. Since ancient times, poets have worked for elevating the stature of Bengali literature which has attained a glorious facet over time. Different time periods and social set ups have posed varied impacts on their literary works and their poetries in turn act as the apt reflections of the bygone eras. Poets of West Bengal have explored numerous genres and inculcated their experiences and perceptions in their works. The literary works of these poets are the invaluable assets of the state which find immense significance not only at the state level but also in the national arena of Indian literature.
Early Bengali Poets
The Siddhacharyas, denoted as the poets of the Charyapada, inhabited the regions of eastern India and Nepal during their epoch. Distinguished by their compositions, these early Bengali poets wielded a significant influence on Bengali poetry. The distinctive aspect of their works was the melding of lyrical expression with musical notation, as they meticulously composed the raga, or musical mode, corresponding to each verse. This inclination towards musicality underscored the intrinsic connection between language and melody, lending a distinct auditory dimension to their creations.
The corpus of the Charyapada, comprising 50 surviving manuscripts, bears testimony to the names of 24 Siddhacharyas. Notably, these appellations often concealed their true identities, serving as pseudonyms that veiled their authentic personas. This practice of adopting pseudonyms was rooted in their overt disavowal of Vedic Hinduism, a departure that encapsulated their alignment with Sahajayana Buddhism. The Charyapada poets, in their departure from traditional religious norms, embraced a more spiritually emancipated path, resonating with the principles of Sahajayana Buddhism. Remarkably, the historical context of these early Bengali poets is characterized by its non-Bengali origins. Despite their external origins, their contributions bore a profound impact on the evolution of Bengali poetry.
Medieval Bengali Poet
Remarkably, this period, often referred to as the Pre-Chaitanya era, laid the foundation for Bengali literary evolution across three principal domains: Vaishnava literature, Mangala literature, and translation literature. An additional noteworthy development was the emergence of Muslim-Bengali literature, notably in the form of romantic and narrative poems.
Among the vaishnava writers, Baru Chandidas (14th century) stands as an eminent figure, transposing Jayadeva`s Sanskrit lyrics about Radha and Krishna into Bengali. The nomenclature "Chandidas" resonated across several poets during the Middle Ages, including Adi Chandidas, Kavi Chandidas, Dvija Chandidas, and Dina Chandidas. With a prolific output exceeding a thousand lyrics, Chandidas occupies a prominent place within this literary landscape.
An intriguing facet of this period was the patronage extended by Muslim rulers, most notably Sultan Alauddin Hussein Shah, his successor Nasrat Shah, and the commander-in-chief Paragal Khan, in their efforts to bolster Bengali literary endeavors. This support played a pivotal role in fostering the creation of lyrical literature, particularly Padavali literature, which revolved around the tale of Radha and Krishna. Both Hindu and Muslim poets, including women poets, contributed to this genre. Chandidas, Jnanadas, Lochandas, Govindadas, Raysekhar, Sasisekhar, Balaram Das, Narottam Das, Narahari Das, and Radhamohan Thakur are among the notable padavali poets.
Mangalkavya, another crucial facet of the era, witnessed the emergence of works such as Manasamangal by Vijay Gupta, considered one of the oldest surviving examples of the genre. Chandimangal, exemplified by poets like Manik Datta, Mukundaram Chakravarti, and Dvija Madhav, also found its place within the literary discourse.
Amidst this cultural milieu, the Muslim poets made their mark, with Shah Muhammad Sagir being one of the earliest. His romance, Yusuf-Zulekha, reflects his origins in East Bengal. The Muslim epic poets included Jainuddin, Muzammil, Sheikh Faizullah, and Daulat Uzir Bahram Khan, whose compositions like Rasulbijay, Nitisastravarta, Sayatnama, and Khanjancharita bore testament to their literary contributions. Furthermore, the infusion of Vaishnavism into the works of certain Muslim poets, such as Chand Kazi and Afzal Ali, underscored the cross-pollination of ideas during this era.
Late Medieval Bengali Poets
The latter phase of the medieval epoch marked a period of gradual decline, characterized by a confluence of factors. The weakening of the Mughal Empire, the penetration of European trading powers, and the ascendancy of British authority brought about a curtailment in the organic progression of literary creation. Despite these challenges, the legacy of Vaishnava literature, mangalkavya, and translation endeavors managed to endure. This era also bore witness to the interplay between Hindu Puranas and Islamic ideologies, influencing the literary landscape.
Prominent literary productions during this phase encompassed the realms of Padavali and Mangalkavya. In the 18th century, Padavali authors, including Narahari Chakravarti, Natavar Das, Dinabandhu Das, Chandrashekhar-shashishekhar, and Jagadananda, emerged as significant contributors. Their compositions, while adorned with embellishments, occasionally exhibited a dilution in substantive content.
Mangalkavya, in its various iterations, retained its relevance. Ramchandra Yati`s rendition of Chandimangal (1766-67) and explorations into Dharmamangal by poets like Ghanaram Chakravarti, Narasimha Basu, Manikram Gabguli, Ramkanta Ray, and Sahadev Chakravarti exemplified this trend. New deities also became subjects of mangalkavyas, with Durgadas Mukherjee`s Gabgabhaktitarangini standing out as a notable example.
Bharatchandra, a towering literary figure of the 18th century, left an indelible mark with works like Nagastak and Gabgastak in Sanskrit, and Satyanarayaner Panchali, Rasamavjari, and Annadamangal in Bengali. The opus Annadamangal, divided into three parts, Shivayan-Annadamangal, Vidyasundar-Kalikamangal, and Mansimha-Annapurnamangal exemplified Bharatchandra`s genius. Although he initially intended an epic akin to Kavikankan`s Shri Shri Chandimangal, he eventually molded it to Raja Krishnachandra Roy`s preferences, resulting in a work predominantly in form. This poem subsequently served as a model, significantly impacting subsequent poets, notably those of Kalikamangal. Ramprasad, an outlier in this era, stood out due to his unwavering devotion and unadorned language. Other poets such as Radhakanta Mishra, Kavindra Chakravarti, and Nidhiram Acharya of Chittagong also engaged in similar creative pursuits.
