The Philosophy of Life in the Songs of Kannadasan

கண்ணதாசன் பாடல்களில் வாழ்வியல்

Abstract

It is only when spiritual insight and experience function together in harmony that a work becomes great literature. Most creative works are structured in such a way that they seem to speak directly and establish a connection with the reader. In this sense, the works of Kannadasan belong to the realm of literature. His film songs are, for the most part, directly relatable to audiences ranging from the common man to the scholar. Since the poet’s film songs express, through words, the emotional experiences of the human heart, they stand as an art form and thus possess genuine literary quality. The poet wishes to convey these very qualities through the tradition of Sangam literature. Furthermore, these works perform the function of creating a connection with the reader through thought, feeling, and experience. Only those works capable of offering simplicity, naturalness, moral values, pleasure, and joy can be regarded as truly great literary creations. In narrating and writing about the joys and sorrows of life as a story, Kannadasan may be said to have no equal but himself. It is the poet Kannadasan who, by stating life’s events and truths exactly as they are, created a new chapter in literary history. This article examines how he has recorded human life as literature in his songs.