Sen, Prabodh : (1897-1986), gold-medallist M.A. of Calcutta University: professor of Bengali literature at Vishwa Bharati University 1942-62: principal, Rabindra Bhavan 1962-65: authored a dozen books including Chhanda-Jijnāsā on Bengali metre.
... Its Creation Poetry and Its Creation Poetic Technique Letters on Poetry and Art Metrical Experiments in Bengali New Metres in Bengali Of course, Prabodh Sen is right. I suppose what Buddhadev means is that none of the very great poets invented a metre—they were all too lazy and preferred stealing other people's rhythms and polishing them up to perfection... and my mind is now clear about it; I have not yet read Anilbaran's contentions, so Page 148 there I am still in the dark. But here are certain points that I want to make clear. (1) Prabodh Sen's rule of the yaugika-vṛtta does not agree with what I was taught about the akṣara-vṛtta . When I first heard of Bengali metre in England, my informant was quite at sea. He confidently described... trisyllable." According to this explanation and the rule it supplies, it is Page 149 true that a yugma-dhvani at the close of a word has always two mātrās , but the other part of Prabodh Sen's rule is not always true, viz. that in the middle of a word it counts only as one. That would be invariably true of an indubitable যুক্তাক্ষর, as in গন্ধ but not otherwise. On this principle there ...
... English prosody is neither syllabic nor quantitative nor anything else; it is simply English prosody—that is to say, everything together, except what it pretends to be. As to the other, you and Prabodh Sen and Anilbaran and Tagore and the rest are already in such a tangle of controversy from which there seems no hope of your ever getting out that I don't propose to add any cord of my own to the knot ...
... been achieved and, if added to the ojas , can fulfil what Madhusudan left only half done. 14 June 1932 Page 384 Rabindranath Tagore Of course Tagore's worshippers will go for Prabodh Sen, what did you expect? Literary nature (artistic generally, or at least very often) is human nature at its most susceptible— genus irritabile vatum . And besides where is the joy of literature if ...
... 68. Raksasas, Pisacas, Pramathas: hostile beings and demons. 69. et hoc genus omne: latin for "and the whole tribe". 70. Praswani is a mixture of matra-vrtta and laghu guru. 71. Prabodh Sen: famous exponent and an authority on Bengali metre. Page 396 72. sragdhara: a type of Sanskrit chhanda. 73. In the published version of this letter (Centenary Edition) the ...
... sorrow! But it does nevertheless. As for the metre I am glad too. This is a difficult metre (as rightly says Prabodh Sen) to write in but very easy to read. It has a peculiar composite lilt made up of the syllabic and quantitative rhythms. None after Satyendranath developed it as Prabodh Sen regretted. But the reason is, he wrote, its difficulty, as every foot has to contain only a fixed number of dosed... four verses each in prabahamān [flowing] mātrā-vrtta—my new successful chhanda—Prabodh Sen has adjudged. So I am reassured about the technique (by technique here I mean the technique about enjambement, structure, etc.—). I have experimented long in this chhanda as you know and, after many stumblings pointed out by Prabodh Sen, because it is the most difficult chhanda in a sense, have acquired an easy... my novel, poetry, etc.—from strangers and yesterday from a notable connoisseur savant. A short postcard from a rising (truly good) poet I enclose. Also the well known poet Jatin Bagchi as well as Prabodh Sen write to me that there was no chhandapatan [break in rhythm] in jagto nā pipāsā [if the thirst had not awakened in you] which is a triumph. Everywhere except in Krishna-quest. But attendons [let ...
... to it (to replace the one it lost when it came down from the trees?)—but exactly what kind of tail? It seems complete without any... [ incomplete ]. January 27, 1933 I have read Prabodh Sen's letter. I do not think anybody can read the poem Āgamani without coming to the same conclusion. His suggestion about sowing rhymes in suitable places is probably a good hint, but I doubt whether... ways of the spirit. The bhakta-poet in you has always been thoroughly sincere; there there is no cloud of the vital ego. April 12, 1933 It is certainly to be expected that Prabodh Sen will be overjoyed by his suggestion having borne such good fruit. You have succeeded in making an extraordinary success of felicitously combined opposites, a long sweep of gravity and intensely... masterly achievement! 1933? I send you back your father's poem in the translation with a closer rendering of the cloud and grove lines to replace my sublimation of Fried Das. Khitish Sen's renderings of Mirabai are very good and I have only made a few verbal alterations. You have made a very fine and true rendering of the "Vedantin's Prayer". 1 Perhaps so high and rocky a person ...
... I suppose that must necessarily be the aim of a new metre or metrical principle; it is what I am trying to do with quantitative efforts in English. 1932 ? I shall go through Prabodh Sen's letter, but it may take me some time. What is the exact scope of the discussion with Anilbaran, 2 is it that he does not recognise the reality of the ____________________ 1. Probably of... us, but it is to the Light he is leading and not to anything else. September 23, 1932 A very fine poem this new one. The metre is a great success. I return you the former letter from Prabodh Sen which I managed to find time to read only today. He has a most acute, ingenious and orderly mind and what he says is always Page 246 thought-provoking and interesting; but I am not... poetic and modernistically full of a meaningless significance! The Mother says that, if you want, you can come to her for a short time tomorrow morning at 9.15 (Saturday). P. S. Of course, Prabodh Sen is right. I suppose what Buddhadev means is that none of the very great poets invented a metre—they were all too lazy and preferred stealing other people's rhythms and polishing them up to perfection ...
... you will admit volontaire ?... I don't know how on earth I discovered this. But that it (praswānī) is a new and major chhanda there can't be the shadow of a doubt and I am doubly sure of this as Prabodh Sen 71 not only agrees with me but has warmly congratulated me. There are still two other minor varieties (upachhanda) which make seven in all—fancy that! These sonnets by the way have brought... very successful in your sonnets—the lyrical sonnets, if one may so call them, included. As for the five forms, I am quite ready to admit the opulence of metrical possibility in Bengali—I hope that Prabodh's approval will be the forerunner of a general assent to the praswānī . Page 184 December 23, 1983 I thought I had intimated that the sragdhara72 was a great success—so why conclude... have to use the word "I"—I cannot take refuge in saying "This body" or "This appearance,"—especially as I am not a Mayavadin 28 Shall I not inevitably fall into expressions which will make Khitish Sen shake his head at my assertions as full of pride and ego? I imagine it would be difficult to avoid it. Another thing, it seems to me that you identify faith very much with the mental belief—but ...
... but realities. Then one grieves no longer because one enters into the Truth and the Truth brings calm and peace. July 1936 ? I suppose all hinges on the distinction made by Prabodh Sen 53 between the "can" and the "will". Since the "will" has been effective in the popular appreciation of the Vaishnav Page 138 poets and of some later laghu guru poems, one... stave him off ? There is too much of a rhetorical turn in his epistle. Prithwisingh wants to know whether Shankar paid the rent not only up to October (which P.S. knows) but up to December as Sen avers. I suppose he did pay, since he says so ? He has agreed to pay by installments but claims a deduction of Rs. 300 for the garage. Prithwisingh is not inclined to concede more than Rs. 75. Sorry... grace too Page 145 may now begin to dawn in the "trough of the dim night". Augury shall we say ? The poem did mean it anyhow. Very good. The good Promod Sen sends Rs. 10. He prays for a copy of Mother's Conversations. Given. August 1936 (...) I quite agree about the language. It is an exquisitely beautiful translation. Yes ...
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