ஒபபயல நககல ஒளவயர மறறம சபப கவதகள / Comparative Study of the Poems of Avvaiyar and Sappho

In literary history, women poets have been very rare in literary traditions and are marginalised or unrecognised by their societies. Only a few carved their names in history by their poetic works. Such excellent poets are Avvaiyar, the distinguished Tamil poet of the Sangam era and Sappho, another distinguished poet from the island of Lesbos from the 7th century BCE. Avvaiyar’s poems are often didactic and devotional. She reveals suppressed feelings of women, morals and virtues of life. Sappho is attributed for establishing the first known schools for women in ancient Greece. Her poetry vividly explores love, desire and intimate relationships defying social norms. Similarly, both poets used rich poetic images such as metaphors and similes to depict love and human virtues. Avvaiyar’s works range from ethical aphorisms to devotional hymns to instruct moral and social values. Sappho’s poems have been composed for musical performance by blending emotion with melody. Both poets questioned the social flaws in general. The themes such as love, nature, and social justice go beyond cultural barriers in Avvaiyar and Sappho’s poems. Their ideas on the subjugation of women gender literary exclusion unite them. They emerge as pioneering female voices in male-dominated traditions. This comparative study brings forth how two ancient cultures fostered women’s intellectual and creative expression by creating their works to resonate throughout many thousands of years as testaments of spirit and creativity. Through this analysis, one can distinguish how women's voices and moral ideals emerged from different cultures by communicating endless insights of gender, power and literary legacy.