Monday, May 16, 2016

ABOUT MULTI TALENTED LAXMI PRASAD DEVKOTA

Laxmi Prasad Devkota (Nepali: लक्ष्मीप्रसाद देवकोटा; November 12, 1909 – September 14, 1959) was a Nepali poet, playwright, novelist. Devkota is regarded as the greatest poet of Nepal and Nepali language and is honored by the title of Maha Kavi ("The Greatest Poet") in Nepali literature. Some of his popular works are Muna Madan, Kunjini, and Sakuntal "Champa" .

Contents

Life

Early life

Devkota was born on the night of Lakshmi Pooja on 12 November 1909 (1966 Kartik 27 BS) to father Teel Madhav Devkota and mother Amar Rajyalakshmi Devi in Thatunati (now Dhobidhara), Kathmandu.He started his education at the Durbar High School in Kathmandu where he studied both in Sanskrit-grammar and English. After finishing his Matriculation exams from Patna at the age of 17, Devkota pursued the Bachelor of Arts along with the Bachelor of Laws in Tri Chandra College and graduated from Patna University as a Private Examine Only after a decade from his graduation as a lawyer did he finally started working in Nepal Bhasanuwad Parishad( Publication Censor board), where he met famous Playwright of Nepal Balkrishna Sama. At the same time, he worked as a lecturer in Tri Chandra College and Padma-Kanya College.

Health

In late 1930s Devkota suffered from Nervous Breakdowns, probably due to the death of his mother, father, and his two-month old daughter. Eventually in 1939, he was admitted in Mental Asylum of Rachi, India for five months.

Later years and death

Laxmi Prasad Devkota was a chain smoker throughout his life. After a long battle with cancer, Devkota died on September 14, 1959 at the Ghat of Bagmati River in Pashupatinath Temple Complex, Kathmandu.

Work and Style

Laxmi Prasad Devkota on a Nepalese stamp
Devkota contributed to Nepali literature by starting a modern Nepali language romantic movement in the country. He was the first to begin writing epic poems in Nepali literature. Nepali poetry soared to new heights with Devkota's innovative use of language. Departing from the Sanskrit tradition that dominated the Nepali literary scene at the time, he wrote Muna Madan (1930), a long narrative poem in popular "jyaure" folk tune. The work received immediate recognition from the Ranas: the country's rulers at the time. Muna Madan tells the story of Madan—a traveling merchant—who departs from his wife Muna to Tibet in a bid to earn some money. The poem describes the thematic hardships of the journey: the grief of separation, the itching longing, and the torment of death. The following couplet which is among the most famous and frequently quoted lines from the epic celebrates the triumph of humanity and compassion over the hierarchies created by caste in the Nepalese culture.
Considered his magnum opus "Muna-Madan" has remained widely popular among the lay readers of Nepali literature.
Laxmi Prasad, inspired by his five-month stay in mental asylum in 1939, wrote free-verse poem Pagal(The Lunatic).The poem deals with his usual mental ability and is considered one of the best nepali language poem.
Devkota had the ability to compose long epics and poems with literary complexity and philosophical density in very short period of time. He wrote Shakuntala, his first epic poem and also the first "Mahakavya" (epic poem) written in the Nepali language, in a mere three months. Published in 1945, Shakuntala is a voluminous work in 24 cantos based on Kālidāsa's famous Sanskrit play Abhijñānaśākuntalam. Shakuntala demonstrates Devkota's mastery of Sanskrit meter and diction which he incorporated heavily while working primarily in Nepali.
Devkota also published several collections of short lyric poems set in various traditional and non-traditional forms and meters. Most of his poetry shows influence of English Romantic Poets like Wordsworth and Coleridge. The title poem in the collection "Bhikhari" ("Beggar") is a reminiscent of Wordsworth's "The Old Cumberland Beggar". In this poem, Devkota describes the beggar going about his ways in dire poverty and desolation deprived of human love and material comforts. On the other hand, the beggar is also seen as the source of compassion placed in the core of suffering and destitution. Devkota connects the beggar with the divine as the ultimate fount of kindness and empathy:
Many of his poems focus on mundane elements of the human and the natural world. The titles of his poems like "Ban वन" ("Woods"), "Kisaan किसान" ("The Peasant"), "Baadal बादल" ("Clouds") show that he sought his poetic inspiration in the commonplace and proximal aspects of the world. What resonates throughout most of his poetry is his profound faith in humanity. For instance, in the poem "Woods," the speaker goes through a series of interrogations rejecting all forms of comfort and solace that could be offered solely to him as an individual. Instead he embraces his responsibility and concern for his fellow beings. The poem ends with the following quatrain that highlights his humanistic inclinations:
Besides poetry, Devkota also made significant contributions to the essay genre. He is considered the father of the modern Nepali essay. He defied the conventional form of essays by blatantly breaking the rules of grammar and syntax, and embracing a more fluid and colloquial style. His essays are generally satirical in tone and are characterized by their trenchant humor and ruthless criticism of the modernizing influences from the West in the Nepali society. An essay titled भलादमी (Bhaladmi) or "Dignitary" criticizes a decadent trend in Nepali society to respect people based on their outward appearances and outfit rather than their actual inner worth and personality. In another essay titled के नेपाल सानो छ? (Ke Nepal Sano Cha?) "Is Nepal insignificant (small)?", he expresses deeply nationalistic sentiments inveighing against the colonial forces from British India which, he felt, were encroaching all aspects of Nepali culture. His essays are published in the collection Laxmi Nibhandha Sanghraha (लक्ष्मी निबन्धसङ्‌ग्रह).

