rabindranath tagore long biography

Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali poet, novelist and painter best known for being the first non-European to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 with his book Gitanjali, Song Offerings . He was highly influential in introducing Indian culture to the West and is generally regarded as the outstanding creative artist of modern India. He was hailed by W.B Yeats and André Gide.

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• Article Title: Rabindranath Tagore Biography
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• Last Updated: June 24, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

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Rabindranath Tagore

Poet, writer and humanitarian, Rabindranath Tagore was the first Indian to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature and he played a key role in the renaissance of modern India. Tagore is most widely known for his poetry, but he was also an accomplished author of novels, short stories, plays and articles. He took an active interest in a widespread range of social, cultural and artistic endeavours. He has been described as one of the first Twentieth Century’s global man.

“So I repeat we never can have a true view of man unless we have a love for him. Civilisation must be judged and prized, not by the amount of power it has developed, but by how much it has evolved and given expression to, by its laws and institutions, the love of humanity.”

— Sadhana: The Realisation of Life, (1916)

Short Biography Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath began writing from an early age and impressed with his free-flowing style and spontaneous compositions. He mostly rejected formal schooling; he spent much time being taught at home. In 1878 he travelled to England and sought to study law at University College, London, but he left before finishing the degree.

After returning to India, in 1901, Tagore moved to Shantiniketan to found an ashram which became his focal point for writing and his view on schooling. He chose the name for the ashram – Shantiniketan meaning ‘Abode of Peace.’

“Love is the ultimate meaning of everything around us. It is not a mere sentiment; it is truth; it is the joy that is at the root of all creation.”

– Tagore, Sādhanā : The Realisation of Life (1916)

Friendship with Gandhi

Tagore was firm friends with Gandhi and admired him very much. But, despite this friendship, he could be critical of his views. For example, he disagreed with Gandhi’s views on Swaraj protests and upbraided Gandhi when Gandhi claimed an earthquake was ‘divine retribution for the mistreatment of Dalits in India.’ Yet despite the frequent divergence of opinions, they could admire each other. When Gandhi went on a fast unto death, it was Tagor who was able to persuade Gandhi to give up his fast and look after his health.

Nobel Prize for Literature 1913

In 1913, Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature for his work ‘ Gitanjali ‘ This made his writings internationally known and his fame spread throughout the world.

“My debts are large, my failures great, my shame secret and heavy; yet I come to ask for my good, I quake in fear lest my prayer be granted.” – Gitanjali

Rabindranath Tagore with Einstein

This gave Tagore the opportunity to travel extensively giving lectures and recitals in many different countries. He also became acquainted with many of the leading cultural contemporaries of the day; this included W.B.Yeats, George Bernard Shaw , Romain Rolland, Robert Frost and Albert Einstein .

Tagore had a great love for nature and many of his poems invoke the simple beauties of the natural world. For Tagore, his religion could be found in the wonders and mysteries of nature – as much as in temples and sacred books.

Tagore was a prolific composer of music. He composed over 2,000 songs which have been popularised and sung widely across Bengal. Like his literature, he broke away from classical constraints to offer a great emotive and spiritual appeal. Tagore is unique for being the official composer for the national anthem of two countries – India’s Jana Gana Mana and Bangladesh’s Amar Shonar Bangla .

Tagore was an opponent of British imperialism, though he also felt Indians had a duty to improve their self-education; he said that British rule was partly due to the state India had fallen into. In particular, he was very denigrating about India’s obsession with caste.

‘the ultimate truth in man is not in his intellect or his possessions; it is in his illumination of mind, in his extension of sympathy across all barriers of caste and colour, in his recognition of the world, not merely as a storehouse of power, but as a habitation of man’s spirit, with its eternal music of beauty and its inner light of the divine presence.’ – Tagore, The Poet’s Religion’ in Creative Unity (1922) [ 1 ]

In 1919, Tagore returned his knighthood in protest at the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, in which many peaceful Indian protesters were killed.

Tagore was a polymath, and towards the end of his life he took up art and also pursued an interest in science. Tagore was also very much an internationalist, criticising nationalism, though also writing songs and articles in support of the general principle of the Indian independence movement.

“Patriotism cannot be our final spiritual shelter; my refuge is humanity. I will not buy glass for the price of diamonds, and I will never allow patriotism to triumph over humanity as long as I live. “

– Rabindranath Tagore

Tagore view on Religion

Tagore had mixed views on religion. He was brought up in a traditional Hindu family and taught to pray and meditate from an early age. He remembers the peace of mind he developed from chanting the Gayatri Mantra, but at the same time was detached from the more formalistic aspects of religion. He tended to see religion as not scriptures and places of worship but the life we lead. As he explained:

“My religion is my life – it is growing with my growth – it has never been grafted on me from outside.” ~ Tagore to Robert Bridges, 8 July 1914.

