Page:Introduction to Tamil Poetry.pdf/13

 12 Kalittokai contains fine lyrical poems on love. At the same time, they present to us high ideals in life and satisfy the condition that true poetry must have high seriousness, In poem No. 10, the maid of a lady-in-love, while describing the desert reģion through which the lover has to pass, states that the desert is full of dry, leafless, tall trees. In this connection, the similies used by her are worthy of con- sideration. Even as a poor man, though young, cannot en- joy happiness and consequently becomes despondent, the branches of the trees have withered. Just as the wealth of a narrow minded miser is useless to others, the shade of the tree is absolutely useless to those that might resort to the tree for any shelter. Even as a man who has been rude to others has consequently suffered in reputation, the roots of the tree are affected by the rudeness of the blazing sun. Just as the shelter given by the ruler of a kingdom who persecutes and tortures his subjects due to greed of money is useless, the shade given by the tall withered trees is absolutely useless. In another verse, the trees which blossom forth finely and fully are compared to the wealth of a tireless persever- ing man (poem 35). In yet another poem (No. 125) people who do surrepti- tious things apparently because of their notion that no one sees them at the time, are required to remember that after all they cannot escape the prickings of their conscience. This also occurs in the words addressed by a maid to the lover of her beloved friend. This work abounds in romantic scenes. A lover finds his beloved lass on her way home after milking cows and accosts her. In this way a poem conmences (No. 116). The lass asks him why he stands across her path, takes hold of her calf and prevents her from going. She appeals to him to leave her. He asks her not to be angry at the moment. She teils him that if her mother saw him thus worrying her she would pounce upon him just as a cow would pounce