Love and War: Classical Tamil Poetry

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

The present lecture is an introduction to Classical Tamil literature, dating back to the Sangam period (300 BCE to 300 CE), and contains a variety of poetry that explores themes of love and war. Love poetry of Sangam literature is known for its rich imagery, evocative language, structured presentation, and exquisite portrayal of emotions. It captures the essence of love in all its complexities, making it a timeless and universal theme. On the other hand, war poems depict the battlefield, warrior valor, strategy, and the impact of war on the lives of common people.

We can see that Love and War are often intertwined in classical Tamil poetry. Many works depict love as a battlefield where desire and longing are fought for and won.