He was keen to avoid any fanaticism and saw the strength of his own Hindu religion as its ability to see more than one path to the goal. His life-long aspiration was to see a harmony of religions flourish in India – not from mere tolerance but an appreciation of the different merits other religions had.

‘The Idea of freedom to which India aspired was based upon realization of spiritual unity…India’s great achievement, which is still stored deep within her heart, is waiting to unite within itself Hindu, Moslem, Buddhist and Christian, not by force, not by the apathy of resignation, but in the harmony of active cooperation.’ ~ Tagore in Berlin, 1921.

However, he was also critical of the Hindu caste system.

Tagore’s poetry frequently hint at a mystical view of the world.

“In this playhouse of infinite forms I have had my play, and here have I caught sight of him that is formless.” – Gitanjali “The human soul is on its journey from the law to love, from discipline to liberation, from the moral plane to the spiritual.” Sādhanā : The Realisation of Life (1916)

Tagore died on 7th August 1941, after a long and painful illness, aged 80. He died in his family home.

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan . “ Rabindranath Tagore ”, Oxford, UK www.biographyonline.net , 1st Jun. 2009. Last updated 1 March 2019.

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Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore was born in Calcutta, India, on May 7, 1861. He was the son of Debendranath Tagore, a prominent philosopher and religious reformer. Throughout his childhood, Tagore was educated by tutors and wrote extensively, despite a marked disinterest for traditional schooling. In 1877, he sailed to England to study. He remained for just fourteen months, during which he was schooled in Brighton, East Sussex and at University College, where he studied law and attended lectures on English literature. He expressed dissatisfaction with the constraints of Western educational practices in England, however, and returned to India. 

Throughout his career, Tagore not only wrote and translated poetry, but published numerous novels, short stories, plays, letters, essays, memoirs, and criticism. He was also known for his musical compositions. Tagore’s most notable work of poetry is Gitanjali: Song Offerings (Macmillan, 1912), for which he received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. He was the first non-European, as well as the first lyricist, to win the prize. Other notable poetry publications, written and published in Bengali, include Sonar Tari [The Golden Boat] (1894) and Manasi [The Ideal One] (1890). Tagore often published first in Bengali, then translated his own work to English. He wrote novels, plays, and short stories in both languages, including the plays Chitra (India Society of London, 1914) and The Post Office (Cuala Press, 1914). He is credited with pioneering the short story form in Bengali literature, with some of his best work collected in The Hungry Stones and Other Stories (Macmillan, 1916) and The Glimpses of Bengal Life (G. A. Nateson & Co., 1913). His short stories were especially famous in India, as many were based on his ten years in Shilaidah and Shazadpur, where he went to manage his family’s estates in the 1890s. During this time, he lived on a houseboat on the Padma River and socialized with the neighboring villagers. His compassion for them, and his belief in education for all, deeply influenced his short stories, as well as his later activism. Tagore’s stances on Indian independence, the caste system, education, religion, and other sociopolitical issues were expressed through his work. 

In his introduction to the English translation of Gitanjali , W. B. Yeats lauds Tagore’s poetic vision, writing: “these lyrics […] display in their thought a world I have dreamed of all my life long. The work of a supreme culture, they yet appear as much the growth of the common soil as the grass and the rushes. A tradition, where poetry and religion are the same thing, has passed through the centuries, gathering from learned and unlearned metaphor and emotion, and carried back again to the multitude the thought of the scholar and of the noble.” 

In 1901, Tagore’s work as an educator and activist led to his founding an experimental school at Shantiniketan, a retreat in rural Bengal that his father created in 1863. There, he hoped to merge Eastern and Western educational traditions. He believed there might be a more natural way for young people to learn, utilizing a method which would foster their imagination and instincts. For a time, he lived at the school, which became the international Visva-Bharati University. In 1912, Tagore left the school to read his work across Europe, America, and East Asia, and to lecture and advocate for Indian independence. In 1919, as a protest against the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, he rejected the British knighthood in 1915. Six years later, Tagore and Leonard Elmhirst founded the “Institute for Rural Reconstruction,” a feature of the Visva-Bharati University experiments. Through the institute, many of the concerns that Tagore expressed in his early short stories came to fruition: he believed rural India was barred from mainstream intellectual and urban life, and sought to facilitate a collaborative education. He requested aid from various artists, donors, and scholars across the world for this project. 

