Traditional Poets - Mudiyarasan, Vaanidaasan, Suradha, Kannadasan, Udumalai Narayana Kavi, Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram, Marudakasi
Comprehensive information about 20th century traditional Tamil poets - Mudiyarasan, Vaanidaasan, Suradha, Kannadasan, Udumalai Narayana Kavi, Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram, and Marudakasi including their life history, works, epithets, and contributions to Tamil literature
Learning Content
20th Century Traditional Poets
Key Features:
- Mundiarasan:Mannin Mindan - Village Life Poems
- Vanidasan:Romantic Poet – Pioneer of romantic poetry
- Suratha:Honey Language Poet - Sweet Poems
- Kannadasan:Kavyarasar - The king of film songs
- Udumalai Narayana Kavi:Pavalar - specialist in traditional poetry
- Pattukottai:People's Poet - Voice of Common People
- Maruthakasi:Poet - Literary analyst
Historical Background:
In the 20th century Tamil poetry split into two main styles - modern poetry and traditional poetry. All these seven poets continued to use traditional poetic forms while at the same time expressing modern ideas. Their role in the development of film songs is very important.
Classification:
Tradition:
- Mundiarasan
- Maruthakasi
- Udumalai Narayana Kavi
Movie Songs:
- Kannadasan
- Pattukottai Kalyanasundaram
- Vanidasan
A comprehensive comparison of seven traditional poets
| Detail | Udumalai Narayana Kavi | Mundiarasan | Vanidasan | Maruthakasi | Suratha | Kannadasan | Pattukottai |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| year of birth | 1899 | 1900 | 1906 | 1910 | 1912 | 1927 | 1930 |
| Year of death | 1981 | 1975 | 1974 | 1985 | 1990 | 1981 | 1959 |
| Life time | 82 years | 75 years | 68 years | 75 years | 78 years | 54 years | 29 Years (Short) |
| Surname | Narayanasamy | K. Ramalingam | b. Shanmug Sundaram | R. Ganapathi Pillai | B. G. Sundara Rajan | A. S. Pearl | Mr. Kalyanasundara |
| place of birth | Udumalaipet | Cuddalore, Erode | Sembanur, Trichy | Adanur, Thanjavur | Pudukottai | Sirukudi, Trichy | Pattukottai |
| Epithet 1 | Bawalar | Mother of the soil | Love poet | Poet | Honey poet | Poet king | People's poet |
| Epithet 2 | Udumalai Kavi | Rural poet | Nature poet | Literary researcher | Suratha Kavirayar | Writer | Folk poet |
| Famous work 1 | Kannagi Revolution Copy | Kalaima Agaval | Paa Matal | History of Tamil literature | Hourglass | Meaningful Hinduism | Poems of Bharatiyar |
| Popular work 2 | Description of firecrackers | Rural poems | Love painting | Grammatical explanation | Sindh Movie | Silapathikaram text | For the people |
| Popular work 3 | Four o'clock in the evening | Country life | The sky is spring | Tamil Nadu | Kumarikannan | Senthamil | Our gold |
| poetic style | Traditional tradition | Rural life | Love, nature | Literature review | Love, mythology | Film, philosophy | Social, people |
| Movie song | No | Some songs | 200+ songs | No | 50+ songs | 5000+ songs | 600+ songs |
| Number of threads | 50+ texts | 30+ texts | 40+ texts | 40+ texts | 35+ texts | 100+ texts | Song Collections |
| Awards | Sahitya Academy (1961) | Various awards | Sahitya Academy | Sahitya Academy | Various awards | Sahitya Academy (1970) | Tamil Nadu Government Awards |
| Remarkably special | Specialist in traditional poetry | A depiction of village life | Pioneer of love poetry | Literary historian | Modern traditional poetry | King of movie songs | People's movement |
| language style | Senthamil | Folk Tamil | Sweet Tamil | Literary Tamil | Simple Senthamil | Mixed Tamil | Simple people Tamil |
| Major contribution | Legacy Protection | Rural literature | Development of love poetry | Literature review | Film literature | Film poetry | People movement songs |
| A place of remembrance | Udumalaipet | Cuddalore | Sembanur | Adanur | Pudukottai | Writers Guild | Pattukottai |
Key points to note:
- Age Order:From Udumalai Narayana Kavi (1899) to Pattukottai (1930).
