Understanding the modern perspectives in select poems of Navakanta Barua

Abstract

In the history of literature, Poetry has made its appearance before any other literary genres. Since its inception, the genre of poetry has undergone several changes in different ages due to the literary movements, social, cultural and political changes that had taken place worldwide. Modernism, an international literary and cultural movement which flourished in the first decade of the 20th century have brought a new era in the history of Poetry. This literary movement has influenced not only Western poetry but also Indian regional poetry like Assamese poetry to a great extent. Thus, a new trend in Assamese poetry heralded during the fourth decade of the 20th century which draws upon the emptiness, hypocrisies, alienation, insignificance and hopelessness that lies concealed in the modern civilization. A group of new poets of Assam with their wide range of studies of the East and the West, of the ancient and the modern contribute to the foundation of Modern Assamese Poetry. Of them, one important name in the upsurge of Modern Assamese Poetry was Navakanta Barua (1926-2002) who is regarded to be the pioneer of Modern Assamese Poetry. His immense popularity as an author led to the translation of many of his poems into different Indian languages and English. The present paper discusses the modern perspectives of some of his select poems that have been translated into English. Thus, a study of these select poems will help us to understand the perspectives of Navakanta Barua as a modern Assamese poet.