While Tagore pursued writing, teaching, and activism during much of his life, he became recognized as a painter when he was in his sixties, with many of his works enjoying success at exhibitions in Europe. 

Tagore died on August 7, 1941, in Calcutta.  

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Rabindranath Tagore

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How profoundly simple is this parable from The Gardener by Rabindranath Tagore. Born in the same year as Alfred North Whitehead, 1861, the liberal religious Poet of India exemplifies life-affirmation and world-affirmation in uniquely potent literature of love. In 1913 he received the Nobel Prize in Literature. Albert Schweitzer declared, “This completely noble and harmonious thinker belongs not only to his own people but to humanity.”

Tagore’s parables and prayers express a philosophy of polarity whose God is temporal-eternal, actual-potential, Becoming-Being. He dramatizes and personalizes the modern scientific worldview of panentheism (not pantheism) independently developed by Whitehead and the contemporary American Unitarian Universalist philosopher, Charles Hartshorne. Rabindranath Tagore has contributed to humanity a legacy of prayers which express an intimacy characteristic of the Psalms of the Old Testament, but they avoid the latter’s recurrent vindictiveness. His I-Thou experience is as vivid as that communicated in the Confessions of Augustine, but it avoids the latter’s debilitating otherworldliness. Consider the following remarkable prayer which is also uniquely a parable.

CORN: A PARABLE

I had gone a-begging from door to door in the village path, when Your golden chariot appeared in the distance like a gorgeous dream, and I wondered who was the King of all kings!

My hopes arose high, and methought my evil days were at an end, and I stood waiting for alms to be given unasked and for wealth scattered on all sides in the dust.

The chariot stopped where I stood. Your glance fell on me, and You came down with a smile. I felt that the luck of my life had come at last. Then of a sudden You held out Your right hand saying, “What have you to give Me?”

Ah, what a kingly jest was it to open Your palm to a beggar to beg! I was confused and stood undecided, and then from my wallet I slowly took out the least little grain of corn and gave it to You.

How great was my surprise when at the days end I emptied my bag on thefloor to find a least little grain of gold among the poor heap! I bitterly wept and wished that I had the heart to give You my all.

STRIKE AT THE ROOT

This is my prayer to You, O God, strike at the root of poverty in my own heart. Give me the strength lightly to bear my joys and sorrows. Give me the love to make my love fruitful in service. Give me the strength never to disown the poor or bend my knee before insolent might. Give me the strength to raise my mind high above daily trifles. And give me the strength to surrender my strength to Your will with love.

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• Rabindranath Tagore Biography

Introduction

Rabindranath Thakur was a man of various talents. He was recognized by people all over the globe for his literary works - poetry, philosophies, plays, and especially his songwriting. Rabindranath Tagore was the man who gave India, its National Anthem. He was one of the greatest entities of all time and the only Indian to receive a Nobel Prize.

Rabindranath Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1913, becoming the first non-European to receive the honour. He was only sixteen years old when he was to publish his first short story called “Bhanisimha”, was published. Rabindranath Tagore was born on the 07th of May, 1861 in Kolkata. Rabindranath Tagore was the son of Debendranath Tagore, one of Brahmo Samaj’s active members, a known and celebrated philosopher, and literate. R.N Tagore died after a prolonged illness on the 07th of August, 1941.

Rabindranath Tagore Childhood and Education

While growing up, R.N Tagore shared a very intimate relationship with his elder brother and his sister-in-law. Rabindranath Tagore's father's name is Debendranath Tagore, and his mother’s name is Sarada Devi. Rabindranath Tagore's birthday is on the 7th of May, 1861, and he was born in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency then. It is believed that they did everything together. Rabindranath Tagore's education didn’t seem too impressive. 

R.N Tagore did not enjoy schooling, and he was mostly found procrastinating and pondering for hours. He went to one of the most prestigious St. Xavier’s School, and later, he went to the University of London in Bridgton, England, to study law and become a barrister. Still, as we know, he did not enjoy schooling much; he returned home in two years but without a degree. Even though he did not enjoy schooling much, he was always found with books, pen, and ink. He would always be scribbling things in his notebook; however, he was shy to reveal his writings.

Growing Years and Career

R.N Tagore was only eight years old when he first wrote a poem. By the age of sixteen, his short story got published, titled “Bhanusimha”. R.N Tagore’s contribution to literature is beyond any measure. He was the one who had introduced new verses and prose and also lingua franca in his mother tongue, which is Bangla. R.N Tagore after returning to India after leaving his education, but he did not leave literature. 

