A History of Indian Poetry in English

This History explores the genealogy of Anglophone verse in India from its nineteenth-century origins to the present day.

Rosinka Chaudhuri (Edited by)

9781107078949, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 29 March 2016

483 pages
23.1 x 15.7 x 3.8 cm, 0.79 kg

'A compendium of essays tracing the history of Indian poetry in English, Chaudhuri's book is unique in its meticulous presentation of information and analysis of poets, from the 18th through the 21st centuries.' P. Venkateswaran, Choice

A History of Indian Poetry in English explores the genealogy of Anglophone verse in India from its nineteenth-century origins to the present day. Beginning with an extensive introduction that charts important theoretical contributions to the field, this History includes extensive essays that illuminate the legacy of English in Indian poetry. Organized thematically, these essays survey the multilayered verse of such diverse poets as Henry Louis Vivian Derozio, Rabindranath Tagore, Nissim Ezekiel, Dom Moraes, Kamala Das, and Melanie Silgardo. Written by a host of leading scholars, this History also devotes special attention to the lasting significance of imperialism and diaspora in Indian poetry. This book is of pivotal importance to the development of Indian poetry in English and will serve as an invaluable reference for specialists and students alike.

1. The first Indian poet in English: Henry Louis Vivian Derozio Manu Samriti Chander
2. English poetry in India: the early years Suvir Kaul
3. From Albion's exile to India's prodigal son: the English poetry of Michael Madhusudan Datta (1824–73) Alexander Riddiford
4. Transforming late Romanticism, transforming home: women poets in colonial India Mary Ellis Gibson
5. The locations and dislocations of Toru and Aru Dutt Tricia Lootens
6. Poetry of the everyday: comic verse in the nineteenth century Maire ni Fhlathuin
7. Toru Dutt and 'An Eurasian Poet' Arvind Krishna Mehrotra
8. Rabindranath translated to Tagore: Gitanjali Song Offerings (1912) Rosinka Chaudhuri
9. Literary editors and the periodical press: John Grant and David Lester Richardson (the India Gazette and the Calcutta Literary Gazette) in Calcutta, 1820–40 Dan White
10. The writer's workshop, Calcutta, 1958 onward Ananda Lal
11. Mumbai's own poets' collective: clearing house Jerry Pinto
12. Little magazines, bilingualism, and the culture of poetry: Bombay, 1950 onward Antjali Nerlekar
13. Ezekiel: poet of a minor tradition Amit Chaudhuri
14. Dom Moraes: a poet's progress Jeet Thayil
15. Interpretive testimony: Kamala Das and Eunice de Souza R. Raj Rao
16. Adil Jussawala and the double edge of poetry Laetitia Zechhini
17. Arvind Krishna Mehrotra and the interplay of languages Peter McDonald
18. Arun Kolatkar: a singular poetry in two languages Rajeev Patke
19. Imagery and imagination in the poetry of Jayanta Mahapatra Ashok Bery
20. Modernisms and modernity: Keki Daruwala and Gieve Patel Graziano Kratli
21. The third generation: Manohar Shetty and Melanie Silgardo Sharanya Murali
22. 'My first, and only, sight': A. K. Ramanujan and the five senses Nakul Krishna
23. US based but India born: G. S. Sharat Chandra and Vijay Seshadri Ravi Shankar
24. First and foremost… a poet in the English language: Agha Shahid Ali Hena Ahmad
25. The languages of diaspora: Meena Alexander, Sujata Bhatt Lopa Basu
26. The poetry of my contemporaries: contexts for an Indian English poet in the nineties Vivek Narayanan
27. Our speaking English voice: a voice that speaks for us? Anjum Hasan.

Subject Areas: National liberation & independence, post-colonialism [HBTR], Colonialism & imperialism [HBTQ], Asian history [HBJF], Literary reference works [DSR], Literary studies: poetry & poets [DSC], Literary studies: post-colonial literature [DSBH5], Literary studies: general [DSB]