Q1: Describe the achievements received by Rabindranath Tagore.

[3]
Rabindranath Tagore was a nineteenth and twentieth-century writer of poetry, plays, novels and
songs.
● Gitanjali (Song Offerings), published in 1910. He translated these verses into
English for which he won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913. He was the first
Asian to receive such an honour.
● He was knighted by King George V of Great Britain in 1915, but denounced
his knighthood in 1919, when a British general attacked unarmed Indian
demonstrators on 13 April 1919 at Jallianwala Bagh at Amritsar.
● In 1940, the University of Oxford conferred him with Doctorate of Literature at
a special ceremony in Santiniketan.

Q2. Write about the early start of Rabindranath Tagore. [3]

● Rabindranath wrote his first rhyme when he was seven years old. His first poem,
Abhilaash (Desire), was published in 1874 in a magazine called Tattobodhini.

● Within a short period, he published a series of poems in different periodicals. These

included Bhanusingher Padavali, which he wrote under the pen name of
Bhanusingha. Rabindranath's first book of poems was published in 1878 when he was
17 years old.

● Between 1884 and 1890, Rabindrath published a series of books of poems: Chhabi O
Gan, Prakrtir Pratishodh, Kadi O Komal, Mayar Khela and Manasi. In the same
period, he published essays, critical articles, fiction, etc.' About the same time, he
published two novels, Bouthakoranir Hat (1883) and Rajarshi (1887).

Q3. Explain his contribution to the Bangla Literature. [4]

Rabindranath Tagore was the most versatile personality of Bangla literature. He was not only
a great poet but also a prose writer, composer, painter, essayist, philosopher, educationist and
social reformer. He wrote in Bengali as well as in English.
● Two of his most important contributions to Bangla literature, Galpaguchchha
and Sonar Tori, were written about this time. While Galpaguchchha' was a
collection of short stories, the Sonar Tori was a collection of poems.
● About this time, he also composed some wonderful dance dramas such as
Chitrangada (1936), Shyama (1939), and Chandalika (1938). Images of
nature are given musical form in Nataraj (1926), Navin (1931) and
Shravangatha (1934). During this time, he also wrote three novels such as
Dui Bon, Malancha and Char Adhyay. His other publication of the 1890s
 included Chitra (1896), Kalpana (1900), Ksanika (1900), and Katha O
Kahini (1900).
● By 1900, Rabindranath had written 7 volumes of poems and 44 short
stories. He has written over 1000 poems and over 2000 songs on various
topics, ranging from patriotic to religion, love and nature. He has written
innumerable short stories and more than 24 plays and playlets, 8 novels and
many books on philosophy, religion, education and social topics.
● Before Rabindranath, Bengali was written in the ancient form based on
classical Sanskrit. He wrote in the common language of the people. He
introduced new prose and verse forms which included Punashcha, Shes
Saptak, Patraput, Shyamali and Prantik and the use of colloquial language
into Bengali literature.

Rabindranath is considered to be the most influential poet and writer of Bangla

literature. But his self-less humanism, love of nature, timeless spirituality and
concern for the prospect and predicament of the human civilization have made him
the one of the most respected personalities of the world.