R.N Tagore published several books of Rabindranath Tagore poems and short stories, plays, and songs. His most renowned work, called “Gitanjali”, was very well received all over India and England. He is the author of two National Anthems, which are “Amar Sonar Bangla” for Bangladesh and  “Jana Gana Mana” for India. He worked with very unfamiliar and different styles in Bangla Language. Some of them are heavily immersed in social and political satire. He was one of those who believed in global peace and equality. He is one of the pioneers of contemporary Bengali literature. 

After returning to India, he completed and published his book of poems called “Manasi” which was believed to contain his best poems. “Manasi” contained several verse forms which were fresh to contemporary Bengali literature, and it also contained some political and social satire that questioned and mocked R.N Tagore’s fellow Bengalis. 

Besides writing and working on literature, R.N Tagore also participated in the family business. In 1891, he went to East Bengal, which is now in Bangladesh, to look after his ancestral estates and lands at Shahzadpur and Shilaidaha for almost 10 years. He spent some time in a houseboat at Padma river, and his sympathy for village folk became the keynote of most literature later in his life. In East India, poems and other works of Rabindranath Tagore were published as a collection in the book called “Sonar Tari” and a very notable and celebrated play called “Chitrangada”. He has written over two thousand songs which are very popular in Bengal until now. When R.N Tagore was in his 60s, he tried his hand at painting, and for the talented man he was, his works won him a good name among India’s topmost contemporary artists.

Rabindranath Tagore and Shantiniketan

Rabindranath Tagore received his nickname “Gurudev”, out of respect by his pupils at his very unique and special school, which he established in Shantiniketan, called “Visva Bharati University” Santiniketan was developed and founded by the Tagore family. This little town was very close to Rabindranath Tagore. 

R.N Tagore wrote several poems and songs about this place. Unlike other universities, “Visva Bharati” University was open to each student who was eager to learn. The classrooms and the scope for learning in this university were not confined within four walls. Instead, classes took place in open space, beneath the massive banyan trees on the university grounds. To this date, this ritual of attending classes in open spaces is practiced by the students and the teachers. R.N Tagore permanently moved to the school after.

Rabindranath Tagore Death and His Encounters with Death

R.N Tagore was only fourteen years old when Sharada Devi, his mother, passed away. After his mother's sudden and heartbreaking demise, R.N Tagore was mostly seen avoiding classrooms and schooling. Instead, he would roam about his town Bolpur. He had to face the death of several of his loved ones, that too, one after the other, which left him devastated and heartbroken. After his mother, R.N Tagore lost a very close friend and a very significant influence, Kadambari Devi, his sister-in-law. It is presumed that R.N Tagore’s novella called “Nastanirh” was about Kadambari Devi.

It is also believed that she had committed suicide four months after R.N Tagore’s marriage to Mrinalini Devi. There are some serious speculations made about R.N Tagore, and his sister-in-law sharing a very intimate relationship and that maybe the two were in love; however, there has been no confirmation on the same. Later, his wife, Mrinalini Devi, too died due to an illness. He lost his two daughters, Madhurilata, who R.N Tagore adored and was fond of the most due to tuberculosis, and Renuka and his son Shamindranath due to cholera. These deaths shook him to the core, but he never failed to pick up his pen again. Even though all these encounters with death gave him shaping his personality and writing style, he kept longing for a companion who shares the same interests as he does. 

Life was a little less cruel to him at this point. When he found that companion, he had been longing for - his niece Indira Devi, who was highly educated and well-read. R.N Tagore wrote to her about some sensitive details about his life. These letters to Indira Devi witnessed the sheer vulnerability of his emotional state, sensibilities, and experiences. Since Indira Devi had copied all his letters in a notebook; it eventually got published. “Chinnapatra” can give one a glimpse of Tagore’s growth as a human and as an artist. Grief had been a constant part of R.N Tagore’s life, which is often reflected in his literary works; after losing Rabindranath Tagore's wife and daughters, he lost his father too. These years of sadness and sorrow, which were very actively reflected in his literary works, were introduced as “Gitanjali” which won him the Nobel Prize.

Rabindranath Tagore and His Nationalism

R.N Tagore was politically very aware and very critical at the same time, he not only criticized the British Raj, but he was also very vocal about the mistakes his fellow Bengalis and Indians made. These were reflected in the socio-political satires he wrote and published. When R.N Tagore had been awarded a knighthood, as a sign of protest against the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, he repudiated the award. Recognition, fame, money nothing mattered to him when it came to his country. He loved his country, the lands, rivers, and the people of his country very much. 

It is thus quite right to say that Tagore opposed European colonialism and supported Indian nationalists. He also shunned the Swadeshi Movement and urged Indians to accept that education is the way forward. A blind revolution will only lead to the loss of lives and unwanted and unnecessary loss of life.

