Famous Poets in India
-by Ishita Mondal
–Reading Time – 9 min Approx
While Somerset Maugham appreciated poetry as the “crown of literature”, Auden said, “A poet is, before anything else, a person who is passionately in love with language.” Poetry has always been a significant part of any literature. Be it regional languages or global languages like English; poetry plays a vital role in enriching it. The renowned poet P.B. Shelley described poetry as “a mirror which makes beautiful that which is distorted.” So, in short, poetry is like a magic wand making life beautiful with its gentle fragrance.
World literature has seen many poets from different territories practicing literature in different languages. In India, there are such gems as well. The famous poets in India took up the responsibility to present the country’s culture, tradition, and ethos in front of the world. They brought the picture of Indian society of their contemporary times to the limelight. Why only talking about the poets of past days? Even today, we have so many poetic talents in India. And we hope the number will be increased soon in the near future. So, who are these famous poets in India?
Well, many of them are famous Indian poets in English. They are, by birth, Indian. But, they practiced their gifted talent of writing poetry in English. Thus, they globalized the tradition and cultural heritage of India. Then, the famous poets in India came who wrote poetry in their own mother tongues and enriched the languages. India is, after all, a land of diversity. And, indeed, with the footprints of these eminent poets of different personas, it becomes diversely graceful.
In ancient times we had our rev. Sant Kabir, Mirza Galib, Mirabai, Kalidasa, and so on. Then, the colonial period had a plethora of Indian Poets in English. And at different eras, the regional language poets showcase their talents. Thus, the country gets enriched with the heritage of different poetry styles and figures. Let’s know more about them.
Famous Poets in India- The Poetic Legends in Ancient Days:
So, let’s begin with the ancient scribblers who wrote mesmerizing poetic pieces. We often do not get much information about their personal-professional lives. The currently available historical documents do not mention that. All we get is the fragmented series of their poetic pieces. Historians tend to assume information about their biography and professional career. Here, we mention some of the legends.
Sant Kabir:
The study of Hindi literature is incomplete with “Kabir ke Dohe”. The dohas or two-lined rhythmic couplets are quite famous for its deep underlined meaning. The language in which he wrote the poems is a beautiful blend of Hindi, Awadhi, Bhojpuri, and Braj. The 15th-century poet reflects his views on life, people, and spirituality through his poems. His views on religion are all-inclusive. He held a faith in humanity above any sectarian concept of religion. One of the examples of his dohas is:
चिंता ऐसी डाकिनी, काट कलेजा खाए |
वैद बेचारा क्या करे, कहा तक दवा लगाए ||
(Worry is like a dangerous monster that eats the heart of an individual. How can a doctor (वैद) help? How far can he cure?)
Mira Bai:
Another famous 15th-century poet is Mira Bai. As per the record, she was born in 1498. Her devotion towards Lord Krishna is still honored today. Although no original manuscripts have been survived, we have some of her excellent pieces to relish as a part of oral literature. Her poems are imbued with her love for Krishna. The ultimate devotion to the mystic divine makes her poem graceful. One such instance is-
मेरे तो गिरधर गोपाल दूसरों न कोई।
जाके सिर मोर मुकट मेरो पति सोई।।
(I have only Girdhar Gopal in my heart. I am His only. The divine entity Who has peacock-feathered crown on His head is my Supreme Lord.)
Amir Khusrow:
Sufism is a broad area of study that includes art, music, and literature. The Sufi poets are famous for the concept of seeking the ultimate truth in divine love. Amir Khusrow is one of the famous Sufi poets. He is often called the “father of Urdu literature”. However, most of his poetic works are in the Persian language. It is said that the popular style of “Qawwali” was created by him only. Also, he introduced another popular form of music called “Ghazals” in India. His poems are ghazals in different forms. Gradually, they enriched Urdu literature.
One example of his poems is-
Chhap tilak sab cheeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Chhap tilak sab cheeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Prem bhatee ka madhva pilaikay
Matvali kar leeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Gori gori bayyan, hari hari churiyan
Bayyan pakar dhar leeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Bal bal jaaon mein toray rang rajwa
Apni see kar leeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Khusrau Nijaam kay bal bal jayyiye
Mohay Suhaagan keeni ray mosay naina milaikay
Chhap tilak sab cheeni ray mosay naina milaikay
(You’ve taken away my looks, my identity, by just a glance.
By making me drink the wine of love-potion,
You’ve intoxicated me by just a glance;
My fair, delicate wrists with green bangles in them,
Have been held tightly by you with just a glance.
I give my life to you, Oh my cloth-dyer,
You’ve dyed me in yourself, by just a glance.
I give my whole life to you Oh, Nijam,
You’ve made me your bride, by just a glance.)
