Early Indian Poetry in English : An Anthology: 1829-1947

This anthology brings together a diverse selection of Indian poetry in English written in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The wide range of genres-lyrical epics, legends, ballads, and romantic and spiritual poetry, among others-help reveal the poets' experimentation with language, theme, and form.

Nineteenth century Indian poetry in English has often been dismissed as imitative, tepid, and unpatriotic. This anthology changes that perception by re-mapping the English poetic aesthetics of nineteenth and early twentieth century India. Covering a wide range of genres-lyrical epics, legends, ballads, among others-this anthology includes the works of, among others, Henry Derozio, Kasiprasad Ghose, the Dutt brothers ''Shoshee, Govin, and Greece'', B.M. Malabari, Toru Dutt, Joseph Furtado, Sarojini Naidu Annaji, Beram Saklatvala, Samuel Solomon, and Raman Vakil. This volume also includes a detailed Introduction which re-contextualizes the lives and times of the poets in socio-historical perspective. Additionally, the inclusion of select pieces like Derezio''s letter of resignation, Macaulay''s famous minute on education, and a profile of the well-known trade unionist S.H. Jhabvala, among others add value to this anthology.