Rabindranath Tagore and His Love For Literature, Art, and Music

Some of the most renowned works of Tagore which are highly recommended works of literature are “Noukadubi'', “Shesher Kobita”, “Chaturanga”, “Gora”, “Char Adhyay”, “Jogajog”, “Ghare Baire”. “Ghare Baire'' was also produced as a film by another precious talent Satyajit Ray. His novels were very underappreciated in his time but gained a lot of respect after film directors like Tapan Sinha, Tarun Majumdar and of course, Satyajit Ray adapted and made feature films based on his novels. In popular culture, even his songs, poems and novels are employed in Movies and as background scores. The genre of the songs by Rabindranath Tagore are known as “Rabindra Sangeet'' and movies have been adapted and made out of his novels “Noukadubi” and “Chokher Bali”. It is highly recommended to read “Gitanjali'' to appreciate Tagore's poetic style and to appreciate some very heartfelt and moving songs that he wrote, it is recommended to listen to “Tobu Mone Rekho”. 

In addition to all this, Rabindranath Tagore was a commendable artist and musician too. His paintings are celebrated both nationally and internationally and have received wide acclaim. His songs are considered to be at the heart of Bengal culture and his compilations are fondly termed Rabindra Sangeet. These songs elaborate on themes of love, worship, devotion, and so on. RN Tagore started painting at the age of 60. His brilliant artwork is displayed to this day in several museums globally.

Rabindranath Tagore And His Last Days

Rabindranath Tagore died in the place he loved the most. However, the last few years of his life were quite painful.  He was affected by chronic illness during the last 4 years of his life. In 1937, he went into a comatose condition due to this prolonged suffering he was enduring. On August 7th in 1941, this great novelist, poet, musician, and painter passed away quietly in the same Jorasanko mansion in which he was brought up.

Conclusion 

Here is everything students should know about Rabindranath Tagore, his life, his works and his achievements in life.

FAQs on Rabindranath Tagore Biography

1. What are the Famous Books Written by Rabindranath Tagore?

We all know that Rabindranath Tagore took a keen liking to write from a young age. Although he was frequently seen skipping school, you could always find him scribbling something in his notebook. This paved the way for a great future novelist who even received the Nobel Prize for Literature. His works talked about nationalism, social evils, and the need for harmony between Indians. Gitanjali is RN Tagore’s most acclaimed work. It has received critical praise internationally and is loved by all literary aficionados. Here are some famous books are written by Rabindranath Tagore: 

The Home and the world

The Post Office

2. Why is Rabindranath Tagore so Famous?

Rabindranath Tagore is famous for the Nobel Prize Award for literature and he was the first Indian to achieve such huge respect and honour. He had many talents apart from writing great poems. It should be noted that RN Tagore’s popularity in English speaking nations grew in leaps and bounds after the publication of his book Gitanjali. Later in 1913, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for this critically acclaimed book. Another huge factor contributing to Tagore’s growing popularity was the renunciation of his knighthood. He did not accept this honour conferred by the British crown on him in protest against the Jalianwala Bagh massacre. This great poet also toured extensively around Japan and the U.S., where he talked about the importance of nationalism. This helped him earn deep admiration and respect from foreigners all over the world.

3. Why Did Rabindranath Tagore Receive the Nobel Prize for Literature?

The Nobel Prize award was awarded to Rabindranath Tagore in the year 1913 because of his sensitive, impeccable, fresh, unique, and beautiful verse. He expressed his poetic thoughts in his own words that are mostly followed in the West. Rabindranath Tagore is considered responsible for the modernization of Bengali literature. He preserved the cultural heritage of this beautiful language all while breathing some new life into it. Gitanjali is a collection of song offerings that have been penned down by this legendary novelist and poet. It was this book that won him the revered Nobel Prize in Literature. In total, there were 157 poems in that book that touched upon various themes such as devotion, nationalism, worship, etc.

4. What was Tagore’s Stint as an Actor?

We all know that Rabindranath Tagore is famous for writing many dramas that have derived inspiration from Indian mythology and contemporary social issues facing society in those days. He began his drama career writing alongside his brother when he was only a young teenager. At 20 years of age, RN Tagore penned a drama named ‘Valmiki Pratibha’ and also played the lead role of the titular character in it. The drama was based on stories about the legendary dacoit named Valmiki. It is Valmiki who later changed his ways and wrote one of the two greatest Indian epics – Ramayana. This was Tagore’s short stint as an actor.

