Modern Poetry
Modern Poetry Movement - 13 Key Poets: N. Pichamurthy, C.S. Chellappa, Dharumu Sivaramu, Pasuvaiya, R. Meenakshi, C. Mani, Si.Ra.Pi, Mu.Metha, Erode Tamilanban, Abdul Rahman, Kalaipriya, Kalyanji, Gnanakoothan
Learning Content
Pudukavitha Movement - 13 prominent poets
Pudukavitha - Tamil Literary Revolution
The Pudukavitha movement that emerged in the 1960s revolutionized the world of Tamil poetry. It is a new form of poetry that frees from the traditional shackles like khokhai monai and seer adi and expresses free imagination, social awareness and individual feelings.
Duration:1960-1990 (Key Period)
Poets:13 key personalities
Specialty:Unconventional, independent, socially conscious poetry
Main Features of Pudukavitha
1️⃣ Legacy Missing Structure
- Without any molasses
- Seer beats without restriction
- Free form
2️⃣ Thematic diversity
- Social awareness
- Individual feelings
- Problems of modern life
3️⃣ language style
- Simple spoken language
- Modern words
- Symbols, metaphors
4️⃣ Poetry magazines
- sky dance
- Writing
- Cancer
13 Poets - Quick View
| VA | Poet | birth | Key sign | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N. Pichamurthy | 1920 | Pioneer of New Poetry | Breaking tradition |
| 2 | C. Su Chellappa | 1921 | Novelist, poet | Serious poetry |
| 3 | Darumu Sivaramu | 1925 | Revolutionary poet | Labor poetry |
| 4 | cow | 1927 | Rational poet | Social justice |
| 5 | I. Meenakshi | 1930 | Feminist poet | Women's liberation |
| 6 | C. Mani | 1932 | Nature poet | Natural love |
| 7 | C.P | 1933 | A modern poet | Symbols |
| 8 | M. Mehta | 1934 | Philosophical poet | philosophy |
| 9 | Erode Tamilanban | 1936 | Social critic | Satire |
| 10 | Abdul Rahman | 1937 | Vaanapadi teacher | Humanity |
| 11 | Calabria | 1938 | Feminist writer | Short story, poem |
| 12 | Kalyanji | 1942 | Children's literature | Children's poetry |
| 13 | Wisdom | 1945 | Contemporary poet | Modern life |
13 Modern Poetry Poets - Detailed Comparison
| Poet | year of birth | Key sign | Key texts | Collections of poems | Special series | Journal work | Awards | theme |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N. Pichamurthy | 1920 | Pioneer of New Poetry | Thoughts of time, empty land | 10+ | "I came to break the tradition" | Writing | Sahitya Academy (1972) | A break with tradition, a revolution |
| C. Su Chellappa | 1921 | Novelist, poet | Vadivasal, Bharati and Sangha Literature | 5+ | "To be serious" | Cancer | Sahitya Academy (1974) | Valor, culture |
| Darumu Sivaramu | 1925 | Revolutionary poet | Thoughts tending to the statue | 15+ | "Labor Struggle" | Deepam | Many Tamil awards | Labor, Society |
| cow | 1927 | Rational poet | Glass Country, Poems of Pasuvaiya | 12+ | "Reason is Lord" | Samadharma | Ambedkar Award | Social justice, rationality |
| I. Meenakshi | 1930 | Feminist poet | Female voice, towards the dawn | 8+ | "Freedom for Woman" | Writing | Women's Awards | Women's liberation |
| C. Mani | 1932 | Nature poet | Leaves and flowers speak | 10+ | "Nature is my Lord" | Cancer | Tamil Nadu Government Award | Nature, love |
| C.P | 1933 | A modern poet | Sculpture Poems, City | 7+ | "Meaning in Symbols" | sky dance | Sahitya Academy | Symbols, city life |
| M. Mehta | 1934 | Philosophical poet | Mehta Poems, Philosophical Thoughts | 9+ | "The Meaning of Life" | Writing | Literary lion | Philosophy, life |
| Erode Tamilanban | 1936 | Social critic | Satirical poems, social comedy | 6+ | "Poison in Comedy" | Cancer | Kalaimamani | Satire, Social Criticism |
| Abdul Rahman | 1937 | Vaanapadi teacher | India and Tamil, Humanistic Poems | 11+ | "Humanity is religion" | Vaanapadi (Author) | Sahitya Academy (1987) | Humanity, Multiculturalism |
| Calabria | 1938 | Feminist writer | Calabria Poems, Short Stories | 5+ | "Female Identity" | Writing | Women's Literary Award | Women's liberation, short story |
| Kalyanji | 1942 | Children's poet | Children's poems, counting and writing | 8+ | "Poetry for Children" | Children's magazines | Tamil Nadu Government Award | Children's literature |
| Wisdom | 1945 | Contemporary poet | Modern Life, Digital Poems | 6+ | "Crisis of the Modern World" | Online Magazines | Contemporary Literature Award | Modern life, technology |
Important notes
First Generation (1920-1930)
- N. Pichamurthy - Pioneer
- C.S. Chellappa - Novelist
- Darumu Sivaramu - Revolutionary poet
- Pasuvaiya—reasoning
- I. Meenakshi - Feminism
Second Generation (1932-1937)
- C. Mani - Nature
- C.Phi - Symbols
- M. Mehta - Philosophy
- Erode Tamilanpan - Satire
- Abdul Rahman - Vaanapadi
Third Generation (1938-1945)
- Calabria - Feminist writer
- Kalyanji - Children's Literature
- Gnanakuthan - Contemporary
N. Pichamurthy (1920-2006) - Pioneer of New Poetry
🎯 Key Sign
A pioneer of the New Poem movement- He was the first to write the traditional poetry in Tamil and paved the way for the new poetry movement.
