Aesthetics of Dalit Literature with Special Reference to Meena Kandasamy’s Poetry

Abstract

Many scholars have attempted to look at the question in respect of aesthetics of a work of art. The critics of literature and literary reviewers have always been seen in discussion about the question as to what constitutes the literariness of a literary work. Many theories have been formulated since the birth of literature and such theories gave rise to several rules and perceptions which can be called as literary aesthetics. In the ancient times it was opined that literature and art fulfil important ethical roles. They provide models for correct behaviour and provoked tender emotions. It was believed that the moral feelings stirred by the literary works make people to plunge in to good action. However, Corollyn Burdet opines that the supporters of aestheticism disagreed with this and they claimed that art was about elevation of taste and pursuit of beauty and taste and beauty were considered as guiding principles for life by the aesthetes. Form was given importance in aestheticism. In this backdrop, Indian mainstream critics and litterateurs have denied considering Dalit literature as literature saying that Dalit writings lack the qualities of literature. Some have even gone so far as to ask whether Dalit writing is literature. Several allegations were raised such as there are no aesthetic elements and poetic qualities in Dalit writings. This article focuses on the question as to what constitutes aesthetics for Dalit writers and how Dalit writers like Kandasamy present an alternative aesthetics which does not confirm with conventional perceptions of aesthetics. Selected poems of Meena Kandasamy are read here to understand the aesthetic conceptions of Dalit literature.