Jibanananda Das

Jibanananda Das (Bengali: [ˈd͡ʒibonanond̪o ˈd̪aʃ] ; 17 February 1899 – 22 October 1954) was a Bengali poet, writer, and educationist widely regarded as one of the major figures of twentieth-century Bengali modernist poetry. Often called Rupashi Banglar Kabi (“Poet of Beautiful Bengal”), he received limited recognition during his lifetime but later came to be considered one of the most important and influential figures in Bengali literature after Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam.

Born in Barisal, Bengal Presidency, Das studied English literature at Presidency College and University of Calcutta. He worked mainly as a teacher of English at several colleges, while also writing poetry, essays and fiction. His first poem appeared in print in 1919, and his first poetry collection, Jhara Palok, was published in 1927.

Das's verse explores a world of surrealism, depression, and melancholia. His work often combines nature, time, death, desire and urban alienation through dense metaphor and surreal suggestion. His major works include Jhara Palok, Dhusar Pandulipi, Banalata Sen, Mahaprithibi, Shreshtha Kavita and the posthumously published Rupasi Bangla; among them, the poem “Banalata Sen” and the poetry collection Rupasi Bangla remain his most discussed and celebrated works.

In 1954, Das was hit by a tram in Kolkata while crossing on a road, and was taken to a hospital, where he died eight days later. Das received the Rabindra-Memorial Award for Banalata Sen in 1953.