Bishnu Dey
Encyclopedia
Bishnu Dey was a prominent Bengal
i poet, prose writer, translator, academic and art critique in the era of modernism
, post-modernism. Starting off as a symbologist, he won recognition for the musical quality of his poems, and forms the post-Tagore
generation of Bengali poets, like Buddhadeb Basu and Samar Sen
, which marked the advent of "New Poetry" in Bengali literature
, deeply influence by Marxist ideology. He even published a poetry magazine for while wherein he encouraged socially conscious writing. His own work reveals a poet's solitary struggle, quest for human dignity, amidst a crisis of uprooted identity. Through his literary career, he taught English literature at various Calcutta colleges, Ripon College, Presidency College (1944–1947), Maulana Azad College (1947–1969) and Krishnanagar College. In the 1920s & 30s, he was also remained a member of a young group of poets, centered around the Kallol (Commotion) magazine.
His most important work, poetry collection, Smriti Satta Bhabishyat (Memory, being, the Future) (1955–61), set a new precedent in Bengali poetry. It later won him the 1965 Sahitya Akademi Award
in Bengali
as well as the highest literary award of India, Jnanpith Award
, in 1971.
. He completed his BA (Hons.) in English from St Paul's Cathedral Mission College, Calcutta and MA in English from Calcutta University.
. He subsequently taught at Presidency College, Kolkata
(1944–1947), Maulana Azad College, Calcutta
(1947–1969).
Chhadano Ei Jiban (This Scattered Life)
Some regard his poems as intricate and incomprehensible to a great extent, most likely due to wide use of references and imageries from literary works and cultural instances of foreign origin.
. Post-partition
in 1947, he along with other Calcutta based writers, like Subhash Mukhopadhyay, for the "Anti-Facist Wrietrs' and Artist' Association".
He was also associated with Calcutta Group Centre, Soviet Friendship Association, Pragati Lekhak Shilpi Sangha, Indian People's Theatre Association
(IPTA), etc. He was a close friend of the artist Jamini Roy
, an association which lead to him writing works in art criticism
, on art: Art of Jamini Roy (1988), The Paintings of Rabindranath Tagore (1958), and India and Modern Art (1959).
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
i poet, prose writer, translator, academic and art critique in the era of modernism
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
, post-modernism. Starting off as a symbologist, he won recognition for the musical quality of his poems, and forms the post-Tagore
Tagore
Tagore is the name of a prominent Bengali family of intellectuals, writers and artists, generally known as the Tagore family.People - Jorasanko branch of the Tagore family...
generation of Bengali poets, like Buddhadeb Basu and Samar Sen
Samar Sen
Samar Sen was a Bengali poet and journalist. He hailed from an illustrious family, many of whose scions have enriched the intellectual world of Bengal. His grandfather, Dinesh Chandra Sen, was a well-known writer and a doyen of the Bangiya Sahitya Parishad...
, which marked the advent of "New Poetry" in Bengali literature
Bengali literature
Bengali literature is literary works written in Bengali language particularly from Bangladesh and the Indian provinces of West Bengal and Tripura. The history of Bengali literature traces back hundreds of years while it is impossible to separate the literary trends of the two Bengals during the...
, deeply influence by Marxist ideology. He even published a poetry magazine for while wherein he encouraged socially conscious writing. His own work reveals a poet's solitary struggle, quest for human dignity, amidst a crisis of uprooted identity. Through his literary career, he taught English literature at various Calcutta colleges, Ripon College, Presidency College (1944–1947), Maulana Azad College (1947–1969) and Krishnanagar College. In the 1920s & 30s, he was also remained a member of a young group of poets, centered around the Kallol (Commotion) magazine.
His most important work, poetry collection, Smriti Satta Bhabishyat (Memory, being, the Future) (1955–61), set a new precedent in Bengali poetry. It later won him the 1965 Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...
in Bengali
Sahitya Akademi Award to Bengali Writers
Sahitya Akademi Award is given by the Sahitya Akademi, India’s national academy of letters to one writer every year in each of the languages recognized by it as well as for translations. This is the second highest literary award of India, after Jnanpith Award...
as well as the highest literary award of India, Jnanpith Award
Jnanpith Award
The Jnanpith Award is a literary award in India. Along with the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, it is one of the two most prestigious literary honours in the country...
, in 1971.