- Long life:Udumalai Narayana Kavi (82 years), Suratha (78 years)
- Short life:Pattukottai (29 years) - but great impact
- Movie Songs:Kannadasan (5000+), Pattukottai (600+)
- Texts:Kannadasan More Books (100+)
- Specialty:Each has a unique epithet
Mindan Mundirasan (1900-1975) of the soil
📖 Biography
Surname:K. K. Ramalingam
Nickname:Mundiarasan
Place of Birth:Kudalur, Erode District
Year of Birth:1900
Year of Death:1975 (age 75)
Education:
- He received his higher education in Tamil
- Learned classical literature
Occupation:
- Tamil teacher
- Poet, writer
🏆 Epithets
- Mother of the soil- Because it depicts rural life
- Rural poet- Rural Life Poems
- Folk poet- Because it is written in folk style
📚 Major Works (Year wise)
| year | Thread name | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1925 | Kalaima Agaval | Agaval thread |
| 1930 | Rural poems | Poetry collection |
| 1935 | Country life | Rural narrative |
| 1940 | field outside | Poetry |
| 1945 | Village scenes | Commentary Poems |
| 1950 | People of the soil | Social Poems |
| 1960 | Grandma's stories | Folk tales |
| 1970 | Rural welfare | Poetry collection |
Total: Approx30+ texts
🌟 Tamil charity and contribution
- Rural Literature:He established rural life in Tamil literature
- Folk Style:He brought vernacular style to literature
- Agricultural Life:He beautifully depicted the agricultural life
- Soil People:He sang the life of the common people
📝 Famous lines
"Long Live the Field Spring"
"Village is the heart, city is the brain"
"Born in the soil and live in the soil"
🎯 Memory tips
Mundiarasan = MMM-1900
- M- Mudiyarasan
- M- Mannin Maindhan
- M- Mann Makkal (People of the soil)
- 1900- Year of birth
- 75 years- Life span
- 30+ texts
Romantic poet Vanidasan (1906-1974)
📖 Biography
Surname:b. A. Shanmugasundaram
Nickname:Vanidasan
Place of Birth:Sembanur, Tiruchirappalli
Year of Birth:1906
Year of Death:1974 (age 68)
🏆 Epithets
- Love poet- Known for his love poems
- Nature poet- Depicted natural beauty
- Voice- angel of speech (meaning of name)
📚 Major works
- Paa Matal(1930) - famous romantic poem
- Love painting(1935)
- The sky is spring(1950)
- Love lamp
- A crown of love
- Movie songs- 200+ songs
Total: 40+ texts
🌟 Tamil charity
- Love Poem:He established modern romantic poetry in Tamil
- Natural Commentary:He beautifully depicted the beauty of nature in poetry
- Movie:Wrote 200+ film songs
📝 Famous lines
"Love is a day of tears, it is a dream"
"See that the sky has come to spring"
🎯 Memory tips
Vanidasan = VKI-1906
- V- Vaanidaasan
- K- Kaadhal Kavignar (Romance Poet)
- I- Iyarkai Kavignar (nature poet)
- 1906- Year of birth
- 200+ movie songs
- Sahitya Akademi Award
Honey poet Suratha (1912-1990)
📖 Biography
Surname:B. G. P.G. Sundara Rajan
Nickname:Suratha
Place of Birth:Pudukottai
Year of Birth:1912
Year of Death:1990 (age 78)
🏆 Epithets
- Honey poet- For pleasant language style
- Suratha Kavirayar
- A poet of modern tradition
📚 Major works
- Hourglass(1935) - Copy
- Kumarikannan(1950) - famous copycat
- Sindh Movie(1947) - Songs
- Love epic
- Mythical poems
- Movie songs- 50+ songs
Total: 35+ texts
🌟 Tamil charity
- Honeycomb:He created a sweet Tamil style
- Mythical Poem:He told mythological stories in a modern way
- Movie:Wrote quality film songs
🎯 Memory tips
Suratha = STM-1912
- S- Suradha
