But having grown up on the lyrical manner of the language from the conversation of my country-loving parents, the wonderful movies of the state and the absence of the great literary coolection when you dont know a language - all started gnawing on me over the years. As someone who has entered the hallowed halls of literary world from an age I dont even remember, I have loved books and so poetry sooner or later will enter the realm. Or rather a booklover will dsicover the realm of poetry, verse, rhythm and rhyme.
English and Hindi poetry were a part of my school currciulum. Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, John Keats, Shakespeare, Shelley and so many more regularly appeared on our textbooks and taught by dreary eyed literature teachers. Hindi poets like Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, Maithili Sharan Gupt, Mahadevi Verma etc were also delightful enough that I still recite or quote some lines as part of daily conversation.
In my blog for this year I wish to review some poems and the life of poets to get a better understanding of what inspired them to write their creations. Not all poems will be famous or award-winning ones, as I wish to diversify my writing to all genres of poetry. I plan to read and review three poems weekly from the three languages I know and (partly) fluent with- English, Hindi and Malayalam.
Let me start with a poem aptly named Ente Bhasha (translated my native language). Having briefly mentioned the disappointment of not knowing my own mother tongue, I thought this blog will do a penance. In a way!
Ente Bhasha
About the poet
Vallathol Narayana Menon, who was one among the ‘modern triumvirate poets’ of Malayalam (other two are Kumaran Asan, and Ulloor S Parameswara Iyer). Born on 16th October 1878, in Chennara, Malappuram District, Kerala the nationalist and activist in the true spirit, Vallathol wrote various poems and also penned “mahakavya” titled Chitrayogam.
To reach such literary heights he must have been a Malayalam scholar. Surprisingly he did not receive any formal Malayalam education but was trained in the Sanskrit language. He got the training first, under the Sanskrit scholar Variyam Parambil Kunjan Nair and then under his own uncle Ramunni Menon, who introduced him into the world of Sanskrit poetry. Perhaps from such a young age and under the influence of eminent scholarly figures, he valued languages and linguistics and the magical effect it can have on people. This could have been a huge inspiration for him to pen the famous poem “Ente Bhasha”.
Vallathol also contributed to the development of Kerala art by founding the famous Kerala Kalamandalam. The Kalamandalam was established in the year 1930 at Ambalapuram near Thrissur district. What started as a humble one room place for meetings and talks on exploring and expanding young talents, grew and today is an university. In the year 2011, it was recognized as a deemed university under the aegis of University Grants Commission (UGC).
Earlier in his career he was taught in and also helped his uncle in Ashtanga Hridayam, a medical treatise, worked in Keralodayam newspaper and later joined Amrit Ritesh, a Thrissur journal.
The title "Kavisarvabhowman" was conferred upon him by the Maharaja of Cochin. He was awarded Padma Bhushan title, India's third highest civilian award, in 1954. He passed away in 1958.
The title "Kavisarvabhowman" was conferred upon him by the Maharaja of Cochin. He was awarded Padma Bhushan title, India's third highest civilian award, in 1954. He passed away in 1958.
Some of Vallathol Narayana Menon's renowned works are Sahithya Manjari (a collection of romantic poems), Magdalena Mariyam (a poem about Mary Magdalene), Kochu Seetha, Ente Gurunathan and Chitrayogam.
An 80s edition book cover of Vallathol poetry.
Kerala Kalamandalam
Image courtesy: wikipedia
About the poem
https://malayalamkavithakal.com/entebhasha-vallathol/
Verse by verse english translation of the poem -
Sannikrishtabdithan is grandiose and
Sahyagirithan is solid
Gokarna temple is unsophisticated and
Srikanyamalin is cheerful.
The sanctity of the river like Ganga, the sweetness of the
coconut the sweetness
of the coconut, the sandalwood, the lavender, the precious
soul the tumana
, the natural vigor of the Sanskrit language,
and the true beauty of Tamil is a language.
On the lips of the little girl trying to start talking, the first thing that comes together is
the two letters Amma with milk .
Theme of the poem
The poem “Ente Bhasha” has to be understood in the breadth and time of the growth of subnationalism in India. After decades of freedom struggle, India got independence in 1947. The newly elected government, based on the “Vallabhai Patel Plan”, states were formed not on linguistic lines. There were agitations and movements all over India to form states on linguistic lines. In Kerala as well, the Aikya Kerala Movement was formed to create a state for Malayali speaking communities. At that time, there was Thiru-Kochi state, and Malabar was part of Madras Presidency.
Poets and political parties alike supported the Aikya Kerala Movement, and “Ente Bhasha” by Vallathol can be viewed as a strong statement on the need to be proud of one’s mother tongue.
The poem is a nationalistic eulogy of the strength and quality of his mother tongue, Malayalam from the perspective of patriotic as well as loyal Malayalee. The poet exhorts his people to tirelessly contribute to the rich abundance of their language.
He asks,
"If we do not weave into our own tongue
Threads of varied thoughts,
What other cord is there to lift
Our land from this pitch-dark pit? "
Vallathol encourages people to think of the need to enrich the mother tongue. If we understand patriotism and contextualise the poem in the wake of the Aikya Kerala Movement, we can understand that the poem is the result of a subnational sensibility evolved in the Malayalam language.
Additional sources - Kavithakal blog, Etsy, LitDiscourse.
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