Buddhadeva Bose
Buddhadeva Bose , also spelt Buddhadeb Bosu, was an Indian Bengali writer of the 20th century. Frequently referred to as a poet, he was a versatile writer who wrote novels, short stories, plays and essays in addition to poetry. He was an influential critic and editor of his time. He is recognised as one of the five poets who moved to introduce modernity into Bengali poetry. It is said that since Rabindranath Tagore, there has not been a more versatile talent in Bengali literature.
Biography
Bose studied English language and literature at the University of Dhaka. He was a resident of Jagannath Hall. As a student of Dhaka University, he, along with fellow student Nurul Momen, obtained the highest possible marks in the first Binnet Intelligence Test. Only the two of them were able to achieve that distinction. After completing his MA in English there, with distinction marks that remain unsurpassed as of 2007, he moved to Calcutta in 1931. Initially he had no regular job and offered private lessons to earn his livelihood.While a student he became associated with the famous poetry magazine Kallol. The modernist literary movement of the 1930s is often referred to as the Kallol era. He also worked as an editor of the literary magazine Pragati.
He married Pratibha Basu in 1934. They had three children, Minakshi Dutta, Damayanti Basu Singh and Suddhashil Bose. Pratibha Basu was an accomplished singer in her teens but later concentrated on literature and became a distinguished writer in her own right.
Buddhadeva Bose taught at the Ripon College an affiliated college of the University of Calcutta. In 1956 he set up the Department of Comparative literature in Jadavpur University, and was on its faculty for a number of years. He was also a visiting professor at many universities in the United States.
One of his most important contributions to the Bengali literary scene was the establishment of the Kavita – the flagship poetry magazine in Bengali, which he edited and published for 25 years.
BB has been described as a disciplined, almost obsessed, worker by Nabaneeta Dev Sen. After meeting Buddhadeva Bose, Clinton B. Seely remarked that Buddhadeva was a very intense person. He spoke quickly, with emotion. He laughed wonderfully. He was interested in everything... He was what I would come to refer to as "jyanto," "alive," "vibrant," "energetic." Conversations were often at fever pitch. He was bubbling over with things to say.
BB who grew up almost as an orphan showed deep love and care for his children. In a letter to his daughter Damayanti Basu Singh who just flew to the US for studies he wrote:
Damayanti wrote that, '...And I remember that Dad used to write late into the night. He used to place books beside the table lamp to block the light so that it wouldn't disturb our sleep.'
Literary life
His first book of poetry, namely, Bandir Bandana was published when he was only seventeen years old. Although he worked as a teacher at different colleges and universities, he devoted his whole life to literature. This is symbolized by the name of his residence in Calcutta which was Kavita Bhavan. His first novel, Saara, was published when he was 18, in 1930. He wrote more than 40 novels, but his epic novel Tithidore, published in 1949, became his most admired novel and is now considered a classic. He published more than 160 titles during his lifetime. So far 200 books have been published. However, many pieces remain to be anthologized as yet. He was a hard worker and writing was his life. He began his day at 9 in the morning and would regularly work until 10 at night. Work, for him, meant writing.Literary style
Buddhadeva Bose wrote poetry essentially under the influence of Western literature, although in his early works he showed the clear influence of Rabindranath Tagore. But both in terms of theme and style, he reflected the marked influence of renowned Western poets, especially Baudelaire. He was also influenced by Ezra Pound, William Butler Yeats, Rilke and T. S. Eliot. Allegedly, he believed in "art for art's sake". He was a perfectionist as a writer and emphasized technical perfection in his works. Although he mostly wrote in free verse, his command of rhyme and rhythm was great. As an editor of his historical magazine Kavita, the first magazine in India devoted only to the cause of modern Bengali poetry, he demonstrated his ability to identify the best talents of 20th century Bengal.His prose style was also established on a diction developed by himself. His novels remain modern even by the standards of the 21st century. He established a style of appreciative literary criticism that remains unparalleled. Also, his verse plays, written at the end phase of his life, created a poetic style all his own.
Accusation of obscenity
While the literary circles of Bengal did not hesitate to recognize him as a leading post-Tagore literary personality, Buddhadeva Bose achieved mass popularity when his novel Raat Bho're Brishti was banned by the government on charges of obscenity. It depicted a love triangle which explicitly allowed sex to play a critical role in human relationships. Eventually, the High Court absolved the novel of the charges of obscenity. Raat Bho're Brishti has been translated by Clinton B. Seely with the title Rain through the Night.Literary organizations
In his school days BB took various literary initiatives. He was the editor, principal contributor and scriptor of the Pataka, a hand-written literary magazine published by the school students. Since then he was continuously engaged and involved in many literary organizations including publications of literary journals and books. While studying at the Dhaka University he was elected as the literary secretary of the students' association of his hall of residence, namely the Jagannath Hall. In this capacity he edited the Basantika, the annual literary magazine of the Jagannath Hall. BB published one of his memorable poems, namely, 'Kankaboti' in the Basantika.BB actively participated in the Progressive Writers' Association in the late 1930s. He also joined the Anti-Fascist Writers and Artists' Association in the early 1940s.