Much of the poetry and criticism of the twentieth
century Malayalam literature is actually an extended response to the work
of the Great Trio.
The great trio of poets
Three of the most prolific poets of the first half of twentieth century, Kumaran Asan (1871-1924), Ullur Parameswara Iyer (1877-1949) and Vallathol Narayana Menon (1878-1958) are collectively known as the Great Trio (mahakavitrayam). Their work provided Malayalam with a truly native tradition in literature, nationalist in spirit, Romantic in style, and modernist in outlook. They freed the language from having to depend upon the Sanskrit heritage. Together, their works have acquired the status of a "school of poetry", even though each of them were unique, and seldom stable in their aesthetic.
While the classicism of Cherusseri, Poonthanam, Ezhuthachan derived mainly out of their allegiance to the Brahmin culture of Ramayana and Mahabharata, the Great Trio produced a massive corpus of literature drawing on the Buddhist, Christian, Islamic as well as Hindu traditions, in essence creating a new mythos for the modern age. Much of the poetry and criticism of the twentieth century Malayalam literature is actually an extended response to the work of the Great Trio.
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Last Updated: December 11, 1998