Flowing Narratives, Erased Voices: The Politics of Language and Power Dynamics in A.K. Ramanujan’s ‘A River’

A.K. Ramanujan’s poem “A River” serves as a powerful critique of the politics of language and the power dynamics inherent in poetic representation. The research paper examines the narratives, including the great canon of Sangam literature, which neglected the marginal voices and silenced the sufferings of common in the flow of literary tradition. The article further explores how language is used to include or exclude certain narratives. By juxtaposing the idealized river of the past with the stark realities of the present, Ramanujan exposes how language can be used to silence marginalized voices. Ultimately, the paper argues that “A River” is not merely a poem about a natural phenomenon but a profound commentary on the responsibility of poets to bear witness to the full spectrum of human experience