List of Bengali poets
Encyclopedia
This List of Bengali Poets includes poets who write in Bengali language
and produce Bengali poetry
. This list classifies poets into three groups based on geographical location. These are poets from Bangladesh
, poets from West Bengal
of India
and poets from other parts of the world including Bengali Diaspora
and non-Bengali people writing poetry in Bengali
. However, the list starts with early Bengali poets to be followed by those who are identified not only with Indian sub-continent before partition in 1947, but also as founders of Bengali poetry. The list also contains separate sub-lists of “rhyme composers” and “song writers”. Finally there are two sub-sets ofwoman poets and poets in exile.
In the twentieth century, Bengali poets are often classified in terms of the decade in which they emerge and establish their poetic identity. For example pioneers of modern Bengali poetry
like Jibanananda Das
, Buddhadeb Basu, Bishnu Dey
are identified with the 1930s. In the similar tradition poets Shamsur Rahman
and Al Mahmud
are identified with the 1950s. Such periodic division may be undertaken in future.
, known as the Siddhacharyas, lived in eastern India and Nepal. The surviving 50 manuscripts contains the name of 24 Siddhacharyas including Lui Pa, Kukkuri Pa, Birua Pa, Gundari Pa, Chatil Pa, Bhusuku Pa, Kanha Pa, Kambalambar Pa, Dombi Pa, Shanti Pa, Mahitta Pa, Bina Pa, Saraha Pa, Shabar Pa, Aryadeb Pa, Dhendhan Pa, Darik Pa, Bhade Pa, Tadak Pa, Kankan Pa, Ja’anandi Pa, Dham Pa, Tanti Pa and Loridombi Pa. Most of these names were pseudonyms as the poets rejected Vedic Hinduism and profess Sahajayana Buddhism. Lui Pa is considered as the earliest poet of Charjapadas. Kanha Pa’s 11 poems survived which is the largest number among these poets.
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
and produce Bengali poetry
Bengali poetry
Bengali poetry is a form that originated in Pāli and other Prakrit socio-cultural traditions. It is antagonistic towards Vedic rituals and laws as opposed to the shramanic traditions such as Buddhism and Jainism...
. This list classifies poets into three groups based on geographical location. These are poets from Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, poets from West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and poets from other parts of the world including Bengali Diaspora
Diaspora
A diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
and non-Bengali people writing poetry in Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
. However, the list starts with early Bengali poets to be followed by those who are identified not only with Indian sub-continent before partition in 1947, but also as founders of Bengali poetry. The list also contains separate sub-lists of “rhyme composers” and “song writers”. Finally there are two sub-sets ofwoman poets and poets in exile.
In the twentieth century, Bengali poets are often classified in terms of the decade in which they emerge and establish their poetic identity. For example pioneers of modern Bengali poetry
Bengali poetry
Bengali poetry is a form that originated in Pāli and other Prakrit socio-cultural traditions. It is antagonistic towards Vedic rituals and laws as opposed to the shramanic traditions such as Buddhism and Jainism...
like Jibanananda Das
Jibanananda Das
Jibanananda Das was a noted Bengali poet. He is considered one of the precursors who introduced modernist poetry to Bengali Literature, at a period when it was influenced by Rabindranath Tagore's Romantic poetry....
, Buddhadeb Basu, Bishnu Dey
Bishnu Dey
Bishnu Dey was a prominent Bengali poet, prose writer, translator, academic and art critique in the era of modernism, post-modernism...
are identified with the 1930s. In the similar tradition poets Shamsur Rahman
Shamsur Rahman
Shamsur Rahman was a Bangladeshi poet, columnist and journalist. Rahman, who emerged in the latter half of the 20th century, wrote more than sixty books of poetry and is considered a key figure in Bengali literature. He was regarded the unofficial poet laureate of Bangladesh...
and Al Mahmud
Al Mahmud
Mir Abdus Shukur Al Mahmud , commonly known as Al Mahmud is a Bangladeshi Poet, novelist, short-story writer. He is considered as one of the greatest Bengali poets emerged from 1950s. His work in Bengali poetry is dominated by his copious use of regional dialects...
are identified with the 1950s. Such periodic division may be undertaken in future.
Siddhacharyas
The poets of the CharyapadaCharyapada
The Charyapada is a collection of 8th-12th century Vajrayana Buddhist caryagiti, or mystical poems from the tantric tradition in eastern India. Being caryagiti , the Charyapada were intended to be sung. These songs of realization were spontaneously composed verses that expressed a practitioner's...
