Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c11.s4.4

c11.s4.4

The spirit and outlook were changed, but the new movement, even with the accession of romantic, emotional and legendary material, failed to break away from the extreme and affected classicality of the decadent Sanskrit Kāvya and evolve its own independent and appropriate form of expression. The attempt was obviously discouraged by the older recognised Kāvya tradition, which had its established modes and models, laws and means; and it was certainly not assisted by the creation of a fresh series of rhetorical and psychological formulas and dogmatic theological shibboleths. There was, therefore, no freedom of conception and treatment, but a methodical practice of conventional art and artifice, as well as conformity to an elaborate system of sectarian commonplaces and conceits. Suckled in a poetic creed outworn, as well as in a theological creed newborn, the writers seldom create new poetic forms, which would admit of beautiful expression of memorable poetic thought and feeling. With inherited affluence and considerable talent for elaborate composition, they are assiduous, erudite and conscientious; but the greatest of them is scarcely a poet; he is a consummate versifier who sums up all the tradition of poetic art that can be learnt by a clever and industrious artisan. They suggest craftsmanship rather than creation, facility rather than freedom, immense and varied learning rather than vigour and versatility of spontaneous inspiration.