Politics

Laxmi Prasad Devkota was not active in any well-established political party but his poetry consistently embodies an attitude of rebellion against the Rana dynasty.During his self exile in Varanasi he started working as editor of Yugvani newspaper for Nepali Congress party resulting in confiscation of all his property in Nepal by the Rana Government.After Introduction of democracy through Revolution of 1951 ,Devkota was appointed as a member of Nepal Shalakar Samiti in 1952 by King Tribhuvan.Later in 1957 he was appointed as Minister of Education and Autonomous Governance under premiership of Kunwar Inderjit Singh.
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ABOUT GOPAL PRASAD RIMAL

  1. Gopal Prasad Rimal (or Nepali: गोपाल प्रसाद रिमाल; Gopālprasād Rimāl, 1918–1973) was a poet from Kathmandu, Nepal. According to scholar Michael J. Hutt, "he is remembered as the first "revolutionary" Nepali poet and the first to reject the use of meter".

    Contents

    Biography and career

    His parents were Umakanta Rimal and Aditya Kumari Rimal. His first poem, entitled "Kavi ko Gayan" was published in a monthly magazine, "Sarada".
    During Rimal's adolescence, he came under the influence of revolutionaries who were aspiring to overthrow the Rana dynasty. Rimal began his career as a successful poet in 1930 and as a playwright in 1940. In 1941, after the execution of a group of political agitators, including Dashrath Chand, Rimal gathered a group of young poets to protest together by singing hymns, at Pashupatinath Temple in the mornings, and at the shrine of Shobhā Bhagavatī in the evenings.
    Rimal founded a creative organization called "Praja Panchayat" to oppose the Rana rulers, and was imprisoned on several occasions for his involvement in the movement. He played a pivotal role in making the 1950–52 Democratic Movement successful, but became disillusioned, and "felt betrayed by the factional strife."
    His dreams of a democratic Nepal shattered, Rimal subsequently lost his mental balance and was sent to an asylum in Ranchi. Later, he was brought back to Nepal to spend the rest of his life roaming insane in the streets of Kathmandu. Rimal died in 1973.