, known as the Siddhacharyas, lived in eastern India and Nepal. The surviving 50 manuscripts contains the name of 24 Siddhacharyas including Lui Pa, Kukkuri Pa, Birua Pa, Gundari Pa, Chatil Pa, Bhusuku Pa, Kanha Pa, Kambalambar Pa, Dombi Pa, Shanti Pa, Mahitta Pa, Bina Pa, Saraha Pa, Shabar Pa, Aryadeb Pa, Dhendhan Pa, Darik Pa, Bhade Pa, Tadak Pa, Kankan Pa, Ja’anandi Pa, Dham Pa, Tanti Pa and Loridombi Pa. Most of these names were pseudonyms as the poets rejected Vedic Hinduism and profess Sahajayana Buddhism. Lui Pa is considered as the earliest poet of Charjapadas. Kanha Pa’s 11 poems survived which is the largest number among these poets.
- ChandidasChandidasChandidas refers to medieval poet of Bengal. Over 1250 poems related to the love of Radha and Krishna in Bengali with the bhanita of Chandidas are found with three different sobriquets along with his name, , Dvija and Dina as well as without any sobriquet also...
- Krittibas OjhaKrittibas OjhaKrittibas Ojha or Kirttibas Ojha was a medieval Bengali poet. His major contribution to Bangla literature and culture was the translation of the great Indian epic Ramayana to Bangla. His work, the Sri Ram Panchali, is popularly known as the Krittivasi Ramayan...
- Khelaram ChakrabartyKhelaram ChakrabartyKhelaram Chakrabarty was a Bengali poet and is considered the one of the earliest poet of Dharmamangalkavya tradition. His poem, Gourkavya, which is now available only in fragments, was written in 1527. It is assumed by the historians that he lived at Badangunge village near Arambagh in...
(c. 16th century) - Dwija Madhab or Madhabacharya (c. 16th century)
- Rupram ChakrabartyRupram ChakrabartyRupram Chakrabarty was a Bengali poet of the Middle Ages and one of the most significant contributor to Dharmamangalkavya tradition of mediaeval Bengali literature. His work, Anadi Mangal , was probably composed in 1650....
(c. 17th century) - Akinchan ChakrabartyAkinchan ChakrabartyAkinchan Chakrabarty was a Bengali poet. He wrote three narrative poems: Parvatir Sankirtan or Chandir Nutan Mangal , Shitala-Panchali and Ganga Mangal...
(c. 18th century) - Ghanaram ChakrabartyGhanaram ChakrabartyGhanaram Chakrabarty was a Bengali poet of the Middle Ages and the greatest contributor to the Dharmamangalkavya tradition of mediaeval Bengali literature. He was greeted by his guru as Kabiratna...
(c. 1669-?) - Ramprasad SenRamprasad Sen' was a Shakta poet of eighteenth century Bengal. His bhakti poems, known as Ramprasadi, are still popular in Bengal—they are usually addressed to the Hindu goddess Kali and written in Bengali...
(c. 18th century) - Aju GossainAju GossainAju Gossain was a Bengali poet who was known for his parodies of Ramprasad Sen’s songs. Not much about him is known except his works, not even his real name which is presumed to be either Ayodhyanath or Ayodhyaram Goswami, while Jogendranath Gupta assumed that his real name might be either Ajay...
(c. 18th century) - AlaolAlaolAlaol was a medieval poet in Bengal. He is thought to be born around 1607 in Faridpur in the present-day Bangladesh. His most well known work is Padmavati, which depicts the story of Padmavati, the Sinhala princess and the queen of Chittor. There is an important literary prize named after him in...
- Daulat Qazi
- Syed Sultan
- Bharatchandra RayBharatchandra RayBharatchandra Ray was an 18th century Bengali and Sanskrit poet and song composer. He is mostly known for his poetic work, Annadamangal or Annapurnamangal. He is often referred to simply as Bharatchandra.-Early years:...
Founders of Modern Bengali poetry
- Iswarchandra Gupta
- Michael Madhusudan Dutta
- Nabinchandra SenNabinchandra SenNabinchandra Sen was a Bengali poet and writer. He was born in Chittagong, Bangladesh.-Life:Nabinchandra studied at Chittagong Collegiate School. In 1868, he earned his BA from General Assembly's Institution and joined the government service as a Deputy Magistrate...
- Rabindranath TagoreRabindranath TagoreRabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
- Jatindramohan BagchiJatindramohan BagchiJatindramohan Bagchi was a Bengali poet and editor.-Early life:He was born in Jamsherpur, in Nadia, in rural Bengal...
