Misplaced Pages

Chhayavad (Hindi: छायावाद) (approximated in English as "Romanticism", literally "Shaded") refers to the era of Neo-romanticism in Hindi literature, particularly Hindi poetry, 1922–1938, and was marked by an increase of romantic and humanist content. Chhayavad was marked by a renewed sense of the self and personal expression, visible in the writings of the time. It is known for its leaning towards themes of love and nature, as well as an individualistic reappropriation of the Indian tradition in a new form of mysticism, expressed through a subjective voice.

Period

Chhayavad Yug dates from 1918 to 1937. It was preceded by Bharatendu Yug (1868–1900) and Dwivedi Yug (1900–1918) and was followed by the Contemporary Period from 1937 onward.

Chhayavad continued until the latter half of the 1930s, when the golden era of modern Hindi poetry was gradually replaced by social didacticism inspired by rising nationalist fervour. Some of the later poets of this era, like Dinkar, Mahadevi and Bachchan took nationalist and social critiquing within their poetry.

Notable authors

Jaishankar Prasad, Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala', Sumitranandan Pant and Mahadevi Varma are considered as the four pillars of the Chhayavadi school of Hindi literature. Other important figures of this literary movement were Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar', Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Makhanlal Chaturvedi and Pandit Narendra Sharma.

Harivansh Rai Bachchan became excessively critical of Chhayavad later in his career and was associated with other genres like Rahasyavaad, Pragativaad and Haalaavaad.

Notable works

Jaishankar Prasad's Kamayani (1936) is considered an important work of this school, followed by Mahadevi Varma's Nihar (Mist, 1930) and Harivansh Rai Bachchan's Madhushala (1935).

Criticism of Chhayavad

Initially, Chhayavad was very well received by readers and critics alike. However, subsequent scholars have criticized Chhayavad for excessive use of decorative language, romanticism aloof from contemporary social and economic malaise, and setting stricter rules on meter and rhyme.

Notes

1. ^ Hindi Language
2. Historical Development of Hindi Archived 14 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
3. "Chhayavaadi Movement". Archived from the original on 2 July 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2008.

References

• Romantic Poetry in the Era of Convention
• Chhayavad study in The Journal of the American Oriental Society, Jul 1, 2001
• 1 Now available in Vani Prakashan, New Delhi

v t e Schools of poetry
Acmeism Akhmatova's Orphans Angry Penguins Auden Group The Beats Black Arts Movement Black Mountain poets British Poetry Revival Cairo poets Castalian Band Cavalier poets Chhayavaad Churchyard poets Conceptismo Confessionalists Créolité Cubo-Futurism Culteranismo Cyclic Poets Dada Deep image Della Cruscans Dolce Stil Novo Dymock poets Ecopoetry Ego-Futurism The poets of Elan Flarf Fugitives Garip Gay Saber Generation of '27 Generation of the '30s Generation of '98 Georgian poets Goliard The Group Harlem Renaissance Harvard Aesthetes Hungry generation Imaginism Imagism Informationist poetry İkinci Yeni Jindyworobaks Lake Poets Language poets Marinism Martian poetry Metaphysical poets Misty Poets Modernist poetry The Movement Négritude Neotericism New American Poetry New Apocalyptics New Formalism New York School Oberiu Objectivists Others Parnassian poets La Pléiade Précieuses Rhymers' Club San Francisco Renaissance Scottish Renaissance Sicilian School Sons of Ben Southern Agrarians Spasmodic poets Sung poetry Surrealism Symbolism Uranian poetry Zutiste
Poetry portal

This article about the literature of India is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

• Hindi literary movements
• Neo-romanticism
• 20th-century Indian literature
• Indian literature stubs