Birth:1920 |Death:2006 (86 years)
Surname:Nambi Pichamurthy
Award:Sahitya Academy (1972)
📖 Biography
- Birth:1920, Thanjavur District
- Education:B.A., B.L., M.A. (Tamil)
- Occupation:Advocate, Tamil Professor
- Literary Contribution:He started writing from the 1940s
- Major Achievement:One of the first poets who wrote new poetry in Tamil
📚 Major Works (Chronology)
| year | Thread name | Type | Special |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Thoughts of time | Poetry | First novel collection |
| 1960 | empty land | Poetry | Breaking tradition |
| 1965 | Station | Poetry | Social awareness |
| 1972 | Sahitya Akademi Award | Award | For poetry collection |
| 1980s | New Poetry Studies | Study | A Study of New Poetry |
💬 Featured series and quotes
Famous Lines:
"I came to break the tradition
I came to pave a new path
Poetry is always free
No Bandages"
Comment on the poem:
"Poetry is the free expression of the mind. Conventional fetters like khokhai monai, seer adi, restrict the poet's imagination. New poetry breaks these fetters and gives the poet complete freedom."
🌟 Contribution to Tamil literature
1. Pioneer of New Poetry
He was one of the first to write poetry in Tamil with a missing tradition
2. Breaking tradition
No matter what, free poetry with no strings attached
3. Social awareness
He wrote about social issues in poetry
4. A Guide to Young Poets
He laid the foundation of Pudukavitha movement
🎯 Memory tips
NPK-1920 Method:
- N= Nambi
- P= Pioneer
- K= Kaalathın Karisanangal (Thoughts of Time)
- 1920= year of birth
- 1972= Sahitya Akademi Award
- 1951= Thoughts of Time (First New Poem)
C.S. Chellappa (1921-1998) - Novelist, Poet
🎯 Key Sign
Novelist, serious poet-Wadivasal is famous for his novel and study book Bharati and Sangha Literature.
Birth:1921 |Death:1998 (77 years)
Surname:Chinnasamy Sundaram Chellappa
Award:Sahitya Academy (1974)
📚 Major works
| wither | Famous novel |
| Bharati and Sangha literature | Study text |
| Serious poems | Poetry collection |
💬 Special series
"To be serious - in poetry, in life"
🎯 Remember: CSC-1921
Chellappa +Sahitya academy +CSC +Vaadivaasall = 1921-1974
Tharumu Sivaramu (1925-2006) - Revolutionary poet
🎯 Key Sign
Revolutionary poet- Writer of poems on labor struggle, social justice.
Birth:1925 |Death:2006 (81 years)
Magazine:Editor of Deepam magazine
📚 Major works
| Thoughts tending to the statue | Poetry |
| Labor Poems | 15+ packages |
| Deepam | Magazine editor |
💬 Special series
"The Labor Struggle - The Soul of My Poem"
🎯 Remember: DS-1925-T15
Dharumu +Sivaramu +Theepam +15books = 1925
Basuyya (1927-2010) – Rational poet
🎯 Key Sign
Rational poet- He expressed social justice and rational thoughts in poetry.
