Write a critical analysis of A. K. Ramanujan’s
“A River”.
Answer: The poem “A River”
is written by A.K. Ramanujan. In this poem, the poet has compared and
contrasted the attitudes of the old poets and those of the new poets to human
suffering. He has come to the conclusion that both the groups of the poets are
indifferent to human sorrow and suffering. Their poetry dose not reflects the
miseries of the human beings. He has proved this point in the present poem.
The river Vaikai on
whose bank the historic city of Madurai stands has been mentioned in the poems
of many poets, both past and present. The river is intimately associated with
the life and culture of the Tamil people. The peculiar thing, which appeals to
the poets, is that the river presents two different spectacles in two different
season. It is completely dry in summer and flooded in full in the rainy season.
In this poem, the
poet refers to the river Vaikai which flows through the city of Madurai. The
word Madurai means a “sweet city”. It is a Tamil word. As a matter of fact,
this city is the center of Tamil culture and learning. It is also a holy city
full of temples including the famous Minakshee temple. The poets have written
many poems on the temples and the river. In the present poem, A.K. Ramanujan
deals with the river.
