Indian Poets and English Poetry Indian Poets and English Poetry Correspondence between Kathleen Raine and K. D. Sethna Sri Aurobindo Ashram Pondicherry First Published 1594 (Typeset in Times 11/13) ISBN HI-7058-398-5 © Kathleen Raine & K. D. Sethna Published by and Printed at Sri Aurobindo Ashram Press Pondicherry 605002 PRINTED IN INDIA

-004_Chapter 003 (Page 119-Page 165).htm From K. D. Sethna I see that you want to cry halt to our discussion of Sri Aurobindo as poet. Very well. But some points about your general attitude to poetry and certain aspects of Sri Aurobindo seem to call for some comment from me. First, the mixing up of the romantic with the sentimental. Surely, sentimentalism and romanticism are not synonymous? Highly romantic is Shelley's Like a high-born maiden In a palace-tower, Soothing her love-laden Soul in secret hour With music sweet as love, which overflows her bower. Our modern taste for stronger meat, the more direct, the more down-to-earth may not relish such a vision

-003_Chapter 002 (Page 71-Page 118).htm From Kathleen Raine Although I might postpone this letter for weeks until I had read or re-read all Sri Aurobindo's works, I don't suppose I could answer it better than by sitting down now - the first of the dark evenings of our winter when the extra hour of evening daylight is curtailed and I have the evening hours before me. I will make a few reflections and then turn to your letter and see where I get with that. It is a remarkable letter, full of eloquent, true, beautiful things. Many of these are inspiring and illuminating to me and I am privileged to receive such a letter and to be able to exchange thoughts, even in the role of the Devil's Advo

INTRODUCTION The Collection of letters - The English Language and the Indian Spirit - preceding the present one was appreciated by "an audience fit though few" interested in the adventure of India's contribution to the varied world of English poetry. This audience is expected to welcome the cut and thrust of two idealistic friends on a much larger scale covering a greater field of literary reference fanning out essentially from the same central theme as before. This theme is the poetic vision and work of Sri Aurobindo, mostly exemplified in his epic Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol. In the course of the main discussion a diversity of subjects, both personal and general, cam

-006_Chapter 005 (Page 221-Page 268).htm From K.D. Sethna I have been a little slack in replying to you, but the procrastination has brought me to a very important day on which to launch my letter. August 15 has for India two far-reaching significances to commemorate. There is the birth of Sri Aurobindo whose fight for freedom was seminal in many respects, not least the first clear-cut demand for total independence, and to whom India's political freedom meant a chance for her to develop without any impediment or distraction a spiritual light for the world. According to him, this light has to gather together all the various past shades and generate the vision of an ultra-violet reaching out to the all-tr

-041_PartIII Sri Aurobindo's Vision-Hemant Kapoor Sri Aurobindo and the Law of Contradiction Hemant Kapoor   Many years ago, K.D. Sethna, then a young man and an aspiring intellectual wrote to the Mother saying that Sri Aurobindo had been illogical in one of his writings. The Mother reported this to Sri Aurobindo saying, "This young man feels you are illogical." Perhaps Sri Aurobindo had laughed. Philosophy had been Sethna's subject as an undergraduate.   K.D. Sethna is completing a hundred years this November. Some time ago when I mentioned the above incident of his salad days to him he chuckled and as is his wont with me, merrily recounted the whole episode to me. Sethna's poetry thrills me

K.D. Sethna: The Creative Critic   Goutam Ghosal   RESEARCHERS of critical theories must remember that Sri Aurobindo has touched virtually on every critical issue. Because he has condensed his material, the purpose of the researcher would be to pick up the clues for detailed explanation of them. Unfortunately, most of the academic projects on Sri Aurobindo have ended up with long passages with insufficient and irrelevant commentaries on them. Some of the critical works of K.D. Sethna will teach us how we should go about investigating the Master's work in an academic way, which may also be an original way of expanding the condensed texts of Sri Aurob

-049_PartV Extracts from Amal kiran's Works-India the Secular State India the Secular State*   The Right Interpretation and the Wrong   India has been declared a Secular State and the advanced elements in the country are proud of this declaration - but in a rather vague way. Nobody seems to know what are the exact implications of secularity. And quite a number of people even doubt if, except in name, India is any more secular than Pakistan who has declared herself a Muslim State with the name of Allah an integral part of the constitution. The doubt is occasioned by the fact that most of our leaders and ministers openly encourage belief in a religious order of the world.   Even Nehru, socia

Amal Kiran - My Wonderful Teacher Huta Hindocha   The MOTHER arranged my reading with Amal Kiran (K,D. Sethna) in 1962.   Sri Aurobindo had first introduced Savitri to Amal in private drafts and written to him most of the letters that are now published along with the Epic.   For the first time Amal and I met in 1961 upstairs in the passage which connects the Mother's and Sri Aurobindo's rooms. I casually asked him about a chess board because the Mother and I were doing something on the theme. He drew it and made me understand it.   When we started our reading of Savitri, some interested people warned Amal against me and asked h

The Sky Sings...   Ashalata Dash   The sky sings his glory; The sea swells far and wide,  The soil smiles beside While I push a soul-suffused Centennial baby In a wheel-chair-pram.     The baby scatters  His fun and smile  As of a cute child Of ten-months old. His wise joviality Impresses the traffic And the passers-by  In a magic circle Of exuberant ecstasy.     As a companion Or as a meek matron  I feel nothing but pride  In pushing his wheel-chair  Or seeing him Pushed by my side.     My motherly heart, Sealed so long Opens abr