Rabindraprasanga 4 Edited by Chittaranjan Bandyopadhyay [Hardcover]

**"With the publication of this fourth volume, the 'Rabindra Prasanga' series comes to an end. Spread over four royal-sized volumes and a total of 2,364 pages, it provides an extensive account of Rabindranath Tagore's last two decades of professional life. Approximately 1,400 annotations have been provided for topics requiring explanation. Additionally, 'Rabindra Kalpangi' and 'Individual Profiles' have been included. There are 48 pictorial reproductions available. The special chapters 'Rabindra Kalpangi' and 'Selected Individual Profiles' in the fourth volume elevate this series from a mere compilation of news to a distinguished reference book. 'Rabindra Prasanga' will become our daily companion in the study of Rabindra literature. Rabindranath once expressed his frustration, saying, '...I have come to Bangladesh with only half of my identity. I am known as a practitioner of words. It ends there. The news of my other endeavors for which the country has called me has been delayed in reaching.' The complete 'Rabindra Prasanga' in four volumes presents this lesser-known aspect of the poet to the readers. While his identity as a writer is well-documented in numerous books, such an extensive account of the poet's professional life is not easily accessible elsewhere. To fully understand his literature, it is essential to know about his professional life because, as the poet himself said, 'My writing and my work follow the same path.'

In the fourth volume, relevant news items are organized into three chapters: 'Personality and Identity,' 'The Great Departure,' and 'Remembrance.' The most notable event in the first chapter is the honorary D.Litt. awarded to the poet by Oxford University in 1940. Before this, Oxford University had never gone outside Britain to honor anyone. This honor is also significant for another reason. When some English friends proposed awarding the poet an honorary degree in 1992, Chancellor Lord Curzon rejected the proposal, commenting, 'There were more distinguished men in India than Tagore.' In the 'Great Departure' chapter, one can find an unparalleled example of how the poet continued to create poetry despite the pain of illness on his deathbed. After his death, various proposals for memorials came from home and abroad. While we are imaginative in making proposals, we show extreme reluctance in preserving them. As a result, proposals from luminaries like Bernard Shaw, H.G. Wells, Aldous Huxley, and citizens of the country did not come to fruition. Only the structure of Visva-Bharati was preserved thanks to the central government’s generosity, and the West Bengal government accepted the proposal from notable individuals like Pramatha Chaudhuri and Rajshekhar Basu to establish a literary award in Rabindra's name. Authors of that time could not even imagine the award's monetary value exceeding a thousand rupees. The 'Remembrance' chapter contains discussions on memorial meetings and the preservation of memories. Two specially compiled chapters in the current volume have enhanced the prestige of this series. One is 'Rabindra Kalpangi,' divided into two parts. The first part, 'Rabindranath and His Family,' mentions the major events of the poet's life and provides a chronological account of his writings. The second part, 'Country and Abroad,' reflects the poet's global awareness. Major events in the country or abroad had a significant impact on him, and these influences spread into his work and literature. Therefore, this section briefly compiles historical, political, literary, and cultural milestones of the world. It includes descriptions of books published in this period, social events, names of Nobel Prize winners, and more. One can understand where the poet stood in the flow of global thought from this chronology. The second chapter is 'Selected Individual Profiles.' Especially in the last two decades, about 650 individuals whom the poet came into contact with or mentioned in his writings and speeches are identified and annotated here."