At a time when a soulless arrangement of words was considered poetry, Kumaran Asan taught society that poetry emanated from the burning of the soul, critic M.K. Sanoo said here on Tuesday.
He was inaugurating the death centenary of the poet at Adhyapaka Bhavan.
“It is enough to learn the poetry of Asan to understand that poetry turns the poison of life into nectar. A poet is fundamentally impudent. Poets are not created by awards. These are times when there is competition to praise those in power. Our society has turned into one without standards and values. Nehru and Patel wanted people to fast when Gandhi was assassinated. But today’s discussion is whether Gandhi’s assassin was a hero. It is important to study Asan in order to establish higher values in society,” Mr. Sanoo said.
Critic M. Thomas Mathew said Asan elevated individuals into a spiritual realm at a time when society was celebrating physicality.
