Echoes of Tagore: Tracing the Legacy of Rabindranath Tagore in 20th-Century Fiction

Abstract

This study explores the lasting influence of Rabindranath Tagore’s literary vision on 20th-century fiction. Since “the beginning of the twentieth century and in the realm of literature, Bengali literature to be exact, modernity started with Rabindranath Tagore” (Mukherjee, 1978: 101). It focuses on how his philosophical, aesthetic, and political ideas appear in the works of later writers. The aim is to trace key thematic and stylistic links that connect Tagore to modern and postcolonial literature. Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941), Nobel Laureate and cultural thinker, shaped modern Indian literature. His writings blend lyrical beauty with deep engagement in humanism, nationalism, and cosmopolitanism. Though widely praised for his poetry, Tagore’s influence on fiction is less studied. This paper places him as a key figure for writers facing modernity, identity, and cultural hybridity. Tagore’s influence appears in different forms. These include a shared focus on inner moral life, tensions between tradition and change, and a lyrical, introspective voice. His ideas on nationalism and universalism echo in later writers’ political themes. His experimental forms and spiritual concerns also shape their narrative styles. The study shows that Tagore’s presence reaches beyond his era. His vision shapes both the themes and forms of 20th-century fiction. Later writers adapt and transform his ideas within their own contexts. Tagore’s impact on fiction is deep but often quiet. His legacy lives on in the themes and styles of later generations. This paper urges a fresh critical look at Tagore as a global literary modernist. It affirms his role in shaping modern and postcolonial fiction