    Jangi Nishan Hamro


    Jangi Nishan Hamro(Nepali: "जङ्गी निसान हाम्रो")
    रातो र चन्द्रसुर्जे, जङ्गी निसान हाम्रो।
    जिउँदो रगतसरि यो, बल्दो यो सान हाम्रो।।
    हिमालझैं अटल यो, झुकेन यो कहिल्यै।
    लत्रेन यो कहिल्यै, जङ्गी निसान हाम्रो।।
    यो जन्मँदै जगत्मा कैयौं प्रहार आए।
    साम्राज्य दुई हारे, हारेन सान हाम्रो।।
    जबसम्म चन्द्रसुर्जे आकाशमा रहन्छन्।
    तबसम्म हुन्छ आफ्नै रातो रगत यो हाम्रो।।
    गाईसरि छन् साधु जोजो यहाँ जगत्मा।
    सबको सरन बलियो, जङ्गी निसान हाम्रो।।

    Awards

    Rimal received the Madan Puraskar in 1962. for his collection of poems 'Aama ko sapana'

    Works

    Gopal Prasad Rimal's "Ama ko sapana" literally 'a mother's dream' is a popular poem in Nepal.

    Influence

    Poet Banira Giri was "first woman to be awarded a Ph.D. by Tribhuvan University for her thesis on the poetry of Gopal Prasad Rimal."

    References


  2. Himalayan Voices: An Introduction to Modern Nepali Literature (Voices from Asia), edited and translated by Michael J. Hutt, University of California Press, 1991. p. 73. ISBN 9780520910263

  4. Himalayan Voices: An Introduction to Modern Nepali Literature (Voices from Asia), edited and translated by Michael J. Hutt, University of California Press, 1991. p. 75. ISBN 9780520910263

    6. "Banira Giri (b. 1946)". Himalayan Voices. 1991. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
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Sunday, May 15, 2016

ABOUT WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

William Shakespeare (/ˈʃeɪkspɪər/; 26 April 1564 (baptised) – 23 April 1616) was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet, and the "Bard of Avon". His extant works, including collaborations, consist of approximately 38 plays,154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.
Shakespeare was born and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Sometime between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613, at age 49, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive, which has stimulated considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, sexuality, and religious beliefs, and whether the works attributed to him were written by others.
Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories, and these are regarded as some of the best work ever produced in these genres. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest works in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights.
Many of his plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime. In 1623, however, John Heminges and Henry Condell, two friends and fellow actors of Shakespeare, published a more definitive text known as the First Folio, a posthumous collected edition of his dramatic works that included all but two of the plays now recognised as Shakespeare's. It was prefaced with a poem by Ben Jonson, in which Shakespeare is hailed, presciently, as "not of an age, but for all time". In the 20th and 21st centuries, his works have been repeatedly adapted and rediscovered by new movements in scholarship and performance. His plays remain highly popular, and are constantly studied, performed, and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the world.
In 2016, the 400th anniversary of the playwright's death, celebrations will commence in the United Kingdom and across the world to honour Shakespeare and his work.
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ABOUT NEPALI DRAMATIST BALKRISHNA SAMA

Bala Krishna Sama (Nepali: बालकृष्ण सम; 8 February 1903 - 20 June 1981) was a Nepalese dramatist. He is also regarded as the "Shakespeare" of Nepal. In Nepali language, he is known as “Natya Siromani”. As a dramatist("natak-kar") he was a literature great of Nepal. His contribution to Nepali literature can never be forgotten. He was the son of General Samar Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana and Kirtirajyalaksmi Rana.

Contents

Personal life

He got married to Mandakini in 1921. Sama was awarded with the Tribhuwan Puraskar from Nepal Rajakiya Pragya Prathistan in 1972. The same year he received the Bishesh Upadhi from Tribhuvan University and in 1978, the Prithvi Pragya Puraskar from Pragya Pratisthan. He died in 1981.

Education

Sama completed his high school from Durbar High School in Rani Pokhari and took up science in Tri Chandra College. During his second year of academic studies, he was sent to Dehradoon for army training as an army captain, afterwards he became a Lieutenant Colonel, by the then prime minister Chandra Shumsher Rana.

Writing career

In his own home, the environment was strained. Sama spent a lot of time alone at home finding peace in solitude and gradually he spent more time in art and literary activities. He started publishing his writings in reputed magazines such as Sarada, Udhyog, Shahitya Shrot, etc. Afterwards, he shortened his surname "Shumshere Jung Bahadur Rana" to "Sama" because he no longer wished to be associated with a ruling regime that had once governed Nepal with autocracy. His drama "Bhater" which was published in Pragati in 1953 clearly shows his feelings on the issue of human rights.