5. Did RN Tagore Receive a Formal Education?

Rabindranath Tagore’s family always wished that he became a barrister. They sent him to elite schools and universities, in the hopes that he would pursue a career in law. However, young Rabindranath always shied away from rote learning and spent most of his time scribbling down ideas in his notebook. RN Tagore was also enrolled in the University College in London but he dropped out without completing his formal education. However, his love for English, Irish, and Scottish literature soon helped him morph into the much revered and loved novelist he is known as today.

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Rabindranath Tagore: Biography

Last updated on April 8, 2024 by ClearIAS Team

Rabindranath Tagore was an iconic figure in the Indian cultural renaissance. He was a polymath poet, philosopher, musician, writer, and educationist.

Rabindranath Tagore became the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize in 1913 for his collection of poems, Gitanjali.

He was called Gurudev, Kabiguru, and Biswakabi affectionately and his songs are popularly known as Rabindrasangeet.

The national anthems of India and Bangladesh – the Jana Gana Mana and the Amar Shonar Bangla respectively are from the Rabindrasangeet.

Table of Contents

The early life of Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore was born on 7 th May 1861 in Calcutta as the youngest son of Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi.

His grandfather Dwarkanath Tagore was a rich landlord and social reformer. His father, Debendranath Tagore was a leader of the Brahmo Samaj , a new religious sect in nineteenth-century Bengal which attempted a revival of the ultimate monistic basis of Hinduism as laid down in the Upanishads.

The Tagore family was a treasure trove of talent in every field. They hosted the publication of literary magazines; theatre and recitals of Bengali and Western classical music featured there regularly. Tagore’s father invited several professional musicians to stay in the house and teach Indian Classical music to the children.

Tagore’s oldest brother Dwijendranath was a philosopher and poet. Another brother, Satyendranath, was the first Indian appointed to the formerly all-European Indian Civil Service. Another brother, Jyotitindranath, was a musician, composer, and playwright. His sister Swarnakumari became a novelist.

Also read: Modern Indian Sculpture

Rabindra Nath Tagore had his initial education in Oriental Seminary School. But he did not like the conventional education and started studying at home under several teachers. He was mostly trained by his siblings both in literary as well as physical activities like gymnastics and martial arts.

Tagore was a child prodigy when it comes to writing as he has started writing and publishing poetry by the age of eight.

In 1873, at the age of eleven, Tagore and his father left Calcutta to tour India for several months. He visited his father’s Santiniketan estate and Amritsar before reaching the Himalayan hill station of Dalhousie where he read biographies, studied history, astronomy, modern science, and Sanskrit, and examined the classical poetry of Kalidasa.

At the age of seventeen, he was sent to England for formal law schooling but he did not finish his studies there. He rather took up independent studies of Shakespeare.

He returned from England in 1880 and regularly published poems, stories, and novels in Bengali, slowly starting to transform Bengali literature.

In 1883, he married Mrinalini Devi, a child bride as was the tradition in those times.

Rabindranath Tagore in Santiniketan

Tagore moved to Santiniketan ashram in 1901, where he started an experimental school based on traditional guru-shishya teaching methods from the Upanishads. He hoped that the revival of the ancient methods of teaching will be more beneficial than the British imparted modern education system.

His wife and two of their children died during this time which left him distraught.

After his return from England and during his stay in Santiniketan, Tagore wrote several literary works of poetry, stories, and novels. His works had started gaining immense popularity in India as well as abroad.

In 1909, Rabindranath Tagore started writing Gitanjali. In 1912, Tagore went to Europe for the second time. On the journey to London, he translated some of his poems/songs from Gitanjali to English. He met William Rothenstein, a noted British painter, in London who was impressed by the poems, made copies, and gave to Yeats and other English poets. Yeats was enthralled and later wrote the introduction to Gitanjali when it was published in September 1912 in a limited edition by the India Society in London. And in 1913, this collection of poems won the Nobel Prize in Literature. He was the first non-European to receive the prestigious award.

In 1915, he was awarded a knighthood by King George V.

Rabindranath Tagore in Independence movement

Tagore participated in the Indian nationalist movement from time to time, though in his own non-sentimental and visionary way; and Gandhi, the political father of modern India , was his devoted friend. Tagore came to be recognized as one of the architects of modern India.

India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru , wrote in  Discovery of India , “Tagore and Gandhi have undoubtedly been the two outstanding and dominating figures in the first half of the twentieth century. Tagore’s influence over the mind of India, and especially of successive rising generations has been tremendous. Not Bengali only, the language in which he wrote, but all the modern languages of India have been molded partly by his writings. More than any other Indian, he has helped to bring into harmony the ideals of the East and the West, and broadened the bases of Indian nationalism.”

