Dulal Mia

British-ruled India—a time of fire and revolution. And in this age of fire emerged the fiery poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. In Bengali literature, Nazrul created an extraordinary blend of love and rebellion. He is not only the “Rebel Poet” but also a poet of love, equality, and humanity. In his poetry, love and rebellion are not in conflict—they complement each other. As he writes:

“In one hand, I hold the curved bamboo flute, In the other, the trumpet of war.” Though the primary source of his poetic consciousness was romanticism, it was through rebellion that Nazrul brought about a turning point in Bengali poetry and achieved immense popularity. His first poetry collection Agnibina (The Fiery Lute) marked the beginning of his rebellious journey and set him apart from his contemporaries. Through rebellion, he ushered in a new chapter in the post-Tagore literary sphere. Kazi Nazrul Islam was, at his core, a poet of the people and of humanity. He sought to love humanity and be fulfilled by its love. After Rabindranath Tagore, he became the most widely acclaimed poet.

After returning from the First World War, Nazrul emerged in Bengali poetry at a time of national crisis. He observed the oppression of colonial rule, social inequality, communal division, religious hypocrisy, and saw all of this as obstacles to love. Society was filled with lovelessness, ugliness, and evil. As a seeker of love and beauty, Nazrul rebelled against everything that opposed these ideals. Wherever he saw chains of bondage—be it in society, the state, or religion—he became a revolutionary.

Nazrul’s first open expression of rebellion appeared in Agnibina, where each poem reverberates with defiance. To give voice to this rebellion, he drew upon both Hindu and Muslim histories and traditions. In the exuberance of youth, he employed metaphors and symbols from these traditions to craft his defiant tone in the poem Bidrohi (The Rebel). This poem created such a sensation that even today, the title “Rebel Poet” adorns his name like a royal honor. In this poem, he represents a collective rebellion through personal expression: “Speak, hero— Proclaim: My head is held high! I bow not before the Himalayas!”

He refers to himself as storm, whirlwind, madness, wild and indomitable. With a secular mind and a deep sense of tradition, he sharpened his political rebellion through Hindu symbols:

“I am the mighty axe of Parashuram,” or, “I am the rebellious Bhrigu who marks the chest of the god with my footprint.”

Elsewhere, he unites Hindu and Muslim imagery in a novel fusion:

“I grasp the hood of Basuki— I seize the fiery wings of Gabriel.” One major theme in his rebellion was the awakening of the Muslim community of his time. In several poems, he used Islamic history and heritage to express this. In the poem Anwar, he scolds his dormant community: “Anwar! Anwar! Whoever says ‘Muslim’—pull their tongue! These faithless ones care only to save their own lives!” Similarly, in Kamal Pasha, he calls for Muslim revival: “Who has died? Why mourn? He did the right thing! He gave his life to save the nation— Indeed, he did the right thing!”

The oppression of the weak, religious hypocrisy, and neglect of women turned Nazrul into a poet of humanity and equality, making these causes integral to his rebellion:

“I saw a railway coolie pushed aside by a Sahib— Tears welled in my eyes. Shall the weak be trampled like this across the world?”

He loved the farmers, workers, and laborers deeply, and wanted to free them from exploitation:

“Everywhere, the rich and merchant classes, Like leeches, suck the blood and steal the poor man’s food.”

His rebellion was rooted in love for the people and responsibility to the nation:

“Those who snatch away the food from the mouths of 33 crores, Let their destruction be written in my blood!”

At a time when the colonial rulers’ torture and barbarity against political prisoners had reached a peak, his rebellious voice roared:

“Break open the iron gates of the prison— Smash them down!”

He did not fear destruction, because from destruction rises new life—and only youth can accomplish this. His rebellion seeks to break the old and decayed to make way for new creation. He writes:

“Why do you fear destruction? From the pain of catastrophe comes new creation— The new arrives to slice away lifeless ugliness!”

Even these fierce lines are rooted in love, justice, and compassion for humanity. His rebellion is not one of annihilation, but of creation and transformation.

Nazrul was not a poet of any one religion. His sense of national and communal identity was innate. His rebellion arose entirely from the socio-political context of his time. Yet, it remains secular and rooted in tradition. While addressing the issues of his era, his rebellion also transcends time—it is universal. In his words:

“Only on the day When the cries of the oppressed are no longer heard, Only when the tyrant’s sword ceases to strike— Only then shall this great rebel be at peace.”

The glory and greatness of his rebellion lie in the fact that it will never rest until injustice is vanquished. It inspires the human spirit to rise and break all chains to achieve eternal progress.

Nazrul was first a lover, then a trumpet-blowing rebel. His fierce language of rebellion is tempered by tenderness and sweetness. Alongside proclamations like “I am Shiva the destroyer, I am creation and annihilation,” he writes:

“I am the fleeting glance of a secret lover, The clinking of bangles in a lively girl’s affection.”

When Nazrul advocates for women’s rights, his love and rebellion unite as complements:

“Whatever great and noble creation exists in the world, Half of it was done by women, the other half by men.”

This consciousness is the hallmark of his poetry—not conflict, but synthesis. In Nazrul’s poetry, love is not weakness—it is a source of strength; and rebellion is not destruction, but a struggle for justice infused with love.

In Nazrul’s poetry, love and rebellion never stand in opposition. Love gives rebellion empathy, and rebellion gives love strength and awareness. Both spring from the same source—love is selfless, and rebellion is just. This conflict-free love and rebellion have granted Nazrul a unique place in Bengali literature.

Author: Lecturer, Department of Bengali, Jawa Bazar Degree College, Chhatak, Sunamganj.