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Among
the four Dravidian languages, Malayalam, the language of Kerala, was the
last to form and acquire a character of it's own. One school of thought
traces it's origins to Sanskrit and another to Tamil.
Ezhuthachan's
work is a fine expression in Malayalam, of the Bhakti tradition. Known
as the father of Malayalam literature, his version of the Ramayana,
is read aloud in hundreds of hindu homes in Kerala. The influence of the
west began with the arrival of the Portugese. In the second half of the
18th century, Clement Patiri published the Samkshepa
Vedartham, the first printed book in Malayalam. Herman
Gundert, the renowned German missionary and Malayalam scholar par
excellence, is best remembered for his Malayalam-English dictionary, published in 1872.
poetry
The 19th century saw the
flowering of Malayalam poetry, in the courts of Swati
Thirunal.The period also produced the grammar works of 'Kerala Panini'
A.R.Raja Raja varma. His popular poem , Malayala Vilasam, marks the beginning
of the modern era of Malayalam poetry , according to scholars. But the
Golden Age undoubtedly, revolves around the the famous trinity of Kumaran
Asan, Ulloor S.Parameshwar Iyer and Vallathol Narayana Menon.Several
other poets followed - Nalappat Narayana Menon, Pallath Raman, Sardar K.M.panikkar and Balamani Amma, to name a few.
Contemporary malayalam poetry
is diverse and prolific, though critics say, it has lost the vibrancy and
eclectic passion of the 70's, when progressive radicalism swept in influences
from Soviet socialist realism to Latin American voices.But Malayalam
poetry is alive and kicking. Contemporary poets include O.N.V.Kurup,
Ayyappa Panikkar, Kadamanitta Ramakrishnan, Madhavikutty, Sugatha Kumari,
Kavalam Narayana Panikkar and Sachidananthan.
prose
The earliest Malayalam novel
was Kundalata, by T.M. Appu Nedungadi,
published in 1887.The historical novels of C.V.Raman Pillai, Chengalathu
Kunhirama Menon and Sardar K.M. Panikkar chronicle events in Kerala's growth
as a state. Malayalam literature did not take long to address the issues
of the masses.Thakazhi Sivasankaran Pillai, P.Keshavdev,
Vaikom Mohammed Basheer, S.K.Pottekkat and P.C.KuttiKrishnan spear
headed the break with traditionalism. The current generation of Malayalam
writers contain brilliant talents like O.V.Vijayan,
M.T.Vasudevan Nair, M.Mukundan, C.V.Shriraman and Zachariah, to
name a few. In addition to this, Arundhati Roy,
a budding writer from Kerala, has carved a niche for herself in the english
literary scene. |