Aesthetic Principles in the Akananūru Mullai Thinaip Poems

அகநானூறு முல்லைத்திணைப் பாடல்களின் அகத்திணைக் கொள்கைகள்

Abstract

The rich Tamil literary corpus, composed of poems by numerous poets, has faced the threat of destruction over time due to natural calamities like floods, the passage of time, and human ignorance. Among these, those lost to floods were the greatest in number. To preserve what could be saved, Tamil scholars undertook the effort of collecting these poems, organizing them much like compiling flowers into a garland. During this compilation, they considered factors such as meter, thematic structure, and style. The organized collections became the Ettuthokai and Pathuppattu anthologies. Among these, the Ettuthokai is particularly esteemed and often referred to as the Eight Great Anthologies (Enperuntokai). Although many poets’ names have been lost, scholars attributed names to the anonymous authors based on unique expressions, metaphors, or signature phrases in the poems. Such names include Anilādu Muntrilār, Sembuḷap Peyalnīrār, Kuppaikkōḻiyār, and Kākkai Pāṭiniyār, among others.