- T- Thenmozhi Pulavar (Thenmozhi Pulavar)
- M- Manimegalai
- 1912- Year of birth
- 78 years- Long life
Kavyarasar Kannadasan (1927-1981)
📖 Biography
Surname:A. S. A.S. Muthiah
Nickname:Kannadasan
Place of Birth:Sirukudi, Tiruchirappalli
Date of Birth:24 June 1927
Date of Death:17 October 1981 (age 54)
Occupation:
- Film lyricist
- Writer, poet
- Screenwriter
- Politician (MLA)
🏆 Epithets
- Poet king- King of movie songs
- King of movie songs
- Kaviarasa
- Writer- 100+ texts
📚 Major works
Movie Songs:
5000+ Movie Songs- Much in the history of Tamil cinema
Texts (Year wise):
| year | Thread name | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Meaningful Hinduism | philosophy |
| 1968 | Senthamil | Tamil literature |
| 1970 | Silapathikaram text | Literary text |
| 1972 | Thirukkural text | Literary text |
| 1975 | Kannadasan epics | Poetry collection |
| 1978 | Life is beautiful | philosophy |
Total:
- 5000+ Movie Songs
- 100+ texts
- Many articles
🌟 Tamil charity
- Movie Song:Wrote 5000+ songs in Tamil cinema
- Philosophy:Texts on Hinduism and Philosophy of Life
- Literary text:Text for Silapathikaram, Tirukkural etc
- Simple Tamil:Tamil is easily understood by people
📝 Famous song lyrics
"In the pouring rain"
"Which is your city, flowing clouds?"
"Kannadasan song will stay in heart"
🏅 Awards
- Sahitya Akademi Award(1970)
- National Awards- Best songwriter
- Tamil Nadu Government Awards
🎯 Memory tips
Kannadasan = K5H-1927
- K- Kavyarasar
- 5- 5000+ songs (more!)
- H- Hindu Matham (meaningful Hinduism)
- 1927- Year of Birth (Young Poet)
- 54 years- Life span
- 100+ texts- More texts
- Sahitya Academy 1970
Specialty:
- Top Movie Songs (5000+)
- He is the only poet who has written 100+ books
Bhavalar Udumalai Narayana Kavi (1899-1981)
📖 Biography
Surname:Narayanasamy
Nickname:Udumalai Narayana Kavi
Place of Birth:Udumalaipet, Coimbatore
Year of Birth:1899
Year of Death:1981 (age 82)
🏆 Epithets
- Bawalar- Specialist in traditional poetry
- Udumalai Kavi- By the name of the town of birth
📚 Major works
- Kannagi Revolution Copy(1920)
- Description of firecrackers
- Four o'clock in the evening
- Copies- Many
Total: 50+ threads
🎯 Memory tips
Udumalai Narayana Kavi = UNK-1899
- U- Udumalai
- N- Narayana Kavi
- K- Kannagi Kaappiyam
- 1899- The very first born
- 82 years- Very long life
- Sahitya Academy 1961
People's Poet Pattukottai Kalyanasundaram (1930-1959)
📖 Biography
Surname:Mr. Kalyanasundara
Nickname:Pattukottai Kalyanasundaram
Place of Birth:Pattukottai, Thanjavur
Year of Birth:1930
Year of Death:1959 (age 29)
🏆 Epithets
- People's poet- The voice of the common people
- Folk poet- Writer in folk style
📚 Major works
- Movie songs- 600+ songs
- "Bhartiyar Poems"Picture
- "for the people"Songs
- "Our Gold"Picture
- Social Justice Songs
🌟 Tamil charity
- People's Movement:He sang about people's welfare
- Simple Tamil:Simple language that everyone can understand
- Folk Style:Folk song style
🎯 Memory tips
Pattukottai = PMN-1930
- P- Pattukkottai
- M- Makkal Kavignar (People's Poet)
- N- Naattuppura (folk style)
- 1930- Last born
- 29 years- Very short life
- 600+ songs- Many creations in a short period of time
Poet Maruthakasi (1910-1985)
📖 Biography
Surname:R. R. Ganapathi Pillai
Nickname:Maruthakasi
Place of Birth:Adanur, Thanjavur
Year of Birth:1910
Year of Death:1985 (age 75)
