Rabindranath Tagore 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941 Tagore wrote poetry as an eight-year-old At age sixteen, he released his first substantial poems under the pseudonym Bhānusiṃha The youngest of thirteen surviving children Parents- Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi

His Education Tagore was raised mostly by servants; his mother had died in his early childhood and his father travelled widely Educated family-Tagore's oldest brother Dwijendranath was a philosopher and poet. Another brother,Satyendranath, was the first Indian appointed to the elite and formerly all-European Indian Civil Service. Yet another brother,Jyotirindranath, was a musician, composer, and playwright. His sister Swarnakumari became a novelist. 

Studied at Sussex-travelled worldwide along with his father. Father wanted his son to become Barrister. became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for ‘Gitanjali’

Rabindranath Tagore (Gurudeva) Tagore c. 1915 Native name রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর Born Rabindranath Thakur 7 May 1861 Calcutta, Bengal Presidency,British India Died 7 August 1941 (aged 80) Calcutta Occupation Writer, painter Language Bengali, English Nationality Indian Ethnicity Bengali Literary movement Contextual Modernism Notable works Gitanjali, Gora, Ghare-Baire,Jana Gana Mana, Rabindra Sangeet, Amar Shonar Bangla(other works) Notable awards Nobel Prize in Literature 1913 Spouse Mrinalini Devi (m. 1883–1902) Children five children, two of whom died in childhood Relatives Tagore family

His Novels wrote eight novels- among ‘Gora’, and ‘The Wreck’ Popular novels His stories- amusing as well as didactic Homecoming story

His plays first well knit Play ‘Sanyasi or the Ascetic’ in 1883- about a sanyasi who has cut himself off from the world. But ultimately he is drawn back to the world through his instinctive love for an orphan girl ‘Vasanti’. Red Oleander’ (1925)- It is a story of a girl named Nandini, a girl who recognizes no social barriers and taboos and who disregards them in her search for happiness. Entering a town where men are enslaved to mine gold, she makes them aware of their bondages and creates in them a desire to be free. The Post Office’ (1912)- young boy ‘Amal’ who is confined to his home by an illness. But from his sick bed he watches the procession of life in the street outside and longs to participate in it. The village postman jokingly assures him that he will bring him a letter from king. Amal dies in the hope and as he closes his eyes the Herald announces the coming of king.

The Cycle of spring’ is about adventures of certain young men who are guided by a leader and one ‘chandra’, the truly old man, whose one business is to kidnap men. The King of the Dark Chamber’ is an allegorical play of Vaishnava ideology. The unseen King is God who like a husband loves the human soul represented by queen Sudarshana. Their place of meeting is a dark chamber which may stand for the inner consciousness where man may become one with God. ‘Chandalika’ is based on a Buddhist legend which shows how the psychic power of the Buddha saves his devotee ‘Ananda’ from the lust of a chandel girl ‘Prakriti’. Once Ananda asks for water from her hand, she hesitates knowing that her touch pollutes the high born. But Ananda assures her that she is as good as any other human beings. She impresses by this remark and falls in love, but being a monk he rejects her proposal. She longs for love of Ananda who is brought to her door despite his unwillingness by her mother’s art of black magic. Now she cannot face the dreadful face of Ananda and she curses herself and falls at the feet of Ananda begging forgiveness. At her request, her mother revokes the spell, the mother dies in expiation and Ananda is released and here Chandalika is redeemed for the second time, purged of the pride and egoism and she realizes that love does not bind but frees.

‘Mukta-Dhara’ (1922) is a play which is a noble tribute to the personality of Gandhi and his campaign of non-violence. ‘Natir Puja’ is also a play based on an old Buddhist legend- a tragedy of martyred devotion of the palace dancing girl named ‘Srimati’ Malini’ is a verse drama which tells the story about Malini, the king’s daughter. -major Buddhist heroine who is denounced by orthodoxy. But her sincerity saves her and Kemankar, her chief accuser, meets a right retribution.

Conclusion Critics regard him a great lyric poet rather than a great dramatist. Thomson is inclined to give high values to his achievement as a dramatist and he regrets that Tagore did not allow his dramatic genius to full development.