Poetic Qualities in Ancient India and Their Legacy in Rabindranath Tagore’s Aesthetic Theory

Abstract

Poets in ancient India have been recognized as sages, instructors, and individuals who uplift humanity’s spiritual cultivation through their literary creations, which are enlightening, beautiful, and full of profound philosophical and religious insights. Kāvyaśāstra, which refers to ancient Indian treatises on poetic theories, holds that the qualities of a true poet are creative power (pratibhā) and the skill or talent (śakti) to transform ordinary language into beautiful poetry. However, even though poets are able to create works that are valuable and timeless, judgment of poetic qualities also depends on reader or audience, who must use empathy in order to comprehend the author’s motives (Sahṛdaya). This article points out that from ancient times in India, poets and literary critics have laid the foundations for systematic and complex theories of literary composition and reading. Ideals of poetic qualities and literary creations have existed in Indian literary culture for ages and have been inherited by Rabindranath Tagore’s aesthetic theory. The study found that Tagore’s works, such as “Gītānjalī” and “The Victory,” are examples of literary works that inherit these ideals, like those of ancient Indian poets recognized as having value by the literary world. Tagore’s writings prompt us to ponder the qualities of the poet and the values of poetry that cannot be taken lightly as in today’s rapidly changing society. In contrast, a poet who creates works needs to have necessary qualifications, and the reader who interprets the poet’s intentions needs to have spiritual sensitivity and look deeply into the poetic world in order to understand the essence of the work and experience its vast aesthetic power.