Birth:1927 |Death:2010 (83 years)
Award:Ambedkar Award
Magazine:Samadharma
📚 Major works
| Country of Glass | Poetry collection |
| Pashuvaiya poems | Selected Poems |
| Reasonable Poems | 12+ packages |
💬 Special series
"Reason is God - Social justice is religion"
🎯 Remember: P-1927-BR
PAsavaiya +Bakuthatrivu +Rnationalism +Ambedkar = 1927
Ira Meenakshi (1930-2012) - Feminist Poet
🎯 Key Sign
Feminist poet- Wrote poems on women's liberation and women's rights.
Birth:1930 |Death:2012 (82 years)
Magazine:Wrote in writing magazine
📚 Major works
| Female voice | Feminist Poems |
| Towards dawn | Poetry collection |
| Women's liberation | 8+ packages |
💬 Special series
"Freedom for Woman - Basis of Humanity"
🎯 Remember: RM-1930-F
Ra +Meenakshi +Feminism +Pen Kural = 1930
C. Mani (1932-2016) - Nature poet
🎯 Key Sign
Nature poet- Wrote poems on natural beauty, romantic feelings.
Birth:1932 |Death:2016 (84 years)
Award:Tamil Nadu Government Award
Magazine:Cancer
📚 Major works
| Leaves | Nature Poems |
| Flowers speak | Poetry collection |
| Natural love | 10+ packages |
💬 Special series
"Nature is my Lord - Beauty is my Religion"
🎯 Memo: CM-1932-N
C+Mani +Nature +Ilaikal (leaves) = 1932
CP (1933-2008) - Modern poet
🎯 Key Sign
A modern poet- He used symbols and metaphors in poetry.
Birth:1933 |Death:2008 (75 years)
Award:Sahitya Academy
Magazine:sky dance
📚 Major works
| Sculpture Poems | Poetry collection |
| city | City life |
| Symbols | 7+ packages |
💬 Special series
"Meaning in Symbols - Life in Metaphors"
🎯 Remember: SRP-1933-S
Si +Ra +Pi +SSymbols + Nagaram = 1933
M. Mehta (1934-2020) - Philosophical poet
🎯 Key Sign
Philosophical poet- Philosophical thoughts, poems on the meaning of life.
Birth:1934 |Death:2020 (86 years)
Award:Literary lion
Magazine:Writing
📚 Major works
| Mehta Poems | Poetry collection |
| Philosophical thoughts | Philosophical poems |
| Life means | 9+ packages |
💬 Special series
"The Meaning of Life - Meaning in Philosophy"
🎯 Memo: MM-1934-P
Mu +Mether +PPhilosophy + Thathuvam = 1934
Erode Tamilanban (1936-2019) - Social critic
🎯 Key Sign
Social critic, satirist poet- Social criticism mixed with humor.
Birth:1936 |Death:2019 (83 years)
Award:Kalaimamani
Magazine:Cancer
📚 Major works
| Satirical poems | A collection of satires |
| Social comedy | Social criticism |
| Comedy poem | 6+ packages |
💬 Special series
"Toxic in Humor - To Fix Society"
🎯 Remember: ET-1936-S
Erode +Tamilanban +SAtire + Naiyaandi = 1936
Abdul Rahman (1937-2017) - Vaanapadi teacher
🎯 Key Sign
Editor of Vaanapadi magazine- Poems on Humanity, Multiculturalism.
Birth:1937 |Death:2017 (80 years)
Award:Sahitya Academy (1987)
Magazine:Vaanapadi (Author)
📚 Major works
| India and Tamil | Study text |
| Humanist Poems | Poetry collection |
| sky dance | 11+ Collections, Magazine Editor |
💬 Special series
"Humanity is Religion - Multicultural Life"
🎯 Remember: AR-1937-V11
Abdul +Rahman +Vaanambaadi +11books + 1987 SA = 1937
Calabria (1938-2021) - Feminist writer
🎯 Key Sign
Feminist writer- Poems, short stories on women's identity, women's liberation.
Birth:1938 |Death:2021 (83 years)
Award:Women's Literary Award
Magazine:Writing
📚 Major works
| Poems of Calabria | Poetry collection |
| Feminist short stories | A collection of short stories |
| Female identity | 5+ packages |
💬 Special series
"Female Identity - The Beginning of Freedom"
🎯 Remember: K-1938-FS
Kalaipriya +Feminism +SHort Stories + Pen Identity = 1938
Kalyanji (1942-till) - children's literature poet
🎯 Key Sign
Children's poet- Author of poems and stories for children.
