Toru Dutt : Toru Dutt was a Bengali Translator and one of the famous early Indian English Poetess. She was born on 4th of march 1856 and died on 30 August 1877. Though, she dead in pre-mature stage but she had made a mark in the field of literature. 

Name: Toru Lata Dutt ( Nick name- Toru Dutt)

Born: 4th March, 1856

Birth Place: Culcutta, Bengal. British India ( 12 Maniktollah Street, Rambagan)

Died: 30 August, 1877 (aged 21)

Death Place: Culcutta, Bangal. British India 

Resting Place: Maniktalla Christian Cemetery 

Occupation: Poetess, Translator 

Father: Govind Chandra Dutt

Mother: Kshetramoni Dutt

Language Known: Bengali, Sanskrit, French, and English.  

Brother: Abju, died in 1865 (aged 14)

Sister: Aru, died in 1874 (aged 20)

Cousin: Romesh Chandra Dutt ( a writer and an Indian civil servant)

Toru Dutt' s additional information: 

• Her family converted to christianity in 1862.
• She went to Europe with her family in 1869. They stayed in France for one year and in England for 3 years. 
• They came back to India in 1873. 

Toru Dutt's Biography

Toru Dutt was a great British Indian English poetess and a translator. She has been called the first major Indian English poetess. She had translated many French poems into English. She had knowledge of four languages which are Bengali, Sanskrit, French and English. She influence the British romantic poets. 

Toru Dutt was born in a Bengali family on 4 March, 1856 in Calcutta, Bengal, British India. Her full name was Toru Lata Dutt. She was the third and the youngest child of Govind Chandra Dutt and Kshetramoni Dutt. Her father and grandfather both had a good post under British Indian Government. Her mother, Kshetramoni Dutt had an immense knowledge of Sanskrit and  Indian mythological stories. Her parents also used to write poetry and stories. The immense knowledge of Sanskrit of her mother led Toru Dutt to create intetest in Sanskrit language and she had learnt much about ancient Indian mythological stories from her mother.

Toru Dutt had a sister Aru and a brother Abju. Aru died in 1874 at the age of 20 and Abju died in 1865 at the age of 14. Toru Dutt had unboundable love and affection for her siblings so the death of brother and sister depressed her deeply. She was very close to her sister Aru. She had helped her to translate French poems into English.

Toru Dutt's family was one of the rich and English educated family of Calcutta, Bengal, British India. Dutt family was so much effected and influenced by the Christian missionaries so they converted to Christianity in 1862 when Toru Dutt was only six years old. Firstly, Toru Dutt's mother opposed it but later she agreed. In 1869, Dutt family went to Europe were they stayed for four years. They spent one year in France and other three years in England. They visited Germany and Italy as well. While living in France Toru Dutt learnt French and in England she learnt English language.

Toru Dutt was so much effected by the European culture so when she came back to India in 1874 she was facing trouble to accept the Indian culture. Toru Dutt died in 1877 at the age of 21 due to tuberculosis. Though she died at the pre mature stage but she had made her mark in the field of literature. 

Toru Dutt's poems are original and genuine in the perfect sense of the terms. Her poems are also qualified by quite strength deep emotion and an awareness of Indian thought and culture. It was really unfortunate that she died at the age of twenty one: had she lived long she would have made great contribution to Indo- English poetry. It is only in the fitness of things that Sri Aurobindo pays ample tributes to Toru Dutt as a poetess. 

Toru Dutt's Work

1.) A Sheaf Gleaned in French Fields:
First edition: It was a volume of 165 French poems which she translation into English. It was her first work that was published by Saptahik Sambad Press of Bhawanipore in 1876. There was neither a preface nor an introduction in this first edition.
Second edition: It was published for the second time in 1878. It included a memoir of Toru Dutt by her father. This new edition contained 30 fresh translations.
Third edition: It was published in 1880 by Messrs Kegan Poul in London.

2.) Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan published in 1882.

3.) Bianca or the Young Spanish Maiden:
It was published in 1878. It was an English novel which was founded by her father in her room and her father made it published.

4.) Le Journal De Mademoiselle D' Arvers:  published in 1889. It was a French novel which her father found in her room after her death. 

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