Redeeming a much maligned poet
R. S. Karunaratne
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POET: P. B. Alwis Perera
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POETRY: P. B. Alwis Perera is perhaps the most maligned poet
in modern Sinhala literature. In the ‘50s, I enjoyed reading his poems
published in Dedunna and Meewadaya, two Sinhala poetry magazines
published during that heyday of Colombo poets. While John Rajadasa
edited and published Meewadaya, P. B. Alwis Perera edited and published
Dedunna.
Much water has flowed under the bridge since then. So-called critics
showed no mercy to P. B. Alwis Perera and criticised his poetry as
banal. Since then Colombo poets were not taken seriously.
However, author-cum-literary critic, W. A. Abeysinghe has made a
concerted effort to resurrect. P. B. Alwis Perera’s prestige by
publishing all his poems in two volumes. The two books running into
2,140 pages contain more than 15,000 poems.
What is remarkable is that Abeysinghe has collected even unpublished
poems written by Alwis Perera. Both volumes, published by Samayawardhana
Publishers will be launched at the Public Library auditorium, Colombo 7
on March 13 at 3.30 p.m. to mark Alwis Perera’s 90th birth anniversary
which falls on March 3.
With the launch of this book in two volumes, readers will have the
opportunity of reading P. B. Alwis Perera’s poems lucidly written in a
unique style. Like William Wordsworth, he was impressed by the sublime
beauty of nature.
His poems written before the World War II alerted the people to Nazi
domination and British imperialism. Meanwhile, he also supported the
independence struggle of his motherland.
Alwis Perera’s use of colloquial idioms surpassed all his
contemporaries. Once Martin Wickramasinghe said, “his (Alwis Perera’s)
flow of thoughts was like a waterfall.”
Most of his poems reflected his experiences in the village. As a poet
he was moved by the enchanting birds, innocent animals, blushing village
belles and multi-coloured flowers.
He drew inspiration from Rabindranath Tagore of Bengal, Vallathol of
Kerala and Bharathi of Tamil Nadu. He also translated some of their
poems into Sinhala.
This simple man with moderate manners died on August 22, 1966 leaving
a void in the local literary field. W. A. Abeysinghe’s efforts would
help us to read P. B. Alwis Perera’s poems at leisure and enjoy their
everlasting serenity. |