- Dwijendralal RayDwijendralal RayDwijendralal Ray , also known as D. L. Ray , was a Bengali poet, playwright, and musician. He was known for his Hindu mythological and Nationalist historical plays and songs known as Dwijendrageeti or the Songs of Dwijendralal, which number over 500, create a separate sub-genre of Bengali Music...
- Satyendranath DuttaSatyendranath DuttaSatyendranath Dutta , a Bengali poet, is considered the wizard of rhymes...
- Kazi Nazrul IslamKazi Nazrul IslamKazi Nazrul Islam , sobriquet Bidrohi Kobi, was a Bengali poet, musician and revolutionary who pioneered poetic works espousing intense spiritual rebellion against fascism and oppression. His poetry and nationalist activism earned him the popular title of Bidrohi Kobi...
- Mohitalal Majumdar
- Jibanananda DasJibanananda DasJibanananda Das was a noted Bengali poet. He is considered one of the precursors who introduced modernist poetry to Bengali Literature, at a period when it was influenced by Rabindranath Tagore's Romantic poetry....
- JasimuddinJasimuddinJasimuddin was a renowned Bengali poet, songwriter, prose writer, folklore collector and radio personality. He is commonly known in Bangladesh as Polli Kobi, the Rural Poet for his faithful rendition of Bangla folklore in his works...
- Amiya ChakravartyAmiya ChakravartyAmiya Chandra Chakravarty was a literary critic, academic, and Bengali Poet. He was a close associate of Rabindrath Tagore, and edited several books of his poetry. He was also an associate of Gandhi, and an expert on the American catholic writer and monk, Thomas Merton. Dr. Chakravarty was...
- Bishnu DeyBishnu DeyBishnu Dey was a prominent Bengali poet, prose writer, translator, academic and art critique in the era of modernism, post-modernism...
- Sudhindranath DuttaSudhindranath DuttaSudhindranath Dutta was a Bengali Indian post-modern poet, essayist, journalist and critic. Sudhindranath is one of the most notable poets after the Tagore-era in Bangla literature.-Education:...
- Buddhadev Bose
- Sukanta BhattacharyaSukanta BhattacharyaSukanta Bhattacharya was a Bengali poet and playwright. Along with Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam, he was one of the key figures of modern Bengali poetry, despite the fact that most of his works had been in publication posthumously...
Hungryalist Poets
- Shakti ChattopadhyayShakti ChattopadhyayShakti Chattopadhay was a Bengali poet and writer, widely regarded as one of the greatest poet of 20th century Bengali literature. -External links:...
- Binoy MajumdarBinoy MajumdarBinoy Majumdar was a Bengali poet. Binoy received the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 2005.-Biography:Late Binoy Majumdar was born in Myanmar on the 17th of September 1934. His family later moved to what is now West Bengal in India. Binoy loved mathematics from his early youth...
- Samir RoychoudhurySamir RoychoudhurySamir Roychowdhury , one of the founding fathers of the Hungry Generation 1961-1965 ,was born at Panihati, West Bengal, India in a family of artists, sculptors, photographers and musicians...
- Malay Roy ChoudhuryMalay Roy ChoudhuryMalay Roy Choudhury is a Bengali poet and novelist who founded the "Hungryalist Movement" in the 1960s. His literary works have been reviewed by sixty critics in HAOWA 49, a quarterly magazine which devoted its January 2001 special issue to Roy Choudhury's life and works...
- Subimal BasakSubimal BasakSubimal Basak, is an Indian fiction writer. He is a member of the Hungry generation, with Samir Roychoudhury, Falguni Roy, Shakti Chattopadhyay and the movement's creator Malay Roy Choudhury....
- Falguni RoyFalguni RoyFalguni Roy was an anti-establishment Bengali poet. Along with Shakti Chattopadhyay, Malay Roy Choudhury, Samir Roychoudhury, Subimal Basak, Debi Roy ,Utpalkumar Basu, Binoy Majumdar, Sandipan Chattopadhyay, Basudeb Dasgupta, Roy was also associated with the Hungryalist movement.-Film on Falguni:A...
- Tridib MitraTridib MitraTridib Mitra was one of the pioneers of the Hungry generation movement in Bengali literature which changed the literary landscape of West Bengal once for all. With his wife Alo Mitra he edited Hungry generation magazines The Waste Paper in English and Unmarga in Bengali...
Bengali woman poets
- Swarnakumari DeviSwarnakumari DeviSee Tagore for disambiguationSwarnakumari Devi was an Indian poet, novelist, musician and social worker. She was the first among the women writers in Bengali to gain prominence.-Family and early life:...
