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.



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