Michael Madhusudan Dutta

Michael Madhusudan Dutta, a popular Bengali poet [কবি] and dramatist [নাট্যকার] in the 19^th century, was born in Sagordari on the bank of the Kopotaksho River under Jessore district. From an early age, Dutta aspired [আকুলভাবে কামনা করা] to be an Englishman in form and manner. Though he was born in a sophisticated [অত্যাধুনিক] Hindu family, he took Christianity as a young man and adopted [গ্রহণ করা] the first name Michael. In his childhood, he was recognised [চেনা] by his teachers as a precious [অমূল্য] child with a gift of literary talent. Since his adolescence [কৈশোর] he started believing that he was born on the wrong side of the planet, and that his society was unable to appreciate [মর্ম উপলব্ধি করা] his intellect [বুদ্ধি]. He also believed that the West would be more receptive [গ্রহণ করিতে সমর্থ] to his creative [সৃজনশীল] genius [প্রতিভা]. Michael was an ardent [অনুরাগী] follower of the famous English poet Lord Byron. So, after adopting Christianity, he went to Europe and started composing poetry and drama almost entirely [সম্পূর্ণ] in English. They proved his higher level of intellectual ability. However, he failed to gain the right appreciation. With his utter [ঘোর] frustrations [হতাশা] he saw that he was not regarded [গণ্য] as a native [দেশীয়] writer of English literature. Out of his frustration he composed a sonnet in Bangla “Kopotaksha Nad”, which earned him huge [বিশাল] reputation [খ্যাতি] in Bangla. Gradually, he could realise that his true identity lies here in this Bengal and he was a sojourner [বিদেশী] in Europe. Afterwards [এরপর], he regretted [অনুতপ্ত] his attraction for England and the Occident [পাশ্চাত্য]. He came to Bengal and devoted [অনুরক্ত] himself to Bangla literature from this period. He is the poet to write the first Bangla epic ‘Meghnad Badh Kabya’. His lavish [উদারচিত্ত] lifestyle, which included drinking, added to his financial difficulties and his health also began to fail. Sadly, he died in 1873, and was given a Christian burial service.