(1855 - 1932) - Gireendramohini Dasi (1858 - 1924)
- Kamini RoyKamini RoyKamini Roy was a leading Bengali poet, social worker and feminist from India. She was the first woman honours graduate in India.-Early life:...
(1864 - 1933) - Priyombada Devi (1871 - 1935)
- Kusumkumari Dash (1875 - 1948)
- Begum Rokeya (1880 - 1932)
- Radharani Devi (1904 - 1989)
- Sufia KamalSufia KamalSufia Kamal was a poet, writer, organizer, feminist and activist from Bangladesh. She was born to a Muslim family in Barisal, Bangladesh. She is one of the most widely recognized cultural personalities in Bangladesh...
(1911 -1999) - Rajlaksmi Devi (1927)
- Kabita Singha (1932 -1995)
- Nabaneeta Debsen (1938)
- Suraiya Khanum (1944- 2009)
- Rubi RahmanRubi RahmanRubi Rahman , is a Bangla Academy Award winning poet and a Parliament Member of Bangladesh. Bhalobasar Kabita, Je Jiban Fariger, Kanpete Achi, Moumachi etc. are her books of Poetry.-Reference:...
(1946) - Mallika SenguptaMallika SenguptaMallika Sengupta is a Bengali poet, feminist, and reader of Sociology from Kolkata, known for her "unapologetically political poetry".- Biography :...
- Ishita Bhaduri
- Ketaki Kushari Dyson
- Taslima Nasreen
Metrical Poets
- Annadashankar RoyAnnadashankar RoyAnnadashankar Roy , was a renowned Bengali author. He was born in Dhenkanal in Orissa, India.-Life:Passed B.A. in English from Ravenshaw College, Cuttack, Orissa. Started his literary career in Oriya. He was a poet of Sabuja Yuga in Oriya Literature. Later he shifted his writing to Bengali...
- Sukumar Roy
- Muhammad Habibur Rahman
- Shamsur RahmanShamsur RahmanShamsur Rahman was a Bangladeshi poet, columnist and journalist. Rahman, who emerged in the latter half of the 20th century, wrote more than sixty books of poetry and is considered a key figure in Bengali literature. He was regarded the unofficial poet laureate of Bangladesh...
- Al MahmudAl MahmudMir Abdus Shukur Al Mahmud , commonly known as Al Mahmud is a Bangladeshi Poet, novelist, short-story writer. He is considered as one of the greatest Bengali poets emerged from 1950s. His work in Bengali poetry is dominated by his copious use of regional dialects...
- Motiur Rahman MollikMotiur Rahman MollikMotiur Rahman Mollik was a poet lyricist, compositor, writer, organizer, researcher, editor, singer and a cultural leader. He was one of the modern poets of Bangla literature...
(1950-2010) - Abu Zafar ObaidullahAbu Zafar ObaidullahAbu Zafar Obaidullah , a career civil servant by profession, was a first-rank poet of Bangladesh. Two of his long poems, namely, 'Aami-Kingbodontir-Kathaa Bolchi' and 'Bristi O Shahosi Purush-er Jonyo Pranthona' have gained legendary renowence since their first publicaiton in late 1970s.-Life and...
- Robbani Chowdhury
- Rafiqul HaqueRafiqul HaqueRafiqul Haque, popularly known as Dadu Bhai is a Bangladeshi journalist by profession, who is reputed for his excellent rhymes. Currently he works in the daily Jugantor, published from Dhaka as its Chief Sub-Editor...
- Fayez Ahmed
- Ekhlasuddin AhmedEkhlasuddin AhmedEkhlasuddin Ahmed is a Bangladeshi children's writer. He was born in 1940 in the 24 Parganas district of West Bengal province. He is also a journalist and has been associated with the Daily Janakantha...
- Abdur RahmanAbdur RahmanAbdur Rahman is a male Muslim given name, and in modern usage, surname. It is built from the Arabic words Abd, al- and Rahman. The name means "servant of the most gracious", ar-Rahman being one of the names of God in the Qur'an, which give rise to the Muslim theophoric names.The letter a of the...
- Nirmalendu GoonNirmalendu GoonNirmalendu Goon is a Bangladeshi poet, and one of the most popular poets in Bangladesh, lauded by many for his accessible verse in an age where Bangla poetry has become increasingly complex.- Early life :...
- Asad ChowdhuryAsad ChowdhuryAsad Chowdhury is a poet, writer, translator, radio, TV personality and journalist, as well as a cultural activist in Bangladesh.He received a Masters in Bengali in 1964 from Dhaka University and is the father of two sons and one daughter. Chowdhury is a former director at the Bangla Academy, Dhaka...
