A Tagore Reader [antikvár]

MM INTRODUCTION. The Centennial of Tagore's birthday (1861-1961) spans an epic of great change, of new developments in the relationships between different civilizations and cultures. In spite of two major wars and many grievous disturbances, it bears witness to an increasing understanding and growth in the broad field of human ideas. Tagore's own writings as a poet, traveler, diarist, short story writer, novelist, and a commentator on international affairs came out of the ferment of the modern age while they helped to shape the course of literature in Asia and the West and deepened its resources. Tagore's creative power, and the impact of his spiritual personality, however, had been dimly assessed outside Bengal and India. Primarily this is owing to the linguistic barrier, but one of the major reasons is that his writings, even in Bengali, and especially in English translations, were not brought into focus by any clear arrangement of materials or by the careful editing needed for an expression of his many-sided genius in a single frame of reference. This anthology is intended to offer a fairly comprehensive view of Tagore's contribution to our times—actually it transcends any temporal standards—even though the scientific writings, intricate discussions on language and poetics, and other aspects of his thought intimately associated with local lore and color could not be represented, We remember also that no literary compilation can deal with him as a composer who blended classical Indian melodies with original modes, or as a painter whose lines and colors defy the craftsmanship of words. His great center of education and culture, Visva- XI