Classical Bengali Poets of West Bengal
The early history of Bengali poetry underwent the three successive stages of development like the poetry of the early age (like Charyapada), the medieval period and the age of modern poetry. And there lies the Classical poets of Bengal carried out as a mirror of social culture.
Rupram Chakrabarty
Rupram Chakrabarty was a renowned Bengali poet who had a major contribution to Dharmamangalkavya tradition of medieval Bengali literature. Born in Bardhaman district, he had composed a number of poems which were characterized their simplicity and had scholastic narrations and a depiction of 17th century Bengali society. Vangiya Sahitya Parishad and the University of Calcutta still preserve the manuscripts of Chakrabarty`s poem.
Syed Sultan
Syed Sultan was another classical Bengali poet belonging to 16th and 17th centuries. Epic Nabibangsha is regarded as his best work whereas others include Sobemeraj, Rasul Bijoy, Jaikum Rajar Lorai, Gyan Prodeep and many others.
Ramprasad Sen
Ramprasad Sen was a saint and a Shakta poet of 18th century Bengal. Ramprasadi was the name given to his Bhakti poems which are dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Kali. He is credited for beautifully amalgamating Baul music with classical melodies. Being the member of a Tantric family, he had an inclination towards poetry since a small age and also became the court poet of the king Krishna Chandra of Nadia
Other Bengali Classical Poets of West Bengal
Other classical poets of West Bengal enlist Dhoyin, Sandhyakar Nandi, Vidyapati, Chandidas, Krittibas Ojha, Khelaram Chakrabarty, Akinchan Chakrabarty, Ghanaram Chakrabarty, Daulat Qazi, Bharatchandra Ray and many others.
Modern Bengali Poets of West Bengal
Modernism emerged with its insistent breaks with the immediate past, its different inventions, `making it new` with element from cultures remote in time and space. The questions of impersonality and objectivity seem to be crucial to modernist poetry of Bengal. The modernism developed out of a cultural tradition of lyrical expression, emphasising the personal imagination, culture, emotions and memories of the poet. For the modernist poets in Bengal, it was an essential to move away from the merely personal elements towards an intellectual statement where the society, culture, and political elements are dominant.
Michael Madhusudan Dutt
Michael Madhusudan Dutt was a well known poet of 19th-century and was a pioneer of Bengali drama. His literary style and content was immensely exceptional and contained themes of afflictions of love and sorrows. He is celebrated as one of the greatest poets of Bengali literature and his poems reflect depiction of his homeland and the particular cultural phase.
Jasimuddin
Jasimuddin was another modern Bengali poet whose poems are known for the portrayal of rural life and the perceptions of nature from a rural point of view. Bengal folklore reflects prominently through his poetries. Some of his masterpieces, like Nokshi Kanthar Maath, have also been translated into various languages.
Sukanta Bhattacharya
Sukanta Bhattacharya was a famed poet and playwright, whose compositions were marked by rebel socialist thoughts, humanism and patriotism. During his lifetime, his poems gained huge acclamations but he was recognized as one of the most popular poets of Bengali literature in 20th century after his death. His communist experience had a great impact on his works.
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore was one of the greatest Bengali poets of the nation who rendered a new dimension to the literature with his works. This first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature had modernized Bengali art by unleashing it from the shackles of linguistic strictures and rigid classical forms. One of his compositions has been chosen as India national anthem, Jana Gana Mana.
Other Modern Poets of West Bengal
Other modern poets of West Bengal include Nabin Chandra Sen, Dwijendra Lal Ray, Jatindramohan Bagchi, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Amiya Chakravarty, Buddhadev Bose, Bishnu Dey, Ishwar Chandra Gupta etc.
Hungryalist Bengali Poets of West Bengal
Hungryalist Movement was an Indian literary movement in Bengali language that focussed primarily on Bengali poetry and was launched by a group of young Bengali poets spearheaded by the famous Hungryalist quartet that is Malay Roy Choudhury, Samir Roy Choudhury, Shakti Chattopadhyay, and Debi Roy. The movement shook the roots of the Bengali literary and cultural establishment in India.
Shakti Chattopadhyay
Shakti Chattopadhyay was an eminent poet of West Bengal and a founder member of Hungry Generation Movement. His career began with his poems being published in magazines. He however left the movement later owing to the differences of opinion with other members.
Malay Roy Choudhury
Malay Roy Choudhury was another founder member of Hungryalist Movement in the 1960s. His poems were the experimentations of a variety of genres and he has also authored almost 60 books after the launch of the movement. He has also been involved in the translation works of several classics. Since the time he had started writing poetries, Malay Roy Choudhury has been refusing awards from various periodicals.
Other Hungryalist Poets of West Bengal
Other Hungryalist poets of West Bengal enlist Binoy Majumdar, Samir Roy Choudhury, Subimal Basak and Taslima Nasreen.
Metrical Bengali Poets of West Bengal
Sukumar Ray was another distinguished poet of West Bengal who was known as a humorous poet, playwright and story writer. His works were mainly for children and he was the most famed poet of this genre. He was also a leader of the reformist wing in the Brahmo Samaj.
Motiur Rahman Mollik was the pioneer of the rightist poet in 1980s. Often regarded as the `poet of renaissance`, he has also worked as singer, editor, researcher, organizer and lyricist. Many of his works have been translated into different languages and have served as the textbooks of the young learners
