Sri Aurobindo’s Contribution to Indian English Poetry

Sri Aurobindo Ghosh (1872–1950) ranks among the greatest personalities of modern India and a pioneering figure in Indian English literature, particularly in the realm of poetry. . He is a multi-faceted genius – a political revolutionary, social reformer, historian, educationist, philosopher, yogi and above all men of letters. He is a journalist, editor, literary critic, linguist, translator, essayist, short story writer, dramatist and more than all of these, a  great poet. Aurobindo’s contribution to Indian English poetry is significant for its spiritual depth, philosophical insight, and fusion of Eastern and Western literary traditions. His poetic works reflect a blend of mysticism, philosophical inquiry, and an exploration of the divine, making him a central figure in the development of Indian English poetry during the early 20th century. 

Key Contributions:

• Spiritual and Mystical Themes: 

Sri Aurobindo’s poetry is deeply rooted in his spiritual philosophy, particularly his concept of the evolution of human consciousness toward a higher, divine existence. His poetry explores themes such as the divine nature of the universe, the possibility of spiritual transformation, and the relationship between the individual soul and the cosmic spirit. His work reflects the influence of Vedanta philosophy and the Bhagavad Gita, with a focus on the transcendence of material existence and the realization of the divine within.

Aurobindo’s philosophical and mystical glow is through an integral view of man, Nature and God. Read More Indian English He believes in the evolution of life and that will change the face of the world. In Savitri, his master piece he succeeds to a great extent in expressing his mystic experiences and Yogic realizations. Aurobindo arrives at the conclusion that releases from bondage and changes with the Secret knowledge, the soul achieves a complete spiritual transformation. Savitri is cast for uniquely cosmic role of struggle and redemption, and is the incarnation of divine mother. Savitri is both the response and the resulting transformation.

• Integration of Eastern and Western Literary Traditions: 

Aurobindo was well-versed in both Eastern and Western literature. His poetry synthesizes elements of Indian mysticism and classical Sanskrit literature with Western literary forms, particularly Romanticism and Symbolism. He was influenced by poets such as John Milton, William Wordsworth, and Percy Bysshe Shelley, while at the same time drawing inspiration from the spiritual traditions of India, including the Upanishads and the Vedas.

• The Epic Poem ‘Savitri’: 

Sri Aurobindo’s magnum opus, Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol, is a monumental work in Indian English poetry. Consisting of nearly 24,000 lines, Savitri is one of the longest epic poems in the English language. It is based on the legend of Savitri and Satyavan from the Mahabharata, but Aurobindo transforms the story into a spiritual allegory about the conquest of death and the evolution of human consciousness. The poem combines philosophical discourse, spiritual vision, and poetic expression, embodying Aurobindo’s vision of life as a progressive manifestation of divine consciousness.

• Use of Blank Verse: 

Aurobindo made extensive use of blank verse, particularly in Savitri. This allowed him to maintain a fluid, flexible style while addressing profound philosophical and mystical themes. His mastery of this form places him among the finest practitioners of blank verse in Indian English literature.

• Visionary and Symbolic Poetry: 

Aurobindo’s poetry often employs symbolic imagery to express abstract spiritual concepts. His use of symbolism is subtle and complex, drawing on both Indian and Western traditions to convey his vision of the divine reality underlying the physical world. For instance, in Savitri, the characters represent not just individuals but larger cosmic principles, and the narrative serves as a symbol of the soul’s journey toward divine realization.

Sri Aurobindo’s poetry is meant to bridge the present and the future, self – divided present life and Life Devine that is to be. Songs to Myrtilla and Urvasie are his earlier poems published respectively in 1895 and in 1896. the life Divine or the way to Yogic feats is an evaluation of thought through love which is traced even from his earlier poems. Thus he says:

            “Love is divine

            Love is the hoop of the Gods

            Hearts to combine”

Love is not love if it acquiesces in evil; great and true love is a power and it can break open the doors of captivity, it can change gross to gold, it can defy death or it is not love.

The lovers in Urvasie fail for their limitation in ultimate realization. But Savitri in Savitri (published much later in 1954) alone who fuses the less and the greater realizations into an integral and total transformation of limited human life into the fullness and splendour of the Life Devine. Read More Indian English

• Poetic Works:

 Apart from Savitri, Aurobindo’s other poetic works include Collected Poems and Plays, Love and Death, and Urvasie. His shorter poems, like "A God's Labour," "Thought the Paraclete," and "Who," reflect his philosophical musings on life, love, time, and eternity.

Even in A Tree, his earlier poem contains his quintessence of philosophy in which he sees us as present attainment, another thirsting for higher thing. In Life and Death he tells that Death is Life disguised; that what appears to be death is another kind of life. In Savitri too at the climatic moment in the epic, it is death itself, which reveals its true face as the Supreme Lord of Life and Delight. Read More Indian English

• Influence on Indian English Poetry: 

Sri Aurobindo’s poetry set a precedent for later generations of Indian English poets by establishing English as a medium for the expression of Indian spirituality and philosophical thought. His work laid the foundation for Indian English poetry to evolve as a unique and rich tradition, blending Indian ethos with the English language. Aurobindo’s emphasis on the spiritual journey and his philosophical exploration of human existence inspired future poets like Harindranath Chattopadhyaya, Nissim Ezekiel, and Kamala Das to explore the interplay of personal experience and broader metaphysical themes in their work.

          

  K.R.Srinivasa lyengar says that ‘Aurobindo was not merely a writer who happened to write in English but really an English writer’. In fact, after spending his early days in England and then returning to Baroda he reorients his western studies with the studies of Sanskrit and modern Indian languages. Read More Indian English  By the process he gains contact with his Indian heritage through a program of rigorous scholarship. He gains a deep insight into Indian culture and civilization. This learning mound his poetry and philosophy.

Conclusion:

Sri Aurobindo is a skillful craftsman in the use of blank verse and felicity in poetic expression. His grand, mantric and mystic style in this poetic works are ample testimony of his stupendous achievements.  His contribution to Indian English poetry is profound and lasting. His works, particularly Savitri, represent a high point in Indian literary history, blending spiritual, philosophical, and poetic elements in a way that is both universal and uniquely Indian. Aurobindo’s poetry continues to inspire readers with its depth, complexity, and visionary scope, making him a towering figure in the landscape of Indian English literature. His ability to weave together Eastern and Western literary traditions, while exploring the deeper questions of human existence, solidifies his place as a master poet and thinker.  

Here is a List of Sri Aurobindo's Chief Literary Works:

Bande Mataram

 Bande Mataram, a Calcutta daily edited by Sri Aurobindo from 1906 to 1908 contained his early political writings, most of them editorials and articles. They all exhibited an enthusiastic Indian Voice for freedom and justice.

Essays On The Gita

Essays are all meditation on the doctrine of Bhagavad Gita. 

The Secret Of The Veda

It is mostly an introspection of vedic past. Briefly it is a Study of the way of writing of the Vedic mystics, their philosophic system, their system of symbols, and the truths they figure; and translations of selected hymns of the Rig-veda.

The Life Divine

It is a spiritual autobiography of Sri Aurobindo.It is his principal philosophic work--a theory of spiritual evolution culminating in the transformation of man from a mental into a supra-mental being and the advent of a divine life upon earth.

Savitri: A Legend And A Symbol

Sri Aurobindo's major poetic work, an epic in blank-verse of about 24,000 lines in which a tale of the Mahabharata is made a symbol of the human soul's spiritual quest and destiny. 

 Ardhendu De

References:  Sastry, K. S. (2000). K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar and Indian English Literature.

Sastry, K.