SIRI GUNASINGHE

SIRI GUNASINGHE

Utterly unconventional, exceptionally independent in his thinking about poetry and caring nothing for the rule of verse writing that was the type of poet Sri Gunasinghe was. His poem, Mas Le Nati Ata, signaled the opening of a new phase in Sinhales Poetry, but unfortunately was not a happy one because those who tried to follow the example seem to have missed the spirit.

Benaragana Arachchige Sriyaratne Gunasinghe that is his full name was born in Bulathkohupitiya, Kegalle District on 30.2.1925. He had his early education at Mahinda Collage, Galle. He obtained a first class honors degree in Sanskrit from the then University of Ceylon and joined the Department of Sinhalese of the University of Peradeniya. He joined the University of Sorbonne in France where he obtained a Ph. D His doctoral thesis was Indian Art. On his return to Pradeniya he joined the Department of Sanskrit; for a short period, he served the Department as its Professor.

Then he went to Canada to join the University of Victoria. There he became the Professor of the Department of History and Fine Arts.

In recognition of his contributions to literature and arts he was awarded a fellowship by the Rockfeller Foundation, USA. He was also awarded the Don Pedirick Prize for literature.

‘Sat Samudura’, the film directed by him proved that Sri Gunasinghe had the gift of presenting an experience artistically through the medium of pictures.

He had written three books of poems, Mas Le Nati Ata, Abinikmana and Ratu Kekula. He had also written two novels, Hewanalla and Mandarama.

He made a genuine effort to popularise the free verse from of poetry which came to be known as Peradeniya tradition. True his poems were ridiculed by certain crutics, but the fact remains that Sri Gunasinghe was the first man to raise the Sinhalese poetry to the status of a complex creation. In his poems he explored the complex relationship between man and modern civilization. The experience he tried to express in poetic terms were far from being common.

He found that the so called ‘beautiful language’ of the Colombo poets was inadequate to express complex experiences and profound vibration of the heart. He therefore broke away from of language. The essential feature of his poems is brevity. He avoids verbosity and unnecessary details. Even usage too common in the day to day language spoken by the ordinary man, he could skillfully fit into a powerful style to express the deepest of feelings.

Unfortunately, the later imitation unable to grasp the true meaning of his poetry found themselves comfortably settled for the pouring out of their childish fancies.