This lesson discusses the works of Barathiyaar, one of the most celebrated poets in Tamil literature. A radical thinker, Barathiyaar revived Tamil poetry through daring experimentation in style and themes. He lived during the height of the freedom struggle and through his writings inspired a spirit of nationalism among the masses. He championed the cause of women's liberation.

Born in Ettayapuram in 1882, Barathiyaar was called Subramanian. He took to writing at a very early age. The poets at the Ettayapuram Samasthanam awarded him the title "Barathi" in recognition of his poetic talents when he was barely 11 years old. He studied Sanskrit and Hindi at the Kasi Hindu Kalasalai. He worked for various prominent newspapers and journals of his time. His writings during this period reflected his political ideologies and strong views against the British Empire.

Barathiyaar believed in the equality of women. Women's liberation is a recurrent theme underlying many of his poems. His poems depict woman as "Shakthi", the goddess who is the source of all creative energy. Barathi's modern woman ie., (puthumai penn) is a confident, intelligent and talented individual ready to face the challenges of the world. Woman, Barathi insists, is the complement of man and any society that accords inferior status to her cannot progress. Men and women, he wrote, must be governed by the same ethics and codes of conduct. He strongly condemned the societal codes that were partial to men. He saw education as a great liberating force and reiterated that women can win their freedom only through education.