🏆 Epithets
- Poet- Literary scholar
- Literary researcher
- Tamil historian
📚 Major works
- History of Tamil literature(1935)
- Grammatical explanation(1950)
- Tamil Nadu(1970)
- Poetry studies
Total: 40+ texts
🎯 Memory tips
Marutakasi = MPI-1910
- M- Marudakasi
- P- Pulavar
- I- Ilakkiya Varalaru (History of Literature)
- 1910- Year of birth
- 75 years
- Sahitya Akademi Award
Complete Memory Notes and Tips - Seven Traditional Poets
🎯 Master Shortcut - "UMVMSKP" method
U-M-V-M-S-K-P = Udumalai-Mudiarasan-Vanidasan-Marudakasi-Suratha-Kannadasan-Patukottai
Age Order:1899-1900-1906-1910-1912-1927-1930
Epithets:Bavalar-Mannin Mindan-Love-Pulavar-Tenmozhi-Kaviarasar-People
📊 Quick Comparison - "Firsts"
| feature | First | last | A lot | less |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| born | Udumalai (1899) | Pattukottai (1930) | - | - |
| Life time | - | - | Udumalai (82) | Pattukottai (29) |
| Movie song | - | - | Kannadasan (5000+) | - |
| texts | - | - | Kannadasan (100+) | - |
🔢 Number Memorization Tips
Years of Birth (Age Order):
99 - 00 - 06 - 10 - 12 - 27 - 30
Reminder:1899, 1900 (turn of the century)After06, 10, 12(short interval), back27, 30(younger generation)
Years Lived:
- Udumalai:82 years (maximum)
- Suratha:78 years
- Mundiarasan, Maruthakasi:75 years
- Vanidasan:68 years
- Kannadasan:54 years
- Pattukottai:29 years (minimum)
Reminder:82-78-75-75-68-54-29 (descending order)
Movie Songs:
- Kannadasan:5000+ (King!)
- Pattukottai:600+
- Vanidasan:200+
- Suratha:50+
🏆 Remember epithets
| Poet | Key epithet | Memoir |
|---|---|---|
| Udumalai Narayana Kavi | Bawalar | Traditional tradition |
| Mundiarasan | Mother of the soil | Soil = Village |
| Vanidasan | Love poet | Love poem |
| Maruthakasi | Poet | Erudition = knowledge |
| Suratha | Honey poet | Honey = sweetness |
| Kannadasan | Poet king | King = King |
| Pattukottai | People's poet | People = simple people |
📚 Major Works - Simple Memoir
Udumalai = KAN
- KAnnagi Puratchik Kaappiyam
- Aathichudi Vilakkam
- Naanmanimaalai
Mundiarasan = KGN
- KAlaimagal Agaval
- GRaamiya Kavithai
- Naattuppura Vaazhvu
Vanidasan = PKV
- PAavai Madal
- KAadhal Oviyam
- VAanam Vasantham
Suratha = MKS
- Manimegalai
- Kumarikkannan
- SIndhu Film
Kannadasan = ACS
- Arthamulla Hindu Matham
- CHilapathikaaram Urai
- Senthamizh
Marutakasi = TIT
- Tamizh Ilakkiya Varalaru
- ILakkana Vilakkam
- Tamilnadu
💡 Exam Tips
Question Types and Answer Mode:
- Year of Birth:99-00-06-10-12-27-30
- Epithet:Bavalar-Mannin Mindan-Love-Pulavar-Tenmozhi-Kaviarasar-People
- If "first" is asked:Udumalai (1899, 82 years)
- If you ask "last":Pattukottai (1930, 29 years)
- More Songs:Kannadasan (5000+)
- Short life:Pattukottai (29)
- Longevity:Udumalai (82)
- Love Poem:Vanidasan, Suratha
- Rural Poetry:Mundiarasan, Pattukottai
📋 Final Summary - 1 min
| Poet | year | age | Epithet | Special |
| Udumalai | 1899 | 82 | Bawalar | long life |
| Mundiarasan | 1900 | 75 | Mother of the soil | Rural |
| Vanidasan | 1906 | 68 | Love poet | Love poem |
| Maruthakasi | 1910 | 75 | Poet | Literature review |
| Suratha | 1912 | 78 | honey | sweetness |
| Kannadasan | 1927 | 54 | Poet king | 5000+ song |
| Pattukottai | 1930 | 29 | People's poet | Short life |
99→00→06→10→12→27→30 | Bawalar → Mannin Mindan → Love → Pulawar → Melody → Kavyarasar → People