Toru Dutt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Toru Dutt
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Portrait of Toru Dutt
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| Born | 4 March 1856 |
| Died | 30 August 1877 (aged 21) |
| Resting place | Maniktalla Christian Cemetery, Kolkata |
| Nationality | British Indian |
| Occupation | Poet |
Toru Dutt (Bengali: তরু দত্ত; 4 March 1856 – 30 August 1877) was a talented Indian poet and translator. She was from Bengal in British India. Toru Dutt wrote her poems and stories in both English and French.
She is seen as one of the first important writers in Indo-Anglian literature. This means she was among the first Indian writers to write in English. Her famous works include poetry collections like A Sheaf Gleaned in French Fields (1876) and Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan (1882). She also wrote a novel in French called Le Journal de Mademoiselle d'Arvers (1879). Toru Dutt's poems often talked about feeling alone, missing home, and loving her country. She sadly passed away at just 21 years old from a lung illness called tuberculosis.
Contents
About Toru Dutt's Life
Her Early Years and Learning
Toru Dutt was born in Calcutta (now Kolkata) on March 4, 1856. Her family was Bengali and had become Christian. Her father was Govind Chandra Dutt and her mother was Kshetramoni Dutt. The Dutt family was one of the first in Calcutta to be greatly influenced by Christian missionaries.
Toru's grandfather and father held important jobs in the government. Her cousin, Romesh Chandra Dutt, was also a writer. Toru's father became Christian in 1862 when she was six. Her mother also became a Christian later. Both her parents wrote; her father wrote poems, and her mother translated a religious book into Bengali.
Toru was the youngest of three children. She had an older sister named Aru and a brother named Abju. They spent most of their childhood in Calcutta. They lived in a city house and a garden house in Baugmaree. Toru was taught at home by her father and a tutor. She learned French, English, and later Sanskrit, along with her first language, Bengali. She even memorized a long Christian poem called Paradise Lost. Her mother also told her many stories from ancient India.
Sadly, Toru's brother Abju died when he was eleven. Her sister Aru also passed away from a lung illness in 1874.
Time Spent in Europe
In 1869, when Toru was 13, her family traveled to Europe. She and her sister were among the first Bengali girls to travel so far by sea. The family lived in Europe for four years. They spent one year in France and three years in England. They also visited Italy and Germany.
They first lived in France from 1869 to 1870. Toru studied French in Nice and briefly attended a boarding school. In 1870, they moved to London, England, where Toru studied music. In 1871, they moved to Cambridge, where they stayed until 1873.
In 1872, the University of Cambridge offered special lectures for women. Toru and her sister Aru attended these. At that time, women could not officially join the university. These lectures were a rare chance for women to learn at a university level. Toru became friends with Mary Martin, whose father was a reverend. They kept writing letters to each other after Toru returned to India.
The family left Cambridge in 1873 and returned to Calcutta.
Her Later Life and Passing
When Toru Dutt returned to Calcutta in 1873, she was 17. She found it hard to get used to Indian culture again after living in Europe. Her sister Aru had died in 1872. Three years after returning, Toru wrote to her friend Mary Martin. She said she hadn't been to any parties since leaving Europe. She also mentioned that people would ask if she was married. These comments showed she felt frustrated with the strict society. However, she also knew that Europe could not truly replace India as her home. She found comfort in studying Sanskrit with her father and listening to her mother's Indian stories and songs.
Like her brother and sister, Toru Dutt died from a lung illness (tuberculosis). She passed away on August 30, 1877, at the young age of 21.
Toru Dutt's Writings
Toru Dutt was very good with languages. In her short life, she learned Bengali, English, French, and Sanskrit. She left behind many impressive poems and stories. Her two novels, Bianca or The Young Spanish Maiden (in English) and Le Journal de Mademoiselle d’Arvers (in French), were set outside India. They featured characters who were not Indian.
Her poetry collections include A Sheaf Gleaned in French Fields. This book has 165 poems that Toru translated from French into English. It also includes one poem she wrote herself and eight poems translated by her sister. At first, the book didn't get much attention. But later, a writer named Edmund Gosse praised it. The book was printed again in India in 1878 and in London in 1880. However, Toru did not live to see these later editions.
When she died, she left behind two novels. Le Journal de Mademoiselle d’Arvers was published in 1879. It was the first novel in French by an Indian writer. Bianca, or the Young Spanish Maiden is thought to be the first novel in English by an Indian woman writer. She also left an unfinished book of original poems and Sanskrit translations called Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan. Her father found these writings after she passed away in 1877.
When Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan was published in 1882, Edmund Gosse wrote an introduction for it. He said that the knowledge she brought from Europe was "simply miraculous" for someone from her background. The poems in this book are very Indian in style and feeling. They show her return to her own country. She used what she learned about India from books and her family. She did not try to make her ideas sound more English. Instead, she stayed true to the values of the original Indian tales. Her understanding of modern life helped her make these stories important for future generations.
Some well-known poems from this book include "A Sea of Foliage," "The Lotus," "Sîta," and "Our Casuarina Tree." "Our Casuarina Tree" is often taught in high schools in India as part of the English lessons.
Published Works
- A Sheaf Gleaned in French Fields, 1876
- Bianca, or the Spanish Maiden, published in a magazine from January to April 1878 (after her death)
- Le Journal de Mademoiselle d’Arvers, 1879 (after her death)
- Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan, 1882 (after her death)
Toru Dutt also published translations of French poetry and articles in the Bengal Magazine from 1874 to 1877. She wrote essays about other writers like Leconte de Lisle and Henry Louis Vivian Derozio. She also published some translations from Sanskrit in different magazines.
Besides her books and articles, Toru Dutt wrote many letters.
Documentary Film
A 15-minute documentary film about Toru Dutt was made in 2009. It is called Reviving Toru Dutt. The film mostly shows pictures of her tomb, letters, and papers.
Images for kids
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Aru Dutt and Toru Dutt
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Final resting place of Toru Dutt at Maniktala Christian Cemetery
