Michael Madhusudan Dutt

• Bengali poet & dramatist

• He was called as the father of Bengali sonnet.
• (1824 – 1873)
• He born in Hindu family, later he embraced Christianity
• Association: Bengali Renaissance{1800s–1930s } Socio-Cultural & religious reform
movement
• {Major figure in literature –Madhusudan Dutt, Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim

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• He studied under westernized curriculum at Hindu College & want to accept

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European culture.

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• He influenced by William Wordsworth & John Milton.

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• He was bohemian and Romantic in spirit.

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• {Bohemian - Practice of an unconventional lifestyle}
• Madhusudan recited a passage from Shakespeare’s Macbeth “ Life’s but a walking
shadow…”
 His Major works
King Porus {Poem}

The Captive Ladie {long narrative poem}

Sermista {play} He himself translated from Bengali into english}

Padmavati {play}

Meghnad Badh Kavya (1861) {long narrative poem}

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Veerangana Kavya {Modelled on Ovid’s heroic epistles.

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The Slaying of Hector { version of Iliad & incomplete}

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Romesh Chunder Dutt-. Ramayana and Mahabharata

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Mohini Chatterjee- The Bhagavad Gita
A. K. Ramanujan- Speaking of Shiva & Samskara
Manmathanath Dutt-. The Mahabharata
 King Porus – A Legend of Old
Describes historical battle field between Alexandar & king Porus.

Poem glorifies King Porus as a hero of Indian past. He bravely fought but lost the
battle.

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When asked by Alexander how he wished to be treated, Porus replied

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"Treat me as a king would treat another king".

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At last Alexandar return porus’kingdom.

Concuding line- “Thus India’s crown was lost and won’’

 The Captive Ladie
• Captive Lady referred to in this poem was the Daughter of Mahommed Ghizni
king of Kanuj.

• Prithviraj kidnapped the princess & then when Muslims besieged

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capital of Prithviraj. Prithviraj was defeated by them and died.

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• Poet focuses on narration of human love story than to history.

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 Sarmistha
• The 1st blank verse in Bengali language.

• Based on an episode of Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata.

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• Story of Devayani and Yayati.

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 Padmavati
• Based on a Greek myth.

• Juno, Pallas and Venus in Greek mythology are Shachi, Murza and Rati in this
play.

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• Rati was chosen as the best beauty among the three goddesses.

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• Helen and Paris became Padmavati and Indranil

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• At the end Indranil reunited with his estranged wife Padmavati.
 Meghnadabadha Kavya
• His greatest achievement

• Based on the Ramayana anecdote in blank verse.{9 cantos}

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• Absolute arrogance was not manifested in the character of Ravana created by

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him.

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• First Epic work against Aryan Invasion which Projects an Aboriginal Protagonist

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Meghnad, the son of Ravan challenging the Ethnic Cleansing Aryan.

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• Inspired by Milton’s “Paradise Lost”
 Other Important Works
• Tilottama Sambhava Kavya

• Ratnavali {attributed to emperor Harsha}

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• Nil Darpan

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Content is prepared by Assit Prof. Badri

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Delivered by Richa { JRF Holder 2022}