The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-12-03
Indian Poet Sees Daw7
OF a NeW Literature

most every one, discovered new way
for rho ardent spirits 10 lose self in
the love 81 God and gain immortal
self HI did not try to reason nut
faith, or bind the absolute into In
.tcliectual conceptions. EEc opened out
fresh fountains Of faith toswccp away
all misgiFings. He spoke with q sweet
mess and sniFitnnTity at once beautiful
and tender. which seems To tTansmuta
the finite universe ar light and shad-
ows into endless reality
The AIokanmcdan period had lis
days Or glory. Merl like AbHl Fazal
and Faizi explored the regions of
thought, uEtirtnE iii their search after
animattnE IDEALS nf life. Poets like
Ghalib scaled neN realms Of thought
and emotion; and their passionate i'm
preston found cSpTessiosi in wnndrous
rcrse, Rnt th0se who followed them
rTere essentially Initiative They wrote.
as a matter XIII course. poetry or prose
full and solemn ia sound. nut thin Ia
thought and Impression The literH-
.tnre Of this period Is opUient in grace
and sentiment, but without the
strength or passionate experience It
his perftmet and sentimental about love
and the rose, spring and the nightin-
yale, but of too delicate a sweetness
to last II mirrors the decadence Of
the race.
Great Movement
Then came the change India
passed under the british crown anG
unconsciouslg became partner in
its garnered wealth of wisdom and as
piratinn. Macaulay placed the golden
kay TO the Kings Treasures in the
Enrds Of Pritanniats dark eyed sister.
The Intellectual excitement i'll and
about The universities gave birth TO a
great movement for social good. New
aspirations and serious thinking
TIRED the towns and travelled down
to the villages. Man could no longer
complain that there was no national
passion in the country The new
itllnnght currents racing in full blast
disturbed subjective musings and dis
sipated consolation in the thought that
the world was mere representation
of self--an appearance Of the thing in
Itself. unreal In the essence, and
therefore to- be disregarded They set
Ethe heart alame with deep religious.
social and political questions. They
have brought into play passion and
fire and leep. emotion which must give
rise to a great literature.
1T Is always fascinating to stand at
the birthplace OF a great stream, as it
flows from It's source. The new liter
d ~ movement, in almost all the prov
inces Of India. Is mostly initiative.
TIish ideals predominant. NhataWo
write is western and not eastern. The
events are the same Int the environ
mcnt has changed. The characters
lare developed in the modern fashion.
and even style and expression arc sub
ordinated to approximate western
models. In old provinces like Bengal
or Bombay, the people have turned
from rivers of English literature to
freshly found fountains Of their own.
Great poets like Tagore have brought
to- life an impassioned literature. re-
tanning the lovliness. simplicity and
fine melody OF the old. but animated
by a new and positive influence. Tan
cores songs are like ire-tiDped arrows
dipped in honey. sweet and strong at
the same time.
Literature Religions.
'In northern India. which is the land
of Guru Sanak and Kabir the liteFa-
ture was essentially religious The
poets we're hymn writer's, who raised
their voices in gentle devotion, seeking
communion with God. in obedience to
"a set or large religious ideas, which
Lave emanclpatcd the minds Of nleE
from the tentacles Of Panthetsn. Faith
in personal God restored the dignity
and the importance OF the personal
soul. Biv Singh. the [Irst Punjabi
writer or our times. has all the deli
cate feeling and tender grace Of
IcloistcTcd contemplation. He has a
gracious love. OF natural beauty and a
keen JOY In a quiet and ~ lovely world.
His Imagination. however, does not
soar; he seems to have set for '1lself
limits which he cannot and VIII not
transcend. Men and women in the
villages are beyond his reach They
have their stories and their songs.
passing from lip tc lip and drawing
together MI the passion Of the soul
as contrihUtaries with ali their light
and heat and variety
The mental invasion Of the East Is
more potent than the physical con-
quest The new ideas are dominating
every sphere OF human activity, work
ing IL n5 quiet way and changing the
manner and form Of our literature.
The spirit from witl1in Is moving ia
response to new demands. A great
poet has risen IA the F1r1ab whose