- Mahmud Nurul Momen
- Abu Saleh
- Mustafa MajidMustafa MajidMustafa Majid, born on April 14, 1955, in the Patuakhali district of Bangladesh is an researcher and writer. He is best known for his work on aboriginal tribes of the country.-Life and career:...
- Bimal GuhaBimal GuhaBimal Guha is a Bangladeshi poet, and a leading poet of his generation. He appeared on the literary scene of Bangladesh in the seventies of last century...
- Shahabuddin NagariShahabuddin NagariShahabuddin Nagari is a modern poet of Bangladesh,, who appeared in the 1970s and gained pre-eminence as a lyricist. According to famous literary critic Abdul Mannan Syed, "Shahabuddin Nagari is one of those few powerful poets of 1970s whose mastery of mixing romanticism with instinct is amazing. ...
- Tapan BagchiTapan BagchiTapan Bagchi is a poet, rhyme composer, researcher, and journalist based in Dhaka, Bangladesh...
- Mosharraf Khokon
- Faruk Ahmed Roni
Song composers
- Rabindranath TagoreRabindranath TagoreRabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
- Dwijendralal RayDwijendralal RayDwijendralal Ray , also known as D. L. Ray , was a Bengali poet, playwright, and musician. He was known for his Hindu mythological and Nationalist historical plays and songs known as Dwijendrageeti or the Songs of Dwijendralal, which number over 500, create a separate sub-genre of Bengali Music...
- Atulprasad SenAtulprasad SenAtulprasad Sen was an Bengali composer, lyricist and singer. He is principally remembered as a musician and composer. His songs centred around three broad subjects- patriotism, devotion and love...
- Rajanikanta SenRajanikanta SenRajanikanta Sen was a Bengali poet and composer, known for his devotional compositions, as well as his patriotic songs...
- Kazi Nazrul IslamKazi Nazrul IslamKazi Nazrul Islam , sobriquet Bidrohi Kobi, was a Bengali poet, musician and revolutionary who pioneered poetic works espousing intense spiritual rebellion against fascism and oppression. His poetry and nationalist activism earned him the popular title of Bidrohi Kobi...
- Hason RajaHason RajaHason Raja , also known as Dewan Hason Raja, was a Bengali poet, mystic philosopher and folksongs writer and composer...
- Kangal HarinathKangal HarinathKangal Harinath , which means "Penniless Harinath", was a well-known Baul of Bengal, also known as "Fakir Chand Baul". He was born in Kushtia District, now in Bangladesh, named Harinath Majumdar. He lost his parents at an early age.Harinath was a disciple of Lalon Shah. He had very little formal...
- Shah Abdul KarimShah Abdul KarimShah Abdul Karim , was one of the most famous legends of Bangladeshi folk music. He specialized in Bengali Baul music. Born and brought up in the village of Ujan Dhol, in Derai Upazila of Sunamganj, he lived there until his death. He was awarded the Ekushey Padok in the year 2001 for his...
- Abu Hena Mustafa KamalAbu Hena Mustafa KamalAbu Hena Mustafa Kamal was a professor of Bengali literature at Dhaka University and worked for the government as the Director General of the Bangla Academy from 1986 till his death. Along with writing poetry, he wrote some memorable songs...
- Shahabuddin NagariShahabuddin NagariShahabuddin Nagari is a modern poet of Bangladesh,, who appeared in the 1970s and gained pre-eminence as a lyricist. According to famous literary critic Abdul Mannan Syed, "Shahabuddin Nagari is one of those few powerful poets of 1970s whose mastery of mixing romanticism with instinct is amazing. ...
- Nasir AhmedNasir AhmedNasir Ahmed is a former Bangladeshi cricketer who played in 7 ODIs from 1988 to 1990. He is one of the three best wicketkeeprs to play for Bangladesh, Shafiq-ul-Haq and Khaled Mashud being the other two. After the retirement of Haque, the selectors tried a number of young keepers, and Nasir ...
- Anjan DuttaAnjan DuttaAnjan Dutta is a popular artist of the 1990s Bengali music scene defined by anyodharar gaan . Anjan Dutta's style of music is different from the others in the sense that it has simple tunes, one that is reminiscent of western folk music. His lyrics are simple and more natural...
- Kabir Suman
- NachiketaNachiketaNachiketa is the child protagonist in an ancient Hindu fable about the nature of the soul and Brahman. The story is told in the Katha Upanishad , though the name has several earlier references. He was taught Self-knowledge, the separation of the human soul from the body, by the god of Death, Yama...