Tagore

TAGORE, Sin Rabindranath, Hindu poet : b. Calcutta, 1861. His father Maharshi Devendranath Tagore was a famous spiritual leader who belonged to a family dis tinguished for many generations throughout India. He was educated chiefly under private tutors and at the age of 17 visited England. By this time he was writing verse, largely imi tative of the old Vaishnava poets. When he was 18 years old he published and (The Hungry Stones and Other Stories.' This second or Shilaida period of his life, which lasted 17 years, had a sad ending, as he lost in rapid suc cession by death, his wife, daughter and the younger of his two sons. At the age of 40 in 1901 he began work at Bolpur, which centred around his school 'Shand Niketan,> or trans lated, of Peace.> Beginning with two or three boys it had grown in four years to 60, and in 1919 numbered over boys. This school, while strictly Indian in its char acteristics, embodied in itself, in forms modified to environmental conditions, the most advanced educational ideas of the world to-day, while retaining also the best traditions of the ancient Indian garden and forest schools. It is interest

ing to Americans to note that the self-govern ment of his school is largely modeled after that of the George Junior Republic. Here Tagore brought the power of his personality to play upon an increasing number of young men who are making the India of to-morrow. The award of the Nobel prize in literature in 1913 brought him into world fame, and in 1915 he received the honor of knighthood. He has published in Bengali over 30 poetical works and 28 prose works, including novels, short stories, essays, sermons, dramas, etc. With a fine appreciation of the value of the English language he has made his own translations and published in English a play; 'The Crescent Moon: Child-Poems' ; Gardener' ; (Personality' ; King of the Dark Cham ber' ; ; (Songs of (Sadhana: the Realization of Life' ; (The Hungry Stones and Other Stories' ; Post Office' ; (Fruit Gathering.' ; Birds' ;