The Poetic Tradition of SangamAkam Poems

சங்கஇலக்கிய அகப்பாடல்களின் கவிதை மரபு

Abstract

Every work of art is created within the worldly circumstances of its creator. Thus, a literary creation always expresses a subtle relationship between nature and human life. A great literary work is not merely a portrayal of an individual’s feelings; instead, it captures universal emotions and collective human experiences. The reader’s comprehension of a text is grounded in their own nature, as they engage with literature from a context shaped by society, life history, and the broader environment.

In today’s literary landscape, critical frameworks such as postmodernism, contemporaneity, realism, feminism, and Dalit studies are given primary importance and discussed widely. Alongside these, Tholkappiyar’stinai-based conceptual framework—which integrates landscape, time, society, life, and human emotions (mudhal, karu, uri)—encompasses the essential elements of poetic creation. No literary work can possess foundational elements without these features. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the poetic theory that centers on tinai, embodying the culture and philosophy of the Tamil people and their land.

Restoring the lost history of Tamil heritage is a current necessity. The clarity of Sangam literature is defined through Tholkappiyam. The explanations offered for Sangam literature are primarily rooted in the grammatical and literary traditions of Tholkappiyam. Thus, this article aims to examine the poetic tradition described by Tholkappiyam by analyzing the poetic creation found in the Sangamakam anthologies such as Narrinai, Kurunthogai, Akananuru, and Ainkurunuru.