Telugu Free Verse Poet —Professor Madiraju Ranga Rao

Professor Madiraju Ranga Rao (8 June 1935 – 21 June 2025) was a celebrated Telugu poet, scholar, and literary critic who pioneered the Swecchaa Kavitvamu (free verse poetry) movement in Telugu literature. Born in Pandithapuram, Yellandu, Khammam district, he earned his Ph.D. from Osmania University with a thesis on the poetics of Kavitrayam and went on to serve as Senior Professor and Dean at Kakatiya University (1968–1995). Read his full biography and academic career.

Over a career spanning six decades, he authored more than 160 Telugu free verse poetry collections and 20 literary criticism books, publishing one free verse collection every month for decades. He believed that free verse was the natural literary voice of a democratic society — a conviction he proved through his prolific output and comparative analyses of John Donne's metaphysical poetry alongside classical Telugu traditions.

His honours include the Best Modern Poetry Award from Telugu University (1993), the Best Teacher Award (1992), and a Senior Fellowship from the Department of Culture, Government of India (2004–06). After his passing, his family established the Madiraju RangaRao Literature Center, which awards annual prizes to distinguished Telugu and Sanskrit scholars.