Sri Aurobindo

Letters on Poetry and Art

SABCL - Volume 27

Part 2. On His Own and Others’ Poetry
Section 2. On Poets and Poetry
Poets of the Ashram

On Bengali Poetry Written in the Ashram [2]

It is a great mystery to me. Comparing Jyotirmayi’s original turn, expressions, speed with her past work — what a miraculously rapid development!

But, my dear sir, it often happens like that. I believe you were not here when Dilip’s poetry blossomed; but it was quite as sudden. Remember Tagore’s description of him as the cripple who suddenly threw away his crutches and began to run and his astonishment at the miracle. Nishikanta too came out in much the same way, a sudden Brahmaputra of inspiration. The only peculiarity in Jyoti’s case is the source she struck — the pure mystic source.

23 August 1936