முல்லைப்பாட்டு ஆராய்ச்சியுரை
5
texts in prose and poetry which/ for the most part contain silly and crude religious myths translated from Sanscrit Puranas and which by no means represent the true character of original Tamil classics.
I do not mean, however, to deny the fact that one or two classical poems are occasionally prescribed as text - books by the scrupulous members of the Tamil Board, But I only intent to say that even these brilliant grms get buried deep in the heap of filthy poems forthcoming as text books by their side. The sparkling glitter of the farmer is swallowed up in the intense darkness of the latter;; and the study of Tamil Poetry therefore appears to our gaze as though it were surrounded by an impenetrable gloom.
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In spite of this disadvantage I had had an earnest desire to direct the attention of students to a sound critical study of at least the few prescribed texts of classical poems and see what effect would be produced on them when they are taught in the light of modern poetry - criticism in general. Although I felt incompetent for the task, yet I ventured to make the attempt which as I afterwards found to my great satisfaction, proved highly successful not only among the students of my college but also among those who stand outside the pale of university learning and study Tamil in private out of pure love. The benefits that had accrued to students from a critical and comparative study of poetry became patent and ever since the time that I attempted my critical methods of teaching poetry my scheme was put into practice only orally. But an occasion presented itself to come for bringing my critical methods of teaching into writing also. While I was engaged in teaching Mullaippattu to my students of the senior B.A. class, they requested me to write a critical commentary on this beautiful idyll on the new lines and subscribed in advance to defray the