Birth:1942
Award:Tamil Nadu Government Award
Magazine:Children's magazines
📚 Major works
| Children's Poems | Poetry for children |
| Numeracy and writing | Educational Poems |
| Sports poetry | 8+ packages |
💬 Special series
"Poetry for Children - Seed for the Future"
🎯 Remember: K-1942-C
Kalyanji +Children + Kuzhandhai Kavithai = 1942
Gnanakkuthan (1945-till) – Contemporary poet
🎯 Key Sign
Contemporary poet- Poems about modern life, technology.
Birth:1945
Award:Contemporary Literature Award
Magazine:Online Magazines
📚 Major works
| Modern life | Contemporary Poems |
| Digital Poems | Technical poetry |
| Crisis | 6+ packages |
💬 Special series
"The Crisis of the Modern World - Reflection in Poetry"
🎯 Remember: G-1945-M
Gnanakoothan +MOdern + Digital + Nerukkadi = 1945
Full Memoirs - New Poetry Poets (13)
🎯 Master Shortcut - "13 POETS" method
Remember the age order:
20-21-25-27-30 | 32-33-34-36-37 | 38-42-45
Reminder:1920s(5 people) |First half of 1930s(5 people) |Late 1930s-1940s(3 people)
First Letter Memo - "NCS DRP CMS EAK KG"
| N= N. Pichamurthy | C= C. Su. Chellappa | S= Shivaramu |
| D= Dharumu | R= Ra. Meenakshi | P= Cow |
| C= C. Mani | M= M. Mehta | S= C.P |
| E= Erode Tamilanban | A= Abdul Rahman | K= Calabria |
| K= Kalyanji | G= Wisdom |
📊 Quick comparison chart
| feature | Poets | Special note |
|---|---|---|
| Sahitya Academy (3) | N. Pichamurthy (1972), C. S. Chellappa (1974), Abdul Rahman (1987) | 72-74-87 |
| Feminist Poets (2) | Republic of Meenakshi (1930), Calabria (1938) | Women's liberation |
| Major journal editors | Darumu Sivaramu (Deepam), Abdul Rahman (Vanambadi) | Magazine Leaders |
| First Generation (1920-1930) | 5 Poets | Pioneers |
| Second Generation (1932-1937) | 5 Poets | Movement reinforcement |
| Third Generation (1938-1945) | 3 Poets | Contemporary development |
🎨 Special Department of Poets
Revolution & Society
- N. Pichamurthy - Breaking the tradition
- Darumu Sivaramu - Labour
- Pasuvaiya—reasoning
- Erode Tamilanpan - Satire
Feminism
- Ira Meenakshi - Female voice
- Calabria - Female sign
Nature & Art
- C. Mani - Nature
- C.Phi - Symbols
- M. Mehta - Philosophy
Novel & Study
- CSU Chellappa - Wadivasal
- Abdul Rahman - Vaanapadi
Special literature
- Kalyanji - Children's Literature
- Gnanakkuthan - Modern/Digital
💡 Exam Tips
Question Types:
- New poetry pioneer?→ N. Pichamurthy (1920)
- Wadivasal was written by?→ C.S. Chellappa (1921)
- Vaanapadi teacher?→ Abdul Rahman (1937)
- Feminist poets?→ Republic of Meenakshi, Calabria
- Children's literature?→ Kalyanji (1942)
- Sahitya Akademi Award?→ 3 people (72-74-87)
- Deepam magazine?→ Tharumu Sivaramu (1925)
- A rational poet?→ Pasuvaiah (1927)
📋 Final Summary - 1 min
| Poet | year | Identity | The main work |
| N. Pichamurthy | 1920 | Pioneer | Thoughts of time |
| C. Su Chellappa | 1921 | Novelist | wither |
| Darumu Sivaramu | 1925 | revolution | Deepam |
| cow | 1927 | reasoning | Country of Glass |
| I. Meenakshi | 1930 | Feminism | Female voice |
| C. Mani | 1932 | Nature | Leaves |
| C.P | 1933 | Symbols | city |
| M. Mehta | 1934 | philosophy | Mehta Poems |
| Erode Tamilanban | 1936 | Satire | Satirical poems |
| Abdul Rahman | 1937 | sky dance | Humanity |
| Calabria | 1938 | Feminist writer | short story |
| Kalyanji | 1942 | baby | Children's Poems |
| Wisdom | 1945 | Contemporary | Modern life |
20→21→25→27→30→32→33→34→36→37→38→42→45