B.M. Srikantayya - Part 1 -Eng
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In the second decade of the twentieth century, Kannada literature saw the birth of a great creative movement called the Romantic Revolt. It was a Professor of English whose translation of some sixty lyrics from English poets pleases the new trial in Kannada. A great poet and a dreamer too dreamt of new literature and also of a new state of the Kannada speaking people with his fervid loud of Karnataka. BM Srikantayya’s gigantic efforts were acknowledged to have unified the Kannada linguistic fraternity. The last two centuries nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth(1832 to 1910) have seen the birth of very eminent literary luminaries in Kannada like Panje Mangeshwara Rao, D.V Gundappa, Masti Venkatesha Iyengar, K.V Puttappa, D.L Narshimhachaar, and T.N Sreekanth but one among them who could be singled out for his spectacular imagination, Limitless ambition and magnificient vision for Kannada and it’s people was B M Srikantayya. A great man gifted with imagination insight who could comprehend the situation at a glance correlate all the forces at work and march triumphantly to a clearly perceived end. It was BM Srikantayya who did service to Kannada and led an epoch making movement in Kannada literature. He got an opportunity to deliver a lecture at the Karnataka Vidyavaradaka sangha at Dhaarwaad in 1911. He presented a very thoughtful clear and dispassionate analysis of the problems, Kannada had to face drawing up the blueprint of what had to be done to prepare the way for the creation of new literature. In spite of a reputation spread far and wide, the development of Kannada remained his focus. His most popular lecture “Kannada Maathu Thaleyattuva page’’ reveals that BM Sri had several thoughts to bring a new dimension to the Kannada language. He experimented, with how colloquial words could be adopted in Kannada poetic language. It was always at the back of his mind to find ways that Kannada to attain the place of pride. His patriotism towards his motherland and mother tongue can be seen in his poetic collection ‘Honganasugalli’.
English Geethegalu, is translation and transcreation too. He has tried new experiments. The usage of meters and rhymes are free verse style duly inspired by English Literature. He has blended meters to get both melody and also readability. Many feel it, as mere a translation but BM sri has set-in motion poetic experimentations in Kannada utilizing the western inspiration to bring in new dimensions.