Educidations (Alapanai)

Book Details
• Publisher: Sahitya Akademi
• Author: Abdul Rahman
• Language: English
• Pages: 103
• Edition: 2008
• Cover: Paperback
• ISBN: 9798126026189
• Dimensions: 20.5 cm x 14 cm (8.00 x 5.50 inches)
• Weight: 140 gm

About the Book
This volume presents a selection of powerful poems by Abdul Rahman, one of the pioneers of the modern Tamil poetry movement of the 1970s. Widely known as “Kaviko,” he received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1999 for his poetry collection Alapana. His earlier works such as Palveedhi and Neyar Viruppam played a crucial role in ushering in the new verse movement in Tamil literature. The poems in this collection explore striking paradoxes of life through rich imagery, evocative metaphors, and deeply reflective language. The poet’s ability to juxtapose light and darkness, reason and imagination, and order and chaos creates a compelling poetic voice that lingers with readers.

The translation captures the spirit of the original Tamil poems while making them accessible to English readers. The imagery reflects universal themes and philosophical reflections, allowing readers to experience the depth and intensity of modern Tamil poetry. The preface itself sets the tone by presenting the poet’s dual inner voice — the bard and the loon — symbolizing contrasting perspectives that shape the poetic imagination.

The English rendering is by Dr. R. Natarajan, a bilingual author of more than twenty-five books and a respected academic who has contributed significantly to literary and media studies in both English and Tamil. A member of the Tamil Advisory Board of Sahitya Akademi, he brings clarity and vivacity to the translation, preserving the essence, rhythm, and emotional depth of the original poems.