Toru Dutt realised Indianness more than many ever could… a conversation with Dr Alok Mishra
In a letter written in 1935, Sri Aurobindo, an accomplished poet himself, appreciates the originality and rhythmic force in Toru Dutt’s poetry. Though, for some reason, Sri Aurobindo does not extend the magnitude of this appreciation, it is worth quoting here.
“Toru Dutt was an accomplished verse-builder with a delicate talent and some outbreaks of genius and she wrote things that were attractive and sometimes something that had a strong energy of language and a rhythmic force (Letters on Poetry and Art 446).”
Among the poets who formed the early corpus of Indian English poetry, Toru Dutt shines bright… or the brightest if we compare her poetic imagination, efforts to capture the essence that defined India at that time and her beautiful, discernible poetic rhythm. She was way ahead of many poets who pursued Indian English poetry with British metaphors, not only in linguistic terms but also in terms of cultural and civilizational imagery. Toru Dutt’s poetry couldn’t fully flourish due to her untimely demise from a disease; despite the limitations of her life, her place in the history of Indian English literature is secure forever. To better understand Toru’s poetry and learn why she stood tall in the measures of Indianness in Indian English poetry, we engaged in a vibrant exchange of ideas and thoughts with Dr Alok Mishra, an authority on the subject of Indianness in Indian English poetry. Dr Alok has recently earned his PhD by successfully defending his doctoral thesis, “In Search of Roots: Indianness in Indian English Poetry,” on June 27, 2025. Read the enlightening conversation below.
Q. What is special about Toru Dutt’s poetry? Why do you rate her above her peers?
Dr Alok Mishra: Among a select few voices of repute in the Indian English poetic dawn, Toru Dutt, a young, poetically vibrant voice, carved out a name that would last for centuries to come. Isn’t it proof enough that her poetry was special?
Moving on to the technical and critical aspects of the answer, let us examine what we expect from poetry. Great poetry of any country tells the tale of its history, philosophy, culture, civilisation and collective consciousness. Although India has long been fortunate to have an affluent poetic tradition, it readily adopted the English language and English poetry without hesitation. So, readers who were new to reading English poetry and those with a few centuries of experience expected Indian English poetry to deliver the same. Did it, is the question? Derozio, as many believe, tried. Toru Dutt, as many agree, did her best. These two voices appear the most distinguished, eloquent and admirable. However, among the two, if you read their poetic output, Toru Dutt appears more enchanting, rhythmic and inspired by what she might have believed to be the poetic truth she had to express. With a language new to India, with the newfound lyricism and rhythm, what did she write about? She wrote about Sita, the wife of Lord Rama; Lakshman, the younger brother of Sri Rama; Savitri; Drhuva, and Prehlad, the iconic and exemplary devotee of Bhagwan Vishnu, who stands as a symbol of his steadfast faith to guide those who waver on the path of life… What are these themes? What is the significance of such subjects for poetry? Indian readers of English poetry may easily connect with Toru Dutt’s subjects, and foreign readers will find it interesting because they gain insight into many aspects of Indian history, culture, and spirit. And not only her subject matter for poetry but also her poetic expression becomes admirable because a genuine flow permeates her verse. Just read a few lines from her poems, Sita or Lakshman, or anyone for that matter. You will realise what is special about Dutt’s poetry. And her peers, except Derozio, who exhibits flashes of originality, were simply followers of the English poetic tradition, not merely practitioners of the English language. Even the poetry of Derozio primarily exhibits attempts to match the poetic style of Keats and Byron.
(Lines are added below to help readers understand the above statement.)
“If fire can burn, or water drown,
I follow him:—choose what thou wilt,
Truth with its everlasting crown,
Or falsehood, treachery, and guilt.”
(Dutt: from Lakshman, Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan)
Q. What is the strength of Toru Dutt’s poetry? Is it her theme or the poetic expression?
Dr Mishra: It cannot be a simple answer! Toru Dutt’s poetic brilliance is made of her creative craft combined with her choice of themes. However, if you have to compare her themes with poetic expression, it is her poetic expression that stands out. At a tender age, her craft was exceptional and unmatched among her peers. However, to discover poetic themes and execute them in harmony with poetic craft, one must read extensively and gain a wealth of experience. With Toru, it was unfortunate that her life was cut short by a disease. However, with whatever she could write in her short life span, an urge to write about Indian themes was always there. Only if she could write more, we could know how she tackles the themes of non-duality, devotion, religion, spiritual philosophy and the Indian consciousness. Only then could such a comparison be deeper.
Q. What makes Toru Dutt’s poetry Indian? What is the Indianness quotient of her English poetry?
Dr Mishra: More than anything else, the theme of her poetry makes it Indian! Out of many things in the world, Toru Dutt chooses to write about the “Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan”. What might be the reason for such a selection? It was her inspiration that she drew from studying classical Sanskrit literature, along with her studies of English and other European languages and literature. For four years, from 1869 to 1873, Toru’s family stayed in Europe, exposing her to French and English education, notably the lectures in Cambridge. The intellectual and emotional alienation after her family’s conversion to Christianity in 1862, when Toru was merely six, was extended by this separation from her motherland for four years. Toru Dutt’s physical alienation from her motherland brought her close to Indian classical literature. Her Indianness was formed by the guilt of embracing the ‘other’ (by compulsion) and leaving her ‘own’; beautiful poetic expressions laden with traditional Indian religious, spiritual, and philosophical thoughts with shadows of the great Indian history and literature lingering over her unmatched linguistic potential, perhaps imbibed from her voracious consumption of the British and other foreign literature. If you read the foreword by Edmund Gosse, you may understand how important this discerning factor about religion, faith and motherland becomes.
“She was pure Hindu, full of the typical qualities of her race and blood, and, as the present volume shows us for the first time, preserving to the last her appreciation of the poetic side of her ancient religion, though faith itself in Vishnu and Siva had been cast aside with childish things and been replaced by a purer faith.”
(Gosse, from the foreword to the Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan by Toru Dutt)
Q. What are your thoughts about Dutt’s poetic craft? What do you think of her poetic vision?
Dr Mishra: Toru Dutt’s poetic craft was getting better. Her poetic vision, however, needed more exposure to mature enough so that she could delve into the themes of a more profound nature. Among her poems, the most striking ones are those that tell tales of India, encompassing its history, religion, scriptures, and ideals. The trajectory of her poetic vision was certainly upward. Could we have her at the same poetic plain as Sri Aurobindo could reach? No one knows for sure. No one can deny it either! One thing is sure: her poetic craft and vision intersected at the same point, weaving the tales of Indian civilisation to tell the world about the diversity, profundity, and uniqueness we have possessed for ages. This is what any poet of a mature sensibility would do, at least as a part of his or her poetic duty, along with dealing with the realistic nature of the truth of the time.
“I fear not fire, I fear not sword,
All dangers, father, I can dare;
Alone, I can confront a horde,
For oh! my God is everywhere!”
“What! everywhere? Then in this hall,
And in this crystal pillar bright?
Now tell me plain, before us all,
Is He herein, thy God of light?”
(Dutt: from Prehlad, Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan)
* I add lines from Dutt’s poems and other quotations to ensure readers have the opportunity to understand the matter being discussed.
Thank you for reading this conversation. You can learn more about Toru Dutt and her poetic craft by reading this authoritative biography and critical assessment here: Toru Dutt (The Indian Authors link).
Conversation and article by Amit for The Last Critic
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Enlightening and enchanting explanation of Dutt’s poetic glory and a minute observation of her poems