Biography
Nobo Kissen Ghose popularly known as Ram Sharma, was a nineteenth-century Indo-Anglian poet who alternately criticized and praised the government in his poems and newspaper articles. He began his literary career in the 1860s but pursued steady writing only after his retirement from a government post in 1878. He practiced Yoga for 40 years.
Life and Career
Born at Pathuriaghata in Calcutta, son of Kailash Chandra Ghose-Nobo Kissen had his education at the Oriental Seminary school and was also privately coached by Capt Palmer.
Nobokissen drew attention of his near ones by his composition of English poems, very early from his school days for which Palmer endearingly called him the ?Young pope of Bengal. His ?Willow-Drops?, ?Hymnto Durga?, ?Potraits from-The Last Day?-paying his homage respectively to Lord Canning, Raja Rammohan Roy and David Hare and ?The ode in Welcome to Prince Albert?marked him out as a poet of great promise.
Known by his pen-name, Ramsharma?many of his writings, published in the Englishman, Mookherjee?s Magazine, Reisand Rayyet and the Indian Mirror-were highly critical of the days of British administration in India. As a consistent advocate of the rights of his countrymen he, vehemently opposed the Varnacular Press Act of 1878, the Municipal Bill of 1899?while he took-up the cudgels in favour of the Ilbert Bill in 1883. He turned out to be doggedly anti-British in his opposition to the Age of Consent Bill of 1891 and through his writings, he was never tired of propagating his message to his countrymen to give up use of British goods?much ahead of Swadeshi days of boycott movement. Died in 1918, he spent his last days in comparative obscurity.
Poetry
His poem, Ode on The Meeting of Congress at Allahabad, on 26 December, 1888 was considered one of his most powerful poems. Some of his other poems are:
Willow Drops, published 1874-75
Our Greetings to His Royal Highness Albert Victor of Wales, which first brought him to prominence
Siva Ratri, which has similarities to Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress
Bhagobati Gita, a Keatsian expression of Ram Sharma's mystical perceptions
The Last Day, a dream fantasy, together with Siva Ratri and Bhagobati Gita are the most expressive of Ram Sharma's genius and talent.
Unheard Melodies, a fluent and elegant expression of his deeper spiritual experiences
Mohinee
Stanzas to Lord Lytton's Infant Son
Song of the Indian Conservative
To Our Pseudo-social Reformers
India's Welcome---To Mr Bradlaugh and Her Other English Friends
India to Britain
To England
The Jolly Beggars
In Memoriam: Michael Madhusudan Dutt and A Prayer. ..
