- *A Reference Grammar of Classical Tamil Poetry
(150 B.C.--Pre-Fifth/Sixth Century A.D.)
- Dr. V.S. Rajam, published by the
Amerian Philosophical Society, Philadelphia.1992
* indicates link to Amazon.com bookshop on line
Book Reviews
(1) by Professor George Hart ...
Dr. V. S. Rajam's A Reference Grammar of Classical Tamil Poetry : 150 B.C.-pre-fifth/sixth Century A.D is indispensable for all students of Tamil literature. It is an exhaustive work that gives a clear explanation for
every form that occurs in Tamil before the sixth century. Its carefully thought-out indices and contents make it extremely easy to locate each form. Each citation is accompanied by several examples so that the reader
can see how a form is used in various contexts. In addition to the reference section grammar, the work includes a long chapter on meter in Sangam literature that is by far the best -- and most detailed -- thing written on the subject in English. The book is completed with a wonderful study of syntax in the old poems: the author takes three poems and describes in great and illuminating detail exactly how each one works. This is a book that no lover of Tamil should be without. It is not only enjoyable and illuminating; it is a companion to reading the literature
that will be used and appreciated again and again.
(2) by Andrew Looker, M.D ...
As a Child Psychiatrist studying Tamil rather late in the game, I found Dr. V.S. Rajam's "Reference Grammar of Classical Tamil Poetry" an invaluable resource. I used it originally as an introduction to the field before embarking on reading Sangam poetry- and then as a reference book while translating. In both capacities the book is superb.
The many morphological forms present in Old Tamil are thoroughly and encyclopedically elaborated in the text. There are many examples of all forms presented as quotations from original sources.
In addition to all this there is an extensive chapter on the theory of classical Tamil poetry . This is invaluable, both as an introduction to Tamil poetics and as a reference tool. Other chapters on specific grammatical issues are included-a chapter on the Verb "A" is especially thought-provoking .
A final chapter, examining in detail the structure of three Old Tamil poems, superbly pulls together in a practical way, all the previous material of the book. The poems themselves are well worth reading and this chapter would be useful in a general course on the literature of South Asia.
As a final note: the "feel" of the book, its format, the Tamil fonts, the quality of the paper, its "heft" makes it a pleasure to own.
