<p><i>The Essential Tagore </i>showcases the genius of India's Rabindranath Tagore, the first Asian Nobel Laureate and possibly the most prolific and diverse serious writer the world has ever known.</p><p>Marking the 150th anniversary of Tagore's birth, this ambitious collection—the largest single volume of his work available in English—attempts to represent his extraordinary achievements in ten genres: poetry, songs, autobiographical works, letters, travel writings, prose, novels, short stories, humorous pieces, and plays. In addition to the newest translations in the modern idiom, it includes a sampling of works originally composed in English, his translations of his own works, three poems omitted from the published version of the English <i>Gitanjali</i>, and examples of his artwork.</p><p>Tagore's writings are notable for their variety and innovation. His <i>Sonar Tari</i> signaled a distinctive turn toward the symbolic in Bengali poetry. “The Lord of Life,” from his collection <i>Chitra</i>, created controversy around his very personal concept of religion. <i>Chokher Bali</i> marked a decisive moment in the history of the Bengali novel because of the way it delved into the minds of men and women. The skits in <i>Vyangakautuk</i> mocked upper-class pretensions. Prose pieces such as “The Problem and the Cure” were lauded by nationalists, who also sang Tagore's patriotic songs.</p><p>Translations for this volume were contributed by Tagore specialists and writers of international stature, including Amitav Ghosh, Amit Chaudhuri, and Sunetra Gupta.</p>