Life of Rabindranath Tagore (1932–1941)

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This article concerns the life of Rabindranath Tagore (1932–1941), composed of Tagore's last decade of life. Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) was a Bengali poet, Brahmo philosopher, and cultural reformer from a Pirali Brahmin background. These last years of Tagore's life were marked by chronic pain and extended ill health, while Tagore's works took to more heavily emphasizing an exploration of the nature of death.

[edit] Last works of 1932-1937

Tagore (left) meets with Mahatma Gandhi at Santiniketan in 1940.

Tagore's international travels also sharpened his opinion that human divisions were shallow. During a May 1932 visit to a Bedouin encampment in the Iraqi desert, the tribal chief told him that "Our prophet has said that a true Muslim is he by whose words and deeds not the least of his brother-men may ever come to any harm ..." Tagore noted in his diary: "I was startled into recognizing in his words the voice of essential humanity."^[1]

In his last decade, Tagore compiled fifteen volumes of writings, including works of prose-poems such as Punashcha (1932), Shes Saptak (1935), and Patraput (1936). He also continued his experimentations by developing prose-songs and dance-dramas, including Chitrangada (1936), Shyama (1939), and Chandalika (1938). He also wrote the novels Dui Bon (1933), Malancha (1934), and Char Adhyay (1934). Tagore also took an interest in science in his last years, writing Visva-Parichay (a collection of essays) in 1937. He wrote on topics ranging from biology to physics, and astronomy; meanwhile, his poetry — containing extensive naturalism — underscored his respect for scientific laws. He also wove the process of science (including narratives of scientists) into many stories contained in such volumes as Se (1937), Tin Sangi (1940), and Galpasalpa (1941).^[2]

[edit] Illness of 1937-1941

Tagore's last four years (1937–1941) were marked by chronic pain and two long periods of illness. These began when Tagore lost consciousness in late 1937; he remained comatose and near death for an extended period. This was followed three years later in late 1940 by a similar spell, from which he never recovered. The poetry Tagore wrote in these twilight years are distinctive for their preoccupation with death; these more profound and mystical experimentations allowed Tagore to be branded a "modern poet".^[3] After extended suffering,^[4] Tagore died on August 7, 1941 (22 Shravan 1348) in an upstairs room of the Jorasanko mansion in which he was raised.^[5] This date is still mourned in public functions held across the Bangla-speaking world.

The last person to see Tagore alive was Amiya Kumar Sen (brother of Sukumar Sen, the first chief election commissioner); Tagore dictated his last poem to Sen, who wrote it down. Sen later donated the resulting draft to a museum in Kolkata.