LESSON - 1
P10331 சிற்றிலக்கியம் - ஓர் அறிமுகம்

    One of the literary genres in Tamil is சிற்றிலக்கியம். This classification is explained by tracing the origin of the word சிற்றிலக்கியம் and by comparing the works that come under this group with those called பேரிலக்கியம். The different types of literature of this genre are also dealt with. The reasons for the rise of சிற்றிலக்கியம், besides their special qualities, are presented in this lesson.

    The four middle units of this lesson, apart from the first introductory and the last summerising unit, deal with these aspects.

    In the second unit you will learn about சிற்றிலக்கியம் and its comparison with well-known works of பேரிலக்கியம். சிற்றிலக்கியம் is shorter in terms of the number of stanzas or the number of lines in a poem. கோவை deals with the aspects of personal life or the social life, called துறை. God, or a king or a philanthropist is treated as the patron of a work of this category. Of the four ideals of Tamil cultural life such as அறம், பொருள் etc., only one is offered as the theme in a சிற்றிலக்கியம். தூது, உலா, பிள்ளைத்தமிழ், கலம்பகம், கோவை, குறவஞ்சி etc., constitute this special class of Tamil literature. Initially called பிரபந்தம், a term derived from Sanskrit, it was called சிற்றிலக்கியம் in course of time. It is said that there are 96 kinds of works included in சிற்றிலக்கியம். 15th to 19th centuries form the period when the rich literature called சிற்றிலக்கியம் flourished.

    In the third unit சிற்றிலக்கியம் is classified according to the poetic subject dealt with in the work, the number of poems in each work and the manner of eulogising people. அந்தாதி, வெண்பா, இன்னிசை, நேரிசை, அகவல் are the metres employed in சிற்றிலக்கியம். The folklore and folk games and the music designed for singing the poems are also the bases for the classification of சிற்றிலக்கியம்.

    The need to record the social changes, the urge to glorify one or the other aspect of life as a complete work, and the inspiration for the creation of new literature, and the necessity for exhibiting the poetic talents are the prominent causes for the rise of a new genre called சிற்றிலக்கியம்.

    The fifth unit brings out the special qualities of சிற்றிலக்கியம். Long tradition from sangam period till date, hundreds of works contributing to the literary development in Tamil, multi-religious approaches adopted by several authors, the figures of speech employed in these works, the range of poetic subjects from a commoner to the almighty, the forms of folk arts and literature, the social, political and cultural history of the Tamils, etc., can be attested in சிற்றிலக்கியம்.

    You will certainly appreciate this unique form of literature specially developed in Tamil language.