Lesson - 2 |
A04112 The Period of Sangam Literature |
Tamil has very ancient literary works
like Ettuthogai or the Eight Anthologies and Pathupaattu or the Ten Songs.
These eighteen works constitute Sangam Literature.
Sangam period in the history of Tamil literature is learnt
to be from 300 to 900 A.D. although some feel it precedes the age of Christ.
The ancient form of languages is said to be the poetic form as seen in other
classical languages such as Greek, Latin and Sanskrit. Those poems appeared
in anthologies. Many of the creative works were lost and the remnants of
individual poems are now available as Ettuthogai and Pathupaattu.
Ettuthogai comprises eight works namely Nattinai,
Kurunthokai, Aganaanuru, Iynkurunooru, Kalithokai, Puranaanooru,
Pathittupathu and Paripaadal. The first five works deal with Agam a kind of
literay genre which deals with highly idealistic form of human love. The
sixth and the seventh mentioned works describe the outer or social features
of Tamil culture called Puram. The last one Paripaadal combines Agam and
Puram reflecting the totality of Tamil life and culture.
Pathupaattu has ten long poetic works starting from
Thirumurukattuppadai and ending with Malaipadukadaam. Like Ettuthogai, these
works also deal with Agam and Puram. The contents of Mullaipaattu,
Kurinchipaattu, Pattinapaalai and Nedunalvaadai deal with Agam, i.e. the
higly idealistic form of human love. All the rest are about the social
culture of Tamil People.
Sangam literature as anthology of individual songs was
unique in the fact that the composers varied from kings to poets.
You will feel proud to learn about the sangam period when
there existed a great number of poets who explained the nuances of life in
Agam and Puram. |