SWEETEST SINGER OF THE SADDEST THOUGHTS

"To My Friends and Foes..."-A suicide note by a Romantic Poet

"My heart trembles to reach the eternal beauty ...Death."

Edappally Raghavan Pillai romantic poet of malayalam language wrote this line in his poem "thusharaharam" in 1935. After one year he commited suicide with a agony of refused love and broken heart . He was just 34 years of age and already known as one of the revivors of Malayalam romantic poetry by the great poets and literary enthusiasts.His friend another great poet of the same time Changampuzha Krishna Pillai wrote an pastoral elegy Ramanan, based on Raghavan Pillai unsuccessful love story . Ramanan was told in the form of verses and went on to become a hit and later it was made a movie. Ramanan is also used as textbook in kerala university.

The Life

A struggling kid growing up in the British India then, Raghavan Pillai`s mother ended her lie herself as to escape from the painful life of Cancer.His father remarried and the step mother was harsh on him. During schooling he went to tay in one of his relatives house and took part time tution for school kids. There he met this girl and fell in deep and passionate love with his own student. When world start talking about their love, Romance was considered a taboo in the society. He was thrown out from the home he was staying and the girls wealthy family opposed this relation. Later he went on to stay with an aquaintance of the girl he loved, a lady doctor in Trivandrum, Dr. Parukuttiamma. He worked in many newspapers and went on to publish his first literary presetation THUSHARAHARAM.The Literary enthuiasts welcomed this book warmly and he got accepted in the literary world.

The End

In 1936 July 4th was a day of great loss for malayalam literature. That was the day on which Raghavan Pilla`s lady love was married to another man against her will.Or should we say that is the day Raghavan pillai wrote

"The tolling bell; It is the sweet knell

Of the day of the death; I am coming;

Let me say my farewell words

To friends who come to see me off. "  

  - in the poem MANINADAM(The sound of Bell). Or should we say that is the day Raghavan pillai showed his commitement to love by comitting suicide. All these happened the same day. When the wedding bells were on and the same moment his girl was married to another man, Raghavan pillai hanged himself. He was wearing wedding dress and garlands on his last journey. To my friends and foes ...this was the heading he wrote for his adeus letter. He was remembered as a shy man with a delicate and  sensitive in heart by many of his friends. That could be the reason the parting of his love affected him in a very deep level.

His famous works are (with publish dates)

Thushara Haaram (1935)

Nava Suratham (1936)

Hridhaya Smitham (1936)

Maninaadham (1944)

Edappally Raghavan Pillayude Krithikal( A collection of his works)

The Poem which Raghavan Pillai wrote seconds before he commited suicide -" Maninadam"