LANGUAGE IN INDIA

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Volume 25:9 September 2025
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Nazrul's The Rebel versus Shelley's Ode to the West Wind: Revolution and Freedom

Dr. Sanzida Rahman and
Farjana Khanum

Abstract

In the course of the study, this paper tries to make a justification of the revolutionary zeal which is prevalent throughout two legendary lyrics "Ode to the West Wind" and "The Rebel (Bidrohi)". Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind" and Kazi Nazrul Islam's "The Rebel (Bidrohi)" demonstrate the role of the poet as the voice of change and revolution. The two poems are superbly fabricated on their creators' credo "destruction" and "creation" revolting against old customs, society and authority, and vice versa ushering in the new establishments. Both poets rebelled against British rule. One did this against his own nation and another was against colonials. They are rebels and visionaries of change through the spirit of revolution, though it is not expressed in same ways. The rebel in "The Rebel (Bidrohi)", is a powerful young man and the reformer, in "Ode to the West Wind", the focus is an old man who is seeking help. Both use much imagery and metaphors from nature, religious books, myths and history to visualize the spirit of revolution which is the weapon of freedom against individual, political, economic and religious slavery. They were actually harbingers of Renaissance humanism. Hence, their voice of revolution and change have been universalized for all people of all ages who are deprived of their rights.

Keywords:Creation, Destruction, Freedom of the People, Spirit of revolution

Introduction

Both Kazi Nazrul Islam and Percy Bysshe Shelley have been recognized as poets of revolution and change for their poems, predominantly, "The Rebel (Bidrohi)", and "Ode to the West Wind" and are sometimes compared to one another in literary discussions regarding revolutionary spirit and rebel poets. Percy Bysshe Shelley was a Renaissance man of 19th century England. Like other Romantic poets of the age, he was also influenced by the humanistic doctrine of Italian renaissance and by the ideals (e.g. liberty, equality, and fraternity) of French revolution. Shelley's "Ode to West Wind" is the great work of English literature. In this poem, Shelley has invocated the west wind to come to help him in his reformative activities against all kinds of oppressions, inequalities, bondages, ignorance, and the hypocrisy of the higher class against subaltern. For his writing of political pamphlets to support the rights of common people, he had to stay in exile in Italy until his death to avoid government persecution and the poem "Ode to the West Wind" was created at that time from a bleeding heart addressing the west wind to spread the bloody message of reformation all over the world as the poet himself was unable.

On the other hand, the rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam emerged as the eminent renaissance poet of the 20th century Bengali Renaissance. At that time, Bengal was under British rule. The British ruled the Indian subcontinent along with many other parts of the world (e.g. Canada, United States of America, and Africa). In India, Nazrul was the first poet to protest against British authority and be sent to prison. Nazrul not only struggled against external colonialism and poverty but also revolted against internal bondages, e.g. the misunderstanding of orthodox Muslims, the tyranny of Maulavi, and the prevailing communalism between Hindus and Muslims in India. In his writings, he has advocated for humanism. He was very imaginative like Shelley, and a worshipper of beauty. The world has watched the rising of an evil planet around the dazzling sun of British rule in the publication of Nazrul's authoritative poem 'The Rebel'. For this poem, Nazrul is called "Bidrohi Poet". Anyone who reads this poem feels the flow of spirit of revolution in his vein. Both Shelley and Nazrul provided similar revolutionary messages in their poems, though they were from different political and social settings. Both were visionary of revolution. They believed in the same Renaissance humanism.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Dr. Sanzida Rahman
Associate Professor
Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology
Bangladesh
sanzidarahman@duet.ac.bd
&

Farjana Khanum
Assistant Professor
Department of English Language and Literature
Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University
Bangladesh
farjanak24@gmail.com

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