The Spirit of Renaissance: Reflections on Derozio’s Mind and Work

Abstract

Historically the Renaissance is the period of fresh growth and enlightenment in the field of art, culture, literature and ideas in Europe, especially Italy, during the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. The word ‘Renaissance’ generally denotes the revival of learning, culture and the arts. In the beginning of the nineteenth century, there occurred in Bengal an enlightenment in education and culture which was similar to the European Renaissance. This phenomenon is widely known as ‘Bengal Renaissance’. The period from 1825 to 1845 is marked by the historians as the first phase of Bengal Renaissance. Henry Derozio (1809-1831), the first Indian English poet, contributed significantly to the growth of Bengal Renaissance through his influential teaching and writings. The present paper aims to study Derozio’s philosophy of life and his works as a driving force of Bengal Renaissance