In 1905, Viceroy Curzon decided to divide Bengal into two parts. Rabindranath Tagore strongly protested against this decision. Tagore wrote many national songs and attended protest meetings. He initiated the Rakhibandhan ceremony, symbolizing the underlying unity of undivided Bengal.

In 1919, following the Jallianwala Bagh massacre , Tagore renounced his knighthood condemning the act. He was a supporter of Gandhiji but he stayed out of politics. He was opposed to nationalism and militarism as a matter of principle, and instead promoted spiritual values and the creation of a new world culture founded in multi-culturalism, diversity, and tolerance.

Tagore the educationalist

1n 1921, Rabindranath Tagore established Viswabharati University and gave all his money from Nobel Prize and royalty money from his books to this University.

Tagore was quite knowledgeable of Western culture, especially Western poetry and sciences. Tagore had a good grasp of modern – post-Newtonian – physics and was well able to hold his own in a debate with Einstein in 1930 on the newly emerging principles of quantum mechanics and chaos. His meetings and tape-recorded conversations with his contemporaries such as Albert Einstein and H.G. Wells, epitomize his brilliance.

In 1940 Oxford University arranged a special ceremony in Santiniketan and awarded Rabindranath Tagore with a Doctorate of Literature.

Literary works of Rabindranath Tagore

Although Tagore wrote successfully in all literary genres, he was, first of all, a poet. Among his fifty and odd volumes of poetry are:

Manasi  (1890) (The Ideal One),  Sonar Tari  (1894) (The Golden Boat),  Gitanjali (1910) (Song Offerings), Gitimalya  (1914) (Wreath of Songs), and  Balaka  (1916) (The Flight of Cranes).

The English renderings of his poetry, which include  The Gardener  (1913),  Fruit-Gathering  (1916), and  The Fugitive  (1921), do not generally correspond to particular volumes in the original Bengali.

Tagore’s major plays are  Raja  (1910) [The King of the Dark Chamber],  Dakghar  (1912) [The Post Office] ,   Achalayatan  (1912) [The Immovable],  Muktadhara  (1922) [The Waterfall], and  Raktakaravi  (1926) [Red Oleanders].

He is the author of several volumes of short stories and many novels, among them Gora  (1910),  Ghare-Baire  (1916) [ The Home and the World ], and  Yogayog  (1929) [Crosscurrents].

Besides these, he wrote musical dramas, dance dramas, essays of all types, travel diaries, and two autobiographies, one in his middle years and the other shortly before his death in 1941. Tagore also left numerous drawings and paintings, and songs for which he wrote the music himself.

He also played the title role in his first original dramatic piece- Valmiki Pratibha.

After an extended period of suffering, Tagore died on August 7, 1941, in the same mansion in which he was brought up.

Legacy of Rabindranath Tagore:

Rabindranath Tagore changed the way Bengali literature was perceived as he left an everlasting impression on the readers.

Many countries have his statues erected and host many yearly events to pay tribute to the legendary writer.

Many of his works have been made global, thanks to a host of translations by many famous international writers.

There are five museums dedicated to Tagore. While three of them are situated in India, the remaining two are in Bangladesh. The museums’ house his famous works, and are visited by millions every year.

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Paragraph on Rabindranath Tagore [100, 150, 200, 250 Words]

Paragraph on Rabindranath Tagore: Rabindranath Tagore is one of the greatest poets in the world. In this article, you are going to learn how to write a paragraph on Rabindranath Tagore in English. Here, we’ve provided 4 paragraphs on Rabindranath Tagore (100, 150, 200, and 250 words). These paragraphs will be very helpful for students of all classes (class 1 to class 12). So, let’s begin.

Table of Contents

Paragraph on Rabindranath Tagore [100 Words]

Rabindranath Tagore was a great Indian poet. He was born at Jorasanka, Kolkata on 7th May 1861. His father’s name was Devendranath Tagore . His mother’s name was Sarala Devi. He started writing poems from his childhood. Rabindranath wrote many poems, short stories, essays, dramas, novels and songs.

He was also a great composer. He composed the national anthem of our county, Jana Gana Mana . His Important works are Gitanjali, Ghare Baire, Rabindra Sangeet, Amar Sonar Bangla, etc. He was the first Indian to win the noble prize in 1913 for ‘Gitanjali’. He died on 7th august 1941. Rabindranath tagore will remain in our hearts forever.

Paragraph on Rabindranath Tagore [150 Words]

Rabindranath Tagore, one of the greatest sons of India, was born in a very rich, cultured and zamindar family at Jorasanko, Calcutta, in 1861. His father’s name was Maharshi Devendranath Tagore. He went to England several times in his early childhood.

