My Boyhood days by Rabindranath Tagore - a review
My Boyhood days is an incredible work by Rabindranath Tagore. It is Tagore's autobiographical sketch. Tagore wrote about his childhood, schooling, family, Calcutta, and many other notable things in his book. This article provides an overview of the book "My Boyhood days" and explains its important ideas to the readers.
About the author
Tagore is a legendary writer. His works showcase his immense talent. His feeling of amazement and joy in seemingly ordinary youth events helped him become a brilliant poet. In 1913, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his deeply sensitive, pleasant, and elegant poem, through which, with unique style, he has made his poetic thinking, articulated in the English language.About the book
My Boyhood Days is Tagore's second memoir. He has written it when he was over eighty This book has 120 pages of great literature. The author recounted his schooling, the people in his family, the professors who taught him, his path of learning in many topics, and his surroundings in such a lilting way. It is a nostalgic reminiscence of an early life spent in complete idleness. He explains the ascetic life he had to lead under his father's guidance, without a touch of self-pity.Contents of My Boyhood days
It is a depiction of traditional Bengali society and culture. The author has written down his cherished memories of another period, one he enjoyed as a boy and observed slip by over his growing years. According to the author of this book, women used to travel in closed palanquins pulled by four slaves. Women didn't go out very often, and when they did, they had to wear a burka or pardha to hide their faces. He said that there was no power in the olden Calcutta and that he studied under kerosene-lit lamps. He added that the primary modes of transportation were trams and buses.
We also get to know that people would love seeing wrestling and it was a great source of entertainment. He also spoke about the badam tree in the courtyard, the ghost on the tree, old games like top spinning, hunting for tigers in the jungle, street plays, Ganges water, and the luxury of servants and caretakers.
It's fascinating to know that for many years, Tagore didn't go to school; instead, his guru schooled him at home. Tagore was dissatisfied with the changes that came with the passage of time. The industries on the Hoogly's banks intruded on the lush lowlands. He expressed his grief on the abolition of horse-propelled carriages and palanquins with the arrival of motor vehicles. He was displeased with the replacement of street dramas and wrestlers with contemporary films.
In that era, there existed the Zamindari system, in which zamindaris were large landowners and collected taxes. The general level of life was considerably lower than it is now. The elders used to stay as far away from the children. Elders were beyond the children's reach. Children seldom spent time with them. Implication
This is an overview of the book My Boyhood Days. This autobiography of Tagore was translated into several languages by well-known authors. Nevertheless, the original version is unbeatable. Tagore is a gifted and imaginative writer. His works reflect a great deal of respect for our nation, as well as its traditions and sacred culture. In this work, his language is enticing. My Boyhood days is ideal for readers of all ages. Of course, this is the ideal book for the blooming buds to read and learn from. It cannot be missed.
Rabindranath Tagore was a legendary poet who penned our national anthem. He penned about 50 volumes of poetry. He has written the national anthem of Bangladesh also. He is very famous as 'Visva Kavi'. He relinquished his knighthood given by the British rulers to him in 1915 after witnessing the massacre of demonstrators in India in 1919.
His book 'My Boyhood days' is very useful to budding kids. He presented the then culture of Bengal very well. Tagore has brought out well how he felt about the changes that are happening around the area over a period of time.
A good write up from the author and people who read this will get inclined to read the original book written by the great poet.