Of the living poets சிற்பி is a remarkable person who served as a Professor of Tamil in Bharathiar University in Tamil Nadu. This lesson analyses the content of his poems which includes humanitarianism and involvement in nature.

    The five middle units of this lesson present a life sketch of சிற்பி, his principles, the qualities of his poems, his treatment of society and world’ in his poems and the enjoyable sweetness of his creation.

    சிற்பி is the pen name of Prof.Bala subramaniam born at ஆத்துப் பொள்ளாச்சி in Coimbatore District, on 29.7.1936. His education at the Annamalai University, his research comparing Bharathiar with the Malayalam poet வள்ளத்தோள், his service as Professor of Tamil in a college and then in the University at Coimbatore are traced in this unit. Trained in traditional poetics, சிற்பி became a contributor of புதுக்கவிதை like மீரா, அப்துல் ரகுமான், அபி, நா.காமராசன், தமிழன்பன், இன்குலாப், மு.மேத்தா and others. All of them were teachers of Tamil and also poets. சிற்பி’s works from நிலவுப்பூ of 1963 to இறகு of 1996 show a variety of poems including the poetic drama ஆதிரை. He still writes not only poems but also prose works. National, State, University and other organisational awards show his eminence among contemporary Tamil poets.

    Poetry should have as its theme the welfare of the society and problems of life. This idea attracted a number of young poets and a movement was started and a magazine was floated both by the name வானம்பாடி. சிற்பி was in the forefront. He declares himself as a child of the tradition and a friend of novelty. To him “writing is the blood and poems are the lips of time”. According to him poems should have a spread across race, language and country. upholding humanism.

    His poems therefore embellish human relations and real beauty. His poetic revolution is not crushing the limits of language but breaking the aristocracy reigning supreme in the language. His poem தாஜ்மஹால் is an excellent example of this.

    He criticises casteism and social discrimination between the rich and the poor; he shares his desire to create a new world.

    His humour in கன்னியாகுமரி can be enjoyed in his usage of a phrase like முற்றிப்போன சூரியன்.

    From this lesson you will be attracted towards the controversy between traditional poetry and modern poems and also know how சிற்பி settled himself between them.