Article abstract: The prolific author of more than one hundred books of

verse, fifty dramas, forty works of fiction, and fifteen books of essays,
Nobel laureate Tagore is recognized as a pioneer in Bengali literature,
particularly the short story, and is internationally acclaimed as one of the
world’s finest lyric poets. The foundation for Tagore’s literary
achievements is his vision of the universal man, based on his unique
integration of Eastern and Western thought.

Early Life

Rabindranath Tagore was born on May 7, 1861, into a prosperous

Bengali family in Calcutta, India. The fourteenth child and eighth son of
Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi, he grew up surrounded by the
artistic and intellectual pursuits of his elders. Agricultural landholdings in
East Bengal supported the family’s leisurely lifestyle, and their Calcutta
mansion was a center for Bengalis who, like the Tagores, sought to
integrate Western influences in literature, philosophy, arts, and sciences
into their own culture. Young Tagore was a sensitive and interested child
who, like his siblings, lived in awe of his father, a pillar of the Hindu
reform group Brahmo Samaj. Cared for mainly by servants because of
his mother’s ill health, he lived a relatively confined existence, watching
the life of crowded Calcutta from the windows and courtyards of his
protected home.

From an early age, Tagore’s literary talents were encouraged. Like the
other Tagore children, he was thoroughly schooled in Bengali language
and literature as a foundation for integrating culturally diverse influences,
and, throughout his long career, Tagore composed most of his work in
Bengali. In 1868, he was enrolled in the Oriental Seminary, where he
quickly rebelled against formal education. Unhappy, transferring to
different schools, Tagore nevertheless became appreciated as a
budding poet during this time both in school and at home. In 1873, he
was withdrawn from school to accompany his father on a tour of northern
India and the Himalayas. This journey served as a rite of passage for the
boy, who was deeply influenced by his father’s presence and by the
grandeur of nature. It also provided his first opportunity to roam in open
countryside.
Returning to Calcutta, Tagore boycotted school and, from 1873 on, was
educated at home by tutors and his brothers. In 1874, he began to recite
publicly his poetry, and his first long poem was published in the monthly
journal Bhārati. For the next four years, he gave recitations and
published stories, essays, and experiments in drama. In 1878, Tagore
went to England to prepare for a career in law at University College,
London, but withdrew in 1880 and returned to India. Tagore’s stay in
England was not a happy one, but during those fourteen months, his
intellectual horizons broadened as he read English literature with Henry
Morley and became acquainted with European music and drama.

Life’s Work

Returning to India, Tagore resumed his writing amid the intellectual

family life in Calcutta, especially influenced by his talented elder brothers
Jyotirindranath (writer, translator, playwright, and musician) and the
scholarly Satyendranath. Tagore’s view of life at this time was
melancholy; yet, with the metrical liberty of his poems in Sandhya
Sangit (1882; evening songs), it became clear that he was already
establishing new artistic and literary standards. Tagore then had a
transcendental experience that abruptly changed his work. His gloomy
introspection expanded in bliss and insight into the outer world, and
Tagore once again perceived the innocent communion with nature that
he had known as a child. This vision was reflected in Prabhat
Sangit (1883; morning songs), and his new style was immediately
popular. By his mid-twenties, Tagore had...

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