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Sri Lankan poetry has a diverse history. This country’s poetry combines emotions and cultural expressions in a way that’s unique to its writers