Modern Bengali Poetry: Desire for Fire

Abstract

Modern Bengali Poetry: Desire for Fire is a captivating anthology of contemporary Bengali poetry translated into English by Arunava Sinha, one of the most prolific and accomplished Bengali to English translators. This comprehensive volume of poetry celebrates with all earnestness the rich, vast and diverse Bengali poetry, featuring works by some of the most celebrated poets of the two historically significant Bengals – the eastern Indian state and the country of Bangladesh. Comfortably traversing the spectrum of life, ranging from tropes of love and longing to political and social issues, this collection offers a beautiful portrayal of the nuances and complexities of Bengali life and culture. Sinha’s translations are classy and masterful, seamlessly capturing the essence of the original Bengali poems while making them accessible to nonBengali readers from different cultural backgrounds. This review explores the various themes and styles of the poems in this collection, with a focus on the translator’s remarkable ability to convey aesthetically elegant and complex Bengali poetry through English. While doing so, it delves into the significance of these works in the larger context of ‘modern’ poetry and the Bengali literary tradition, closely examining how this volume could be of relevance to readers of poetry from all over the world.