Mirza Ghalib:
It would be unjust if we do not mention Mirza Ghalib in our discussion on famous poets in India. Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan, also known as Mirza Ghalib, is a popular Urdu poetic figure in his time. His poetic career was flourished at the end of the Mughal Empire in India. It is said that he started writing poetry at the age of 11. Along with Urdu, he was proficient in other languages as well- like Persian, Turkish and Arabic. One of his popular poems is-
न था कुछ तो ख़ुदा था, कुछ न होता, तो ख़ुदा होता
डुबोया मुझको होने ने, न होता मैं तो क्या होता
(When there was nothing, God was there. Even if there were nothing, God would be there. He has submerged me in these mortal happenings. What would have happened if I would not be here?)
Now, let’s know about the famous poets in India of the modern times. During nineteenth century and afterwards, many eminent poets came to the limelight. The light of renaissance gave birth to new style of Indian English poetry. Also, poets started expressing their hearts out in regional languages. So thus, ancient poets showcased their talents and enriched world literature.
First, let’s get an idea about the legendary Indian poets who wrote poetry in English and globalized the Indian socio-political ethos.
Famous poets in India- The Indian English Poets:
Rabindranath Tagore(1861-1941):
Well, categorizing Tagore as an Indian English poet is not justified. He is such a versatile genius that you cannot put him into one single category. He is equally proficient in writing poetry in English as well as his vernacular language, Bangla. However, he got the significant Nobel prize in literature for the English translation of his “Geetanjali.” The English translation is the “Song Offerings”. Although he wrote on various topics, his poems mostly reflect the divine urge to meet the Omnipotent. One of his notable poems is:
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
……
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
Henry Louise Vivian Derozio (1809-1831):
“Why hang’st thou lonely on yon withered bough?
Unstrung for ever, must thou there remain;….”
- From “The Harp of India”, Derozio
Derozio introduced the form of a sonnet in Indian English literature. This Anglo-Indian poet is well-known for being the pioneer of free-thinking in his contemporary period. At the early age of 17, he started teaching in a Hindu college. He was a professor of English and history. His unique ways of interacting with the students make him popular. He immensely motivated his students to participate in discussions and debates vocalizing their own views. The talented gem of mother India died at the early age of 22. Many of his popular poems are: “The Harp of India”, “Sonnets to the People of Hindu College”, “The Fakeer of Jungheera”, “To India-My Native Land”, etc.
A.K. Ramanujan (1929-1993):
“In Madurai,
city of temples and poets,
who sang of cities and temples,
…..
under the bridges with patches
of repair all over them
the wet stones glistening like sleepy
crocodiles, the dry ones
shaven water-buffaloes lounging in the sun
The poets only sang of the floods.”
— from A River, by A.K. Ramanujan
Another noteworthy Indian English poet is A.K. Ramanujan. Born in Mysore, he portrayed the Indian culture, especially the Kannada tradition, in his English poetry. He was a renowned poet who was proficient in both English and Kannada. Along with poetry, he successfully tried his hands on other forms of writing like drama, folk lore, etc. . He was honored with Sahitya Academy Award posthumously in 1999. Many of his poetry collections have been published by the Oxford University Press.
Many other notable Indian English poets like Kamala Das, Sarojini Naidu, Aurobindo Ghosh, Michael Madhusudan Dutt, etc. are also on the list. All of them contributed to uplift the stature of Indian English literature in the global periphery.
Now, let’s move towards the famous poets in India who wrote their poems in different regional languages.
Famous Poets in India- The Vernacular Artists:
Krittibas Ojha:
The epic of Ramayana has about 100 versions across India. Different regions have their own versions of it. Krittibas Ojha is popularly known for the “Krittivasi Ramayan.” It is a widely circulated version of Ramayana in various parts of Bengal. Krittibas translated the Valmiki Ramayana into Bengali. And later, it was edited by Jaygopal Tarkalamkar. Serampore Mission Press published epic poetry.
Kazi Nazrul Islam (1899-1976):
Another popular poetic personality is Kazi Nazrul Islam. He tried his hands in Bengali poetry. Along with poetry, he wrote a plethora of songs. The collection of his songs includes 4000 songs and is known as “Najrulgeeti”. Like Rabindrasangeet (songs composed by Tagore), Najrulgeeti is also popular in Bengali culture and literature. Although he was a Sunni Muslim by birth, he always talked about religious pluralism. His poems many a time reflect the call for unity among all of the religious sects.
Along with them, there are many other famous poets in India. For example, from Assam, we can see Amulya Barua, the pioneer of modern Assamese poetry. In Gujarati literature, we have Adil Mansuri, Dayaram, and so on.
The Indian Poets- Unity in Diversity:
Thus, the famous poets in India emerged from different parts of India. And they brought the Indian heritage of devotion, visions of life, and contemporary Indian culture to the global stage. Through their verses, the people from different parts of the world come to know about this country. Let’s honor them and cherish their works forever.
-by Ishita Mondal
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