Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) is acclaimed as the greatest writers in the Bengali language. He wrote brilliantly in every conceivable literary genre, and was also a composer and painter. His songs are the national anthems of two countries: India and Bangladesh. He became the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize when his book, Gitanjali, was honored by the Swedish Academy in 1913. Tagore was a multifaceted genius, and he is recognized as the greatest cultural figure of modern India.