In the second decade of this century, Kannada literature saw the birth of a great creative movement called the Romantic Revolt, when a whole new world was opened up for poetry, and the lyric replaced the clatter and clang of the decadent epic narrative. It was given to a professor of English, B. M. Srikantayya, and his translation of some sixty lyrics from English poets to blaze this new trail in Kannada.
Srikantayya was a great poet and orator. He was a great dreamer, too. He dreamt of a new literature and also of a new state of the Kannada-speaking people. With his fervid love of Karnataka, its language and its people and with a profound influence on them, he roused Kannadigas from their apathy and realized both the dreams for them.
It was his rebellion against the old that has made other new rebellions since his time possible in Kannada.
THE late Professor B. M. Srikantayya was my teacher TH when I was in the B. A. and M. A. classes. In a sense l have never ceased to be his student since many things he said and did have been an abiding influence in my life. I have here attempted a study of his personality and work. I hope I have brought to bear on it the objectivity which he valued so highly.
For some of the biographical matter in this book I am in debted to Professor S. V. Ranganna's B. M. Srikantia, published by the Institute of Kannada Studies, University of Mysore.
Srikantayya spelt his name thus: 'Srikantia'. I have spelt it 'Srikantayya' because I think this spelling will make it easier to non-Kannadigas to catch the correct pronunciation of the name.
The passages which I have put into English for purposes of illustration are not meant to be verse translations.
I am grateful to the Sahitya Akademi for giving me this opportunity of recalling to memory the life and work of a great man who led an epoch-making movement in Kannada literature.
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