ИСТИНА

The epoch of Modernism for Indian literature came later than to Europe. It happened due to historical development of India, formation of literature of a new type, necessity to overcome traditional literary forms and styles, and other reasons. In the paper, on the basis of analysis of poetry by prominent Hindi poet Mahadevi Varma (1907-2007), one of great poets of symbolic literary movement chhayaavaad, some special features of the early Indian Modernism will be discussed. Four collections of poetry by M.Varma, written in 1930-1939 – Nihar (Mist), Rashmi (Ray), Nirajaa (Born of water), Sandhyaa git (An evening song), later united in a poetical cycle Yaamaa (Time), and the last collection Deep shikhaa (Top of a flame), 1942 show a poetical evolution not only of Mahadeva Varma, but of ideology of Indian intelligentsia of the first part of the XX-th century. Idealistic perception of reality, poetical description of the world with the help of allusions, reminiscences based on a tradition of religious Bhakti poetry, understanding of a role and value of an individual in a system of the universe, an interest to inner world harmonize with a deep attention to a poetical form of her poetry. M.Varma herself illustrated her poems; her drawings correspond to European Art Nouveau style. Life of Mahadevi Varma as a representative of the Epoch of Indian Modernism is also special. Her role in feminist movement and women education in India, a contribution into development of Modernist prose and theory of poetry will be also discussed.