পাতা:মাইকেল মধুসূদন দত্তের জীবন-চরিত - যোগীন্দ্রনাথ বসু.pdf/৭১৬

জীবন-চরিত । 8) وهو were coming in one by one ; the conversation gradually turned upon the subject of Drama in general and of Bengali Drama in particular. Michael said that 'no real improvement in the Bengali Drama could be expected until blank verse was introduced into it.' I replied that "it did not seem to me possible to introduce this kind of verse into our language, for I held that the very nature and construction of the Bengali language, was ill adapted for the stately measure and sonorous cadence of blank Ve S6e. "I do not agree with you,' said he, "and I think it is well worth making an attempt.' 'You remember," I added, "how once the late Issur Chunder Gupta made a caricature of blank verse “কবিতা কমলা কলা পাকা যেন কঁাদি, ইচ্ছা হয় যত পাই পেট ভরে খাই”। in Bengali, beginning with the lines “Oh ' said he, "it is no reason because old Issur Gupta could not manage to write blank verse that nobody else will be able to do it’ “But, l said, "if I am correctly informed the French, which is no doubt a more copious and elaborate language than our own, has not in it any poem in blank verse. No wonder then that the Bengali should be found unsuited to this kind of versification ' 'You forget, my dear fellow,” he replied, “that the Bengali is born of the Sanskrit than which a more copious and elaborate language does not ekist.” “True,' said I, "but as yet the Bengali seems to be a weakling though born of a healthy and robust mother.' Write rine down an ass,” said he laughingly, "if I am not able to convince you of your error within a short time." Then looking sharply at me he added ' and what if I succeed in proving to you that the Bengali is quite capable of the blank verse form of poetry." “Why then,' I replied, “I shall willingly stand all the expenses of printing and publishing any poem with you may write in blank verse.” * * “Done,” said he clapping his hands, "you shall get a few stanzas from me within two or three days' and as a matter of fact within three or four days the first canto of the féCotisfits y was sent to me I was se agreeably surprised, and at the same time so charmed with the artistic manner in which the verses were written, not to speak of the sentiments and the rich imageries of the poetry, that I at once took the MS to my friends the Rajas of Paikpara. It was then read by several of our friends who had some reputation for literary taste and I was glad to find that they all agreed with me in my opinion of the composition. Very large indents were no doubt made upon the Sanskrit vocabulary but for all that our poet's attempt could not but be pronounced a complete success. A few days after I again met Michael in the Belgachia Hall. He came up smiling to me and shaking me heartily by the hand, as was his wont, he asked me 'How I liked his specimen verses' f "Like then f"