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This lesson examines the distinctive features of Kannadasan’s prose. A poet of great repute, Kannadasan was born in Sirukoodal in Ramanathapuram district in 1927. He had very little formal schooling. However, from childhood he showed a great talent for writing poems and songs. He appeared on the literary scene as an accomplished poet. Though poetry was his forte, he was equally successful in handling other genres. His works include novels, novellas, short stories, plays, essays, philosophical treatises and autobiography. The greatness and beauty of his prose style are evident in these works.

The themes underlying the prose of Kannadasan are many. His writings are infused with strong nationalistic feelings. They reflect his deep-rooted passion for the Tamil language and culture. Many of his prose works trace the history of the Tamils and extol the greatness of their cultural heritage. His Dravidian identity also finds an expression in his prose. Philosophy, Hinduism, literary criticism and politics are a few predominant themes in his prose.

A gifted poet, Kannadasan’s prose resounds with poetic charm. He chiseled his prose with the tools of a poet. His natural felicity for poetic devices such as alliteration, collocations and metaphors can be seen in his prose too. In his brief but eventful literary career Kannadasan made significant contributions to Tamil prose. A versatile genius, he was a novelist, short story writer, orator, journalist, playwright, composer of film songs and scriptwriter. Kannadasan enriched Tamil prose with his vivid descriptions, pithy sentences, epithets and a rich metaphorical style. The simplicity and sweetness of his prose style have left an everlasting impression in the minds of several readers.