(Extra-2)Indian Poetry in English during pre-Independence times(Brief Outline)

Brief outline on evolution of Indian poetry in English during pre-Independence times:-

The chief aim of introducing English in India by the Britishers was to spread Christianity and introduce science & studies from Europe.

In Bengal there was demand for English than Sanskrit.

Wood's Despatch of 1854 played an important role in spreading science & education via English only.

How did English poetry came up in Indian literature?
Henry Vivian Derozio, an Englishman was the foremost to start writing English poetry. The themes were Indian. The themes of nationalism and the use of Indian mythology is observed in his poetry. His sonnets and poems have been significant.
Derozio(1809-1831) was born in Calcutta. He died young and was teacher in a college in Calcutta.
He borrowed heavily from Euro literary traditions.
'The Harp of India' was his sonnet. The Britishers brought the sonnet form to India. The difference with Euro sonnet was the traditional Indian thought pattern. Western templates echoed Indian nationalism in the sonnet. So, it is regarded as proto-nationalist discourse which is underpinned by many thoughts.

Khasiprasad ghose, Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Gurucharan Dutt, Toru Dutt ('Ancient Ballads' Legends of Hindustan' in 1882; 'Our Casurina Tree', 'Savitri', 'Lakshmana' ' A sheaf gleaned in French Fields' &165 French poems) & Rajnarayan Dutt were other Indian poets who wrote in English. Their themes were mostly romantic.

Michael Madhusudan Dutt also wrote sonnets.

The Bengal Renaissance was on at that time. The Europeans were also looking at kalidasa's poetry. So, it was a two way traffic.

Raja Rammohan Roy's various magazines were in English, Bengali & Persian. He used those magazines to fight social prejudices & for creativity. He translated the Vedanta & the Upanishads in English too.

Next was, Romesh Chandra Dutt who translated Sanskrit poetry in outstanding English.

Aurobindo Ghosh is the another important English poet and Sanskrit scholar. His topics were Indian. He was heavily influenced by John Milton & he used lots of images & symbols in his poetry.

R. N. Tagore's translated Bengali poems and Gitanjali (poetry) in English fetched him the Nobel Prize.
His topics were God, devotion, love and childhood.

The twentieth century Indian poetry in English had romantic & victorian strain followed by themes of humanism, mysticism, neo-symbolist themes and newly experimented themes too

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