Tagore showed great promise as a writer and composer from his early childhood. His first opera Bhanu Singher Padabali created a sensation. He was married to Mrinalini Devi . Rabindranath wrote a large number of dramas, novels, short stories, poems, etc. His most brilliant work was Geetanjali for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913.

However, his greatest creation was Santiniketan . Rabindranath was not only a great writer and composer but also a strong supporter of the nationalist movement. He also worked for international brotherhood and advocated equality among mankind. He died at the age of 80 in 1941.

Also Read: Paragraph on Swami Vivekananda 

Paragraph on Rabindranath Tagore [200 Words]

Nothing can be said enough for Rabindranath’s genius. Rabindranath Tagore popularly known as Gurudev was born in a rich aristocratic Bengali family in 1861. His father’s name was Debendranath Tagore and his mother’s name was Sarada Devi. Rabindranath was the youngest member of his family.

Rabindranath had no formal University education. But he went to England at the age of 17. He joined the University of London but he returned home soon after. His poetic career started quite early. His first collection of lyrics ‘Manashi’ was published in 1890. That was followed by two more collections of lyrics- ‘Chitra’ and ‘sonar Tari’ .

‘Gitanjali’ was published in 1909. That won for him the Nobel Prize of Literature in 1913. Rabindranath was a versatile literary master. He was a novelist and dramatist of repute. Rabindranath wrote innumerable poems, Dramas, essays, plays, short stories, novels etc. He was a sincere educator and social reformer.

He founded Viswa-Bharati University at Santiniketan, Bolepur in 1901. As a man Rabindranath was outstanding. He was a great patriot and peace-lover. Rabindranath wrote our national anthem, Jana Gana Mana. He ever stood against social wrongs. The great poet passed away on August 7, 1941.

Also Read: Paragraph on Mother Teresa

Rabindranath Tagore Paragraph [250 Words]

Rabindranath Tagore was a great Indian poet. He was lovingly called Gurudev or Kabi Guru . He was born at Jorasanka, Kolkata on 7th May 1861. His father was Devendranath Tagore and his mother was Sarada Devi. He was born in a rich Brahmin family in Kolkata. He was the youngest sibling in his family.

Rabindranath was educated at home. At the age of seventeen, he was sent to England to become a barrister to fulfill his father’s wish. He was interested in writing poems from his childhood. His first poem was published when he was only eight. He started publishing his poems under the pseudonym Bhanusingha .

Tagore was a multi-talented personality with a great desire to learn new things. He was a novelist, essayist, playwright, short-story writer, painter and song composer. Rabindranath Tagore wrote ‘Jana Mana Gana’, which was adopted as the National Anthem of India.  His notable works are Gitanjali, Chokher bali, Ghare Baire, Kabuliwallah, Rabindra sangeet, Amar Sonar bangla etc.

He was the first Indian to win the noble prize in literature in 1913 for ‘Gitanjali’. He was married to Mrinalini Devi.  Rabindranath Tagore found Visva Bharati University at Shantiniketan, Birbhum. Tagore was also a great patriot, he participated in the Indian nationalist movement.

Tagore was awarded Knighthood by the ruling British Government in 1915. But he renounced his Knighthood as a protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919. This eminent person died at the age of 80 on 7th august 1941. He will remain in our loving memory forever.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. where was rabindranath tagore born.

Rabindranath was born on May 7, 1861 in a wealthy Brahmin family in Calcutta.

Q. Why Tagore was awarded Noble Prize?

He won the Nobel Prize for his collection of poems, Gitanjali, in 1913

Q. Why did Rabindranath give up his Knighthood?

Rabindranath Tagore gave up his knighthood as a protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919 .

Q. What are the famous books of Rabindranath Tagore?

His famous books are Chokher Bali, Kabuliwallah, Ghare Baire, Gora, The Post Office, Gitanjali, The Astronomer, etc.

Read More Paragraphs: 1. Paragraph on Mother Teresa 2. Paragraph on APJ Abdul Kalam 3. Paragraph on Swami Vivekananda

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7 thoughts on “paragraph on rabindranath tagore [100, 150, 200, 250 words]”.

I really like this. I wanna give it 100/10000

Very best writer of english

I really enjoyed reading your blog post on Rabindranath Tagore. His work is so inspiring and I can’t help but be drawn in by his words. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on him!

the website is awesome

In the paragraph of 250 words, I think it should be Sarada Devi not Sarala Devi. Otherwise, this website is awesome….

Thank You so much. Keep visiting our website

Awesome article.

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