Literary anthology
THAMIZHAVAN KATTURAIKAL 1 — Irubathaam Nootraandu Kavithai (Tamil): Compiled by Shanmuga Sundaram; Kaavya, 16, 2nd Cross Street, Trustpuram, Kodambakkam, Chennai-600024. Rs. 300.
PKR
This book is a collection of 33 essays on 20th century poetry written by the author on different occasions. It is a necessary and welcome task to make a critical survey of 20th century poetry. Most of the poems of that period do have some political colour directly or indirectly. The author has studied the poems with the necessary level of political awareness. He is also aware of his commitment to political ideology and literary approaches.
An extensive work of this kind with regard to the 20th century poetry is not an easy job for the following reasons: the mass of poetic material written during this period is enormously large; the themes of the poetry are multifarious with different backgrounds and purposes, and new literary theories have influenced the poets.
However, Thamizhavan has achieved this due to his 35- year-long association with Tamil poetry at different levels. All the essays, one way or the other, speak about poetry; but, we cannot say that they are all homogeneous and harmonious.
Critical examination
In general, the book presents a brief account of poetry in the 20th century, speaks about poetry and poetic form, analyses the ballads that were produced in this period, and critically examines the new poetry.
We also find some interesting observations on sex and violence, brief discussion on the narrative technique, sample applications of linguistic approaches to literary studies and an attempt at practical criticism of a few pieces of new poetry.
The renowned poets such as Bharati, Bharathidasan, Kavimani Desika Vinayagam Pillai, Sa. Tu. Su. Yogi, Kaviyogi Suddhananda Bharathiyar and Kannadasan have been chosen for elaborate discussion in respect of traditional poetry while leading poets such as Gnanakkuththan, Kalapriya, Atmanam, Ingulab, Metha and Kamarasan are chosen for critical study in respect to new poetry.
It should be clearly mentioned here that the following points would draw the attention of the readers and make them react: the undue attacks on Tamil poetry and Tamil community at the very outset of the book; the author seems to have developed some kind of aversion to Tamil prosody; those who have given forewords to young poets are attacked by the author which is unwarranted; the language used to refer to Namakkallar (Namakkal Kavignar Ve. Ramalingam Pillai) is not in good taste; the statement regarding the historical events in the conference of National Congress at Kancheepuram in 1925 is misleading and erroneous; the comments on the poems by Kavimani are unfair and indecent; the author’s reference to the king-poet Kopperunchozhan of Sangam age looks quite impertinent, and his statements on the contribution of new poetry appear to be a gross underestimation.
Instead he could have paid more attention to the language and presentation of the ideas in the book. The originality and the quality of the contents are, no doubt, appreciably good. It is a welcome addition to the field of Tamil poetry.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Book Review
