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A. K. Ramanujan

    Ramanujan was an Indian poet, scholar, and author, whose academic research spanned five languages: Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Sanskrit, and English. He published works on both classical and modern variants of these literatures, strongly advocating for the recognition of local, non-standard dialects. His aesthetic and theoretical contributions have enriched several disciplinary areas, with his free-thinking context and individuality giving rise to "universal testaments of law." A context-sensitive thematic approach is also evident in his cultural essays, particularly in his writings on Indian folklore and classic poetry, showcasing his creativity in sociolinguistics and literature. English poetry most popularly recognizes him for his avant-garde approach.

    Folktales from India
    Speaking of Śiva
    Folk Tales from India
    The Interior Landscape: Classical Tamil Love Poems
    Journeys
    • 2019

      Journeys

      • 384 pages
      • 14 hours of reading

      A.K. Ramanujan, a prominent figure in 20th-century Indian literature, is celebrated for his poetry, translations, and scholarly work. His translations of ancient Tamil and medieval Kannada poetry are regarded as classics. Known for his modernist approach, he published four poetry collections in English and left behind a wealth of unpublished writings, including journals and papers spanning five decades. After his death, these meticulously preserved documents were donated to the University of Chicago, awaiting discovery by a broader audience.

      Journeys
    • 2014

      In The Interior Landscape the great Indian poet and translator A.K. Ramanujan has drawn on a celebrated anthology of classical Tamil poetry to compose an unforgettable sequence of love poems. The story unfolds in a series of dramatic exchanges between a shifting array of characters—the lovers, relatives, friends, rivals, and sundry passersby—and as it does we are conducted through five phases of love, from first meeting, anxiety, infidelity and separation to final union, each associated with a lush interior landscape of its own. Immersed in the glories of the natural world, the poems evoke the whole spectrum of love while also capturing the gossip and wisecracking of those who look on from outside.

      The Interior Landscape: Classical Tamil Love Poems
    • 1994

      An enchanting collection of 110 tales, translated from twenty-two different languages, that are by turns harrowing and comic, sardonic and allegorical, mysterious and romantic. Gods disguised as beggars and beasts, animals enacting Machiavellian intrigues, sagacious jesters and magical storytellers, wise counselors and foolish kings--all inhabit a fabular world, yet one that is also firmly grounded in everyday life. Here is an indispensable guide to India's ageless folklore tradition. With black-and-white illustrations throughout Part of the Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library

      Folk Tales from India
    • 1993

      'To the utterly at-one with Siva there's no dawn.' Meditative, deeply personal poems to the god Siva, from four major Hindu saints. Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions. Mahadeviyakka (10th century), Basavanna, Devara Dasimayya and Allama Prabhu (12th century).

      Speaking of Śiva