Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-12-03
NEW LITERATURE
DAWNS IN INDIA
Sardar Jogendra Singh, Poet,
Discusses Changes in
Recent Writings.
INFLUENCE OF THE WEST
Days That Are Gone, He De-
clares, Were Bankrupt of In
spring Conceptions.

SIMLA. INDIA. December 2.-Sarda r
Jogcndra Singh. the Indian poet,
philosopher and novelist. talking with
II correspondent OF the Associated
Press. discussed the meaning of the
changes that have marked the works
OF the more recent writer's of this
country. The Sardar IA member OF the
modern school Of Indian literary men
and women who have. to "a large ex-
tent. adopted the English language as
the vehicle for their thoughts, declared
that he could see the dawn of Il new
literature breaking over India. The
innucnc" that was uSherng in this era,
he added. was cmanatinG, not from the
east, hut from the west.
The Sardar dcvotcs most Of his time
to writing or tn studying the prob
lens Of life. Eight months of the
year hc spends travelling about the
Punjab and other provinces. partly for
the purpose OF looking over his estates.
but principally TO add to his knowl-
cde" OF humanity. for on these trips
he lives among the Iaboring people.
During the summer he is here in Simla,
india's hot-wcather capital His home
* built high up on the side Of one of
til" myriad mountains of this region.
overlooking ravinelike valleys and n
confusion Of vast. mul;.-co,orcd hills
which arc typical Of tho Himalayas.
Here he dreams and writes. utilizing
the Information that he has gathered
through the season passed.
GREATLY INTERESTED
N UNITED STATES
\ keen student Of Western methods
and ideals, the Sardar takes particu-
lar interest in the United states, a
country which he has no; yet visited.
Naturally. as q writer. his though s
turn most often to literature. and there
- scarcely one OF tho wcli-known
American authors whose works he has
not read. He finds great delight In
these books because, as he says. so
many Of them are based on the actuali-
ties Of life. lie was curious to know
whether Americans cared for Oriental
poetry such as produced by Omar
khayyam. a favoritc with him. When
told that not only WAS the Persian
poet widely read in the United States.
but that many people knew much of
his verse by heart. he was greatly
pleased.
When the Sardar was asked to cx-
press. for publication. his views on
Indian literature and it's future. he
was requested to do so in the form OF
written statement. This he con-
scented To, and gave the correspondent
an article which not only presents the
Sardar's beliefs. but shows something
of the new style OF writing developed
in the cast Here is what the Sardar
wrote
You have asked me a difficult 1ucs-
ZION The growth OF literature is the
growth Of a nation: its painted story,
set in relief by high and low lights of
imaEination. After long ages. India
is awakening from a heavy slumbcr.
seeking freedom from vapory dreams.
II is not from tho east this sine. but
from the west. that the light has
come and touchc. the cyclids OF tho
sleeper II has awakened once more
national emotions and Il passion for
high matters of human progress
With the awakening has come the
dawn OF new literature.
DAYS THAT ARE GONE
WE'RE BANKRUPT
The days that are gone were bank
rupt Of any inspiring conceptions of
human progress. and drcarily common
place. The spiritual realm beyond the
bounds of phenomena was only real to
the elect and vaguely indefinite to the
many Life WAS not TO be lived as a
JOY forever. hut TO be regarded as n
dclusicr. What We saw and heard
with our eyes and ears was unreal.
utterly incomplete and useless. The
impulse of passion must be crushed TO
reach the realm or reality. Men burn
ing with high emotions turned their
thoughts to the inner world. and all
literary effort was confined to the
writing OF commentaries The soul of
the country found expression in com
mon village sonGs--soul emotions that
in Il moment Of piercing passion passed
the lips and shaped into sweet. sad.
swooning refrains. that rise and fall,
echo and rc-echo in tho silent hills
or the solitary widespread plains
"'Khujva Tairi MART Hansa di Juri.
q wanderer. Thou and
Make Il wondcrous pair OF swans
india in dccadcnce was not alto
Pether without the consolation Of high
thoughts Tulsi Dass. whose tender
melodies arc on the lips of almost
every one. discovered new way for
the ardent spirits to lose self i'm the
love of God and gain immortal sell
IRE did not try to reason out faith or
bind the absolute into intellectual con-
ceptions. He opened out fresh foun-
tains of faith to sweep away all mis-
givings. lie spoke with sweetness
and spirituality at once beautiful and
tender. which seems to transmute tho
finite universe of Eight and shadows
into endless reality.
The Mohammcdun period had its
days OF glory. Men like Abul Fazal
and Faizi explored the regions OF
thought, untiring in their search after
animating Ideals of life. Poets like
Ghalib sealed new realms of thought
and emotion. and their passionate i'm
preston found expression in wondrous
verse. but those who followed them
were essentially initiative. They wrote.
rs a matter OF course. poetry or prose
(ull and solemn in sound, but thin in
thought and impression. >The litera-
ture OF this period is opulent i'm grace
and sentiment, but without the
strength OF passionate experience. 1t
Continued on Ninth Page.)