The Jewel That Is Best : Collected Brief Poems

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When Rabindranath Tagore received the Nobel Prize for Literature in1913, it reinforced the power he had to touch readers across countries and cultures. The Jewel That Is Best comprises three volumes of Tagore's poetry— —'Particles' (Kanik?), 'Jottings' (Lekhan) and 'Sparks' (Sphuli?ga). The poems are quiet, philosophical observations that carry as much meaning as mystery, as much sensitivity as objectivity. Written at various points in the poet's long life, they remain resonant even today. It was perhaps his imagination as a painter that enabled Tagore to combine humanity, nature and science on one canvas, a harmony strongly felt in these verses.

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Rabindranath Tagore was one of the key figures of the Bengal Renaissance. In 1913, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature and his verse collection Gitanjali came to be known internationally. Tagore was a pioneering literary figure, known for his ceaseless innovations in art and literature. His works include some sixty collections of verse, like Manasi (The Ideal One), Sonar Tari (The Golden Boat), Gitimalya (Wreath of Songs), and Balaka (The Flight of Cranes). He also wrote novels, plays, dance dramas, nearly a hundred short stories, essays on religious, social and literary topics, and over 2500 songs (words and music), including the national anthems of India and Bangladesh. As a painter, he has a unique place in modern Indian art. He died in 1941. William Radice has pursued a double career as a poet and as a scholar and translator of Bengali. He is well known for his translations of the poems, stories and plays of Tagore, of which Selected Poems and Selected Short Stories were reprinted several times. In 2009, he was awarded the title of 'Rabindra Tattwacharya' by the Tagore Research Institute, Kolkata. He has also published nine books of his own poems and has been teaching Bengali at SOAS, University of London, since 1988. His literary work in recent years has included opera libretti, and his many books include Myths and Legends of India and Teach Yourself Bengali. He has recently translated The Poem of the Killing of Meghn?d by Michael Madhusudan Dutt and Gitanjali by Tagore, both for Penguin India.