The poetic work is incorporated in the Pattupattu anthology series and follows the Arruppadtai or Arruppatai style. This style in Tamil literary tradition is mostly utilised as a device by the various books in the Pattupattu poetic collection. The literary work of Tamil literature is much revered for its manner of composition and its lucidity, effortless and uncomplicated readability and presentation. Content of Perumpan Arruppatai Perumpan Arruppatai, also known as Perumpanarruppathai narrates the story of a young prince, who is the brother of a Chola ruler in the ancient Chola kingdom. During the course of the poem, the Chola prince eventually meets with a Naga princess. They fall in a love and after a brief period of courtship, the princess of the Nagas gives birth to a son. The couple affectionately names the child Ilam Tiraiyan, which literally means the Young Tiraiyan by the family. The word Tiraiyar was the name of the naga tribe, to which the mother of Ilam Tiraiyan belonged to. After a period of time, Ilam Tiraiyan went on to rise to the designation of the Lord of Thondaimandalam and acquired the title of Tondaiman. The poems composed in the Arruppatai form, like the verses in Perumpan Arruppatai are read like travelogues. The poets and authors, who returned with gifts from a king or a noble man received as rewards for praising them with their poetry, encouraged other poets as well to do compose poems by eulogizing and describing in vibrating terms about the king and his land. This resulted in providing opportunity to the Tamil poets of the era to narrate the natural beauty, fertility and resources of the region in elaborate details, amongst other topics. The poets wrote about every detail that they experienced while they traveled through the territory of the king in order to reach the royal palace. |