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Najrul IslamTimeline (1899 - 1976)
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The poetry of Najrul Islam (sometimes written Nazrul Islam) is a fascinating combination of devotion, mysticism, cultural unity, and political exhortation. Najrul Islam, as his name implies, was Muslim, yet his poetry is primarily addressed to Kali, the Mother Goddess of Bengali Hindus -- though he often refers to her more generically as Mother or Ma. Islam composed his poetry during the time of British control of India and, in Bengal, the goddess Kali came to be viewed as a personification of the national identity and determination to be free of foreign domination. Poems addressed to Kali became poems addressed to Mother India, a divine image of a fiercely united nation. |
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Singing to the Goddess: Poems to Kali and Uma from Bengal, Translated by Rachel Fell McDermott |
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Ivan
M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright ©
2002 - 2006 by Ivan M. Granger.
All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or
publishers.
