Michael Madhusudan Dutt, was a celebrated l" century Bangalee poet and

dramatist. He was born in Sagordari on the bank of thc Kopotaksho River, a

village in Keshabpur Upazila under Jashore district.

From an early age, Michael aspired to be an Englishman in form and manner.

Though he was born in a sophisticated Ilindu family. he converted to

Christianity as a young man, much to the ire of his family, and adopted the

first name Michael. In his childhood, he was

recognised by his teachers as a precious child with a

gift of literary talent. His early exposure to English

education and European literature at home and his

college inspired him to imitate the English in taste,

manners and intellect.

Since his adolescence he started believing that he was

born on the wrong side Of the planet, and that his

society was unable to appreciate his talent. He also

believed that the West would be more receptive to his

creative genius.

Madhusudan was an ardent follower of the famous English poet Lord Byron. So

after adopting Christianity, he went to Europe and started composing poems and

plays in English. They showed his higher level of intellectual ability. Ilowever,

he failed to gain the right appreciation. TO his utter frustration he {Ound that he

was not esteemed as a native wHter of English literature. Out of his frustration,

he composed a sonnet in Bangla "Kopotaksha Nad" which earned him huge

reputation in Bangla. Gradually he could realise that his tme identity lay in

Bengal and he was a sojourner in Europe. Afterwards he regretted his fascination

for England and the West. He came back to Bengal and devoted himself to

Bangla literature from this period. He has written the first Bangla epic Meghnad

Badh Kabya,