The importance of the Dutt family of Calcutta for the development of Indian poetry in English cannot be underestimated. The first anthology of English poems by Indians that appeared in the nineteenth century,

The Dutt Family Album

, was heavily indebted to Romantic and Victorian models (which were often directly referenced in the text of the poems themselves), and showed a marked reverence to Christian themes. It was published in 1870, when Govin Chunder Dutt, after having converted to Christianity, visited England and published the volume containing English poems by himself, his brothers Hur Chunder Dutt and Greece Chunder Dutt, and a cousin, Oomesh Chunder Dutt.

It was this particular family background that would exercise a lasting influence on Toru Dutt, born in 1856 as Govin Chunder

2061 words

Citation: Pulugurtha, Nishi. "Toru Dutt". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 26 March 2007 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1364, accessed 19 March 2024.]

1364 Toru Dutt 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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