- Prof. M.S.R. Anjaneyulu

Subbarao, a pioneer among the lyric poets of Andhra, was born on 13 March 1892 at Garlapadu in Guntur District. He belonged to a scholarly Brahmin family. He had his early traditional education from his maternal uncle, Avvari Subrahmanya Sastri, a great scholar. Sri Sastri taught him Sanskrit and Telugu. His aunt (mother’s younger sister) Ramadugu Narasamma, who had good literary taste and attainments, was a source of inspiration in his early years.

He had his schooling first at Bapatla and later at Rajahmundry. From 1908 onwards he stayed at Rajahmundry and completed high school education in 1910. His stay at Rajahmundry laid the foundation for his future greatness. It was here in 1909 that he published his first flower of the Kavyam Lalitha which was considered to be the first flower of the Romantic Telugu poetry. He discontinued his studies while he was a student of Intermediate at Nizam College, Hyderabad and left for Madras.

At Madras Subbarao joined as a member of the editorial board of Vijnana Sarvaswamu, to work under the guidance of its Editor ommaraju Lakshmanarao. This helped him to widen his range of knowledge and improve his intellectual faculties. Largely inspired by the poetic ecstasy of Rabindranath Tagore, Subbarao left for Santiniketan. His association with Rabindranath polished his flowering poetic genius. The splendid inspiration which he derived from Guru Dev is reflected in his literary achievements.

After his return from Santiniketan Subbarao worked as the Headmaster of a school at Manthena in Karimnagar district. On 4 September 1919 he joined Osmania University as a Lecturer in Telugu. In 1935 he because Reader and later on Professor. Be also served as the Principal of Arts & Science College, Warangal from 1947 to 1948. After his retirement from active service in 1950, he joined Sri Venkateswara University in 1956 as the first Honorary Professor of Telugu.

Starting as a traditionalist Subbarao heralded the new age in Telugu poetry. The English lyric poetry attracted him and influenced him. Apart from poetic embellishments and conventions he brought a change in his lyric poetry. He made an earnest attempt to divorce the lyric from sex-overtone and tune it to the vibrations of kindness, fellowship and friendship and other soft vibrations of the human heart. His delicate diction and tenderness of emotion brought into vogue the new school of poetry. He was a great lover and worshipper of Prakriti (nature). In his poetry there is a happy reconciliation of the classical style of expression with the modern outlook. His poetic conventions have won the encomiums from the classicists as well as modernists. He rendered signal service to Telugu poetry by propounding the new doctrine of’ Amalina Sringara’ (pure love which has cosmic significance).

Subbarao was also a great poet of patriotism. In his poems he gave an elevating picture of the glory of the land in its manifold aspects. His patriotic poems awakened a nationalist spirit among Andhras and exhorted them to revive the glory that was Andhra. The Andhra Movement inspired him and the fifth session of the Andhra Conference held at Nellore on 1 June 1917 saw the emergence of poetry of the patriotic sentiment. At this Conference misunderstandings developed and the delegates as well as the visitors were sharply divided on the issue of a separate Andhra province. It is said that the verses Prabhodam composed by Subbarao (and recited by Duggirala Gopalakrishnayya) cooled down the tempers and the resolution for a separate Andhra province was passed. No wonder he is known as the "Poet Laureate of Andhra Movement". However, his love for Andhra was no means narrow; his love extends to whole of India. "To Which every country you go, would where so ever your feet might tread, love the land of Bharat; there is I\P land like ours". So sang Subbarao long ago.

Subbarao was a prolific writer. A list of his more important books is given here: Lalitha, 1909; Trinakankanam, 1913; Tenugu thota, 1914; Snehalatha, 1914; Andhra Vali, 1916; Jadakuchchulu, 1925; Svapna Kumaramu, 1930; Kshatakamala, 1938; Madhuridarsanam, 1949; Kannepatalu, 1958; Misramanjari, 1963 and Ramvalokam.

Anumati, Dutamattebhamu, Madhukalasamu, Sundarakanda were his translations of Tennyson’s ‘Dora’, Kalidasa’s ‘Meghasandesam’, Omar Khayyam’s ‘Rubaiyat’, and Valmiki’s ‘Ramayana’ respectively. Uttararamacharitha, Sakuntala and Rupanavaneetam were his plays.

In his poems Lalitha, Snehalatha and Kashtakamala Subbarao depicted the sentiments of love and pathos with consummate skill. His Trinakankanam, in which he extolled the philosophical message of forbearance in the sorrowful moments of life, was applauded by literary critics as the prelude to Navya Kavita in Telugu literature. Andhravali, consisting of thirty three short poems under five heads, is an exhortatory poem. It recollects the vanished glory of Andhra and pays homage to the Telugu country and its worthy sons and daughters. Ramyalokam sums up his philosophy of poetry. Kannepatalu is a collection of occasional songs meant for the amusement and entertainment of children.

He was honoured on the eve of his Shastipurti celebrations by the students of Andhra University and leading personalities of the city at Visakhapatnam. All India Telugu Writers conference honoured him in 1960 at Hyderabad. In 1962 he received the Kendra Sahitya Academy award for his Kavyam Misramanjari. Andhra University conferred upon him ‘Kalaprapuma’ in 1977.

Subbarao made Telugu poetry to run into new phases and ways of thoughts that it had never reached before. His poetry is uniformly sweet and beautiful. He is one of the two poets who exercised great influence on the modern poets of this age. He has created a new era in Telugu literature.

Subbarao died in the small hours of 30 June 1984 at the ripe age of 92. c