Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/196

 166 BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. [ Cha The Man- tutes the great value of the Mangal-gan. The fullest’ gal Gans create Epic poets. appreciation which are the main stimulus to poets, room is left to individual genius, and that fame and | are given in their utmost measure by the rapt audi- ence vastly experienced in this form of composi-— tion and ready. to listen, spell-bound, for hours, if necessary to a Gayak of unusual powers. It is thus. easy to see how every performance of a Mangal represents the net result of the whole past ex- i perience of the Chief Gayen and his chorus, in appealing to their audiences. Each has acted and reacted on the other for many years, and a very successful form of Mangal will become more or less stereotyped, though not beyond the possibility of added refinement, and will be handed down from father to son, from teacher to disciple, from master-singer to student or apprentice, generation after generation. Supposing now some great poet to arise,—some Homer or Valmiki—these floating: tales and songs and ballads will be woven by him, with his unique combination of critical and creative genius, Into a strong coherent shape. Definition and form are given to this. Atsuch a moment it may be written down, weeded of its vernacular im- purities, its popular grossness or chance vulgarities, but throbbing with the strong svmpathies and dra- matic instinct of the common people who gave birth to it. At this point, it appears as if the im- possible had taken place. The world receives a new epic and it bears on its front a single poet’s name. It is owing to this popularization of old stories by the professional rhapsodists that there is still a ~ possibility of epic poems being written 11 this