Michael Modhusudan Dutt: Father of modern Bangla literature

Michael Modhusudan Dutt is one of the most famous, talented and powerful poets in Bangla literatrure. He was born in 1824 in a very aristocrat family Sagardari village in Jessore of present day Bangladesh.

From his childhood he had a fascination to English society and literature. He studied at Hindu college. In 1843 he changed his religion to Christianity due to some family problems especially with his father. He also changed his name to Michel Modhusudan Dutt. He went Europe to study English literature. His first English poetry was “Captive Lady”. He also wrote some literary items in English but he could not be successful in English literature. So after a few years he decided to come back to his own country and after coming back he practiced literature in his mother tongue “Bangla”.

He is the first Bengali sonnet writer. In his sonnets he followed the Pettrark’s style. He first introduced amitraksar style (a form of blank verse). He is the first and only successful Bengali epic writer. He wrote the epic named “Meghnad-Vadh” in nine cantos based on the story of the Ramayana. Meghnad-vadh is the first and most successful epic in Bangla literature. His other heroic epic is “Virangana”. He is also known as a pioneer of Bangla Drama. His famous is “Krisnakkumari”. His innovative literary power also introduced modern comedy and tragedy in Bangla literature. He wrote most of his famous literary works during after coming back from Europe. He wrote Meghnad-vadh, Krishnakumari, Vrajangana, and Virangana which are considered as his masterpieces during this period. He wrote his first poem “Tillottoma Sambh in 1859. It was based on a puranic story.

In his writings he expressed his love to his country. For example in a sonnet named Kopotkkha Nad he showed his strong love to a river that he remember from his childhood memory. He also showed the love of rural women in his poems.

This unforgettable poet died in 1873 at Calcutta of India.

This article is written by Biplob Kishore Deb