Rise to fame

Several of his dramas have been inspired by Shakespeare's works. His dramas such as "Prem Pinda", "Buhartan", "Tapobhumi", "Atyadhunikta", and "Bhater" present the social context of the Rana era; "Mukunda Indira" and "Mutuko Byatha" show the emotional and romantic side of Sama's personality. "Amit Basana", "Boksi", "Talamathi", and "Andhabeg" are based on the human psychology. And his dramas on historical personalities are "Amar Singh", "Bhimsen Ko Antya", and "Bhakta Bhanubhakta". "Birami Ra Kuruwa" deals with philosophy while "Prahlad" and "Dhruba" are based on religious figures. Bal Krishna Sama is known as one of Nepal's greatest dramatists. During his time, he was also considered as the "Shakespeare" of Nepal.
Sama also wrote stories, poems, essays, compositions, and biographies. His contemporaries Laxmi Prasad Devkota and Lekhnath Poudyal were involved in writing poetry. "Aago Ra Paani" and "Chiso Chulho" are his popular epics, he wrote an essay on Nepalese art entitled "Nepal Lalit Kala" as well as a biography Hamra Rastriya Bhibhutiharu and an autobiography Mero Kabita Ko Aradhana, Part I and II. "Kaikai" is his most well-known short story collection which was published in 1938.

Later work

He worked as a lecturer of Nepali language and literature in Tri Chandra College. In 1955, he became director of Nepal Radio and chief editor of Gorkhapatra. In 1967, when the Royal Nepal Academy was established, he became a member and later on the vice chancellor of the academy. He retired from work in 1971.
After his retirement, Sama continued writing and published many of his poems in nationally reputed magazines like Madhuparka, Ramjham, etc. He also read out many of his unpublished works during literary programs. Among his unpublished dramas are "Gangalal", "Aja", "Milinad", "Prem", "Chinta", "Prandaan", etc. In fact many of his works remain unpublished or incomplete.
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ABOUT DRAMA

Drama is the specific mode of narrative, typically fictional, represented in performance. The term comes from the Greek word δρᾶμα, drama, meaning action, which is derived from the verb δράω, draō, meaning to do or to act.
The term "the drama" refers to "the dramatic branch of literature; the dramatic art".The term "drama" can refer to any kind of dramatic performance, including film, radio play, television play, and closet drama, however, this article is concerned solely with the enactment of a play in a theatre, performed by actors, on a stage, before an audience. Unlike other forms of literature the structure of dramatic texts is directly influenced by this collaborative mode of production and a collective form of reception.

The two masks that represent comedy and tragedy.
Two symbolic masks are traditionally associated with drama to represent the generic division between comedy and tragedy. They are symbols of the ancient Greek Muses, Thalia and Melpomene, the Muse of comedy represented by the laughing face, and the Muse of tragedy represented by the weeping face, respectively. Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been contrasted with the epic and the lyrical modes ever since Aristotle's Poetics (c. 335 BC)—the earliest work of dramatic theory.
Since the 19th century, the word "drama" has also been used in a more narrow sense to designate a specific type of play. Drama is defined in this modern usage as "a genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone" which focuses on in-depth development of realistic characters who must deal with realistic emotional struggles. A drama is commonly considered the opposite of a comedy, but may also be considered separate from other works of some broad genre, such as a fantasy.
It is this narrow sense that the film and television industry and film studies adopted to describe "drama" as a genre within their respective media. "Radio drama" has been used in both senses, and it was originally used to described a play transmitted as a live performance; but it is also used to describe the more serious end of the dramatic output on the radio.
A dramatic work can include music and dance. Opera is generally sung throughout, and can include ballet; musicals generally include both spoken dialogue, and songs, and may also include dancing; and some plays, melodrama and Japanese Nō, for example, have incidental music, or musical accompaniment underscoring the dialogue. In certain periods of history, including ancient Rome and the nineteenth century, some dramas were written to be read rather than performed. In improvisation there is no script and performers devise their performance spontaneously before an audience.
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