Kedarnath Singh (7 July 1934 – 19 March 2018) was an Indian poet who wrote in Hindi.[1] He was also an eminent critic and essayist. He was awarded theJnanpith Award (2013),Sahitya Akademi Award (1989) in Hindi for his poetry collection,Akaal Mein Saras (Cranes in Drought).
Kedar Nath Singh's poetry is characterized by simple, everyday language and images that string together to convey complex themes. One of his major poems isBagh, a long poem with the tiger as its central character. Published in the mid 1980s, the poem remains one of the most widely read long poems in Hindi literature and is included in many university curricula. At some level,Bagh bears a striking resemblance toTed Hughes'Crow, but the two remain independent in their treatment and scope. “He was a poet of both presence and absence, of love and loss, of anxieties and questions...," said culture critic and poet Ashok Vajpayee.(5)[4]
The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the 49th Jnanpith Award to Shri Kedarnath Singh, at a function, in New Delhi on November 10, 2014
Poem Collection: Abhi Bilkul Abhi, Zameen pak Rahi Hai, Yahan se Dekho, Akaal mein Saaras, Baagh, Tolstoy aur cycle
Essay and Stories: Mere Samay ke Shabd, Kalpana aur chhayavad, Hindi kavita mein bimb vidhan, Kabristan mein Panchayat
He died on 19 March 2018 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi at the age of 83. He had been admitted to the hospital after complaining of stomach pain.[6][7]