Education
Bishnu Dey studied at Mitra Institution, Calcutta and Sanskrit Collegiate School, Calcutta. After matriculating in 1927, he went on to do his IA from Bangabashi College, CalcuttaBangabasi College
Bangabasi College is a Kolkata based liberal arts, commerce and sciences college. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses of the University of Calcutta. It was founded by Acharya Girish Chandra Bose, the eminent educationist, social reformer and agriculturist in 1887...
. He completed his BA (Hons.) in English from St Paul's Cathedral Mission College, Calcutta and MA in English from Calcutta University.
Career
In 1935, he joined Ripon College, CalcuttaSurendranath College
Surendranath College is an undergraduate college affiliated to the University of Calcutta, in Kolkata, India. It was founded in 1884 by the nationalist leader Surendranath Banerjea....
. He subsequently taught at Presidency College, Kolkata
Presidency College, Kolkata
Presidency University, Kolkata, formerly Hindu College and Presidency College, is a unitary, state aided university, located in Kolkata, West Bengal. and one of the premier institutes of learning of liberal arts and sciences in India. In 2002 it was ranked number one by the weekly news magazine...
(1944–1947), Maulana Azad College, Calcutta
Maulana Azad College
Maulana Azad College is located in central Calcutta, West Bengal, India. It is located near the junction of Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road and SN Banerjee Road, popularly called "Lotus crossing".It is a Government college and affiliated to the University of Calcutta...
(1947–1969).
Writings
- Urvashi O Artemis (1932)
- Chora Bali (1938)
- Purba Lekh (1940)
- Sandiper Char (1947)
- Annishta (1950)
- Naam Rekhechi Komal Gandhar (1950)
- The Paintings of Rabindranath Tagore (1958)
- India and Modern Art (1959)
- Art of Jamini Roy (1988)
Chhadano Ei Jiban (This Scattered Life)
Some regard his poems as intricate and incomprehensible to a great extent, most likely due to wide use of references and imageries from literary works and cultural instances of foreign origin.
Ideology
He was inspired by Marxist philosophy and by the ideas and style of T. S. EliotT. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
. Post-partition
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
in 1947, he along with other Calcutta based writers, like Subhash Mukhopadhyay, for the "Anti-Facist Wrietrs' and Artist' Association".
He was also associated with Calcutta Group Centre, Soviet Friendship Association, Pragati Lekhak Shilpi Sangha, Indian People's Theatre Association
Indian People's Theatre Association
Indian People’s Theatre Association was an association of leftist theatre-artists and others mostly based in Kolkata, West Bengal, Mumbai and Assam, India. Its goal was to bring cultural awakening among the people of India. It was the cultural wing of the Communist Party of India...
(IPTA), etc. He was a close friend of the artist Jamini Roy
Jamini Roy
-Early life:Jamini Roy was born in 1887 into a middle-class family of land-owners in a village called Beliatore in the District of Bankura in Bengal .When he was sixteen he was sent to study at the Government School of Art in Calcutta...
, an association which lead to him writing works in art criticism
Art criticism
Art criticism is the discussion or evaluation of visual art.Art critics usually criticize art in the context of aesthetics or the theory of beauty...
, on art: Art of Jamini Roy (1988), The Paintings of Rabindranath Tagore (1958), and India and Modern Art (1959).
Accolades
- Sahitya Akademi AwardSahitya Akademi AwardSahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...
(1966) - Nehru Smriti Award (1967)
- Rastriya Jnanpith AwardJnanpith AwardThe Jnanpith Award is a literary award in India. Along with the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, it is one of the two most prestigious literary honours in the country...
(1971) - Soviet Land Award for Rushti Panchashati.
Further reading
- Jamini Roy, by Bishnu Dey, John Irwin. Indian Society of Oriental Art, 1944
- Selected poems, ed. Samir Dasgupta. Writers Workshop, 1972
- In the sun and the rain: essays on aesthetics, by Bishnu Dey. People's Pub. House, 1972
- History's tragic exultation: a few poems in translation, by Bishnu Dey. People's Pub. House, 1973
- Water my roots: essays by & on Bishnu Dey, by Samir Dasgupta, Bishnu Dey. Writers Workshop, 1973
- Bishnu Dey (Makers of Indian literature), by Aruna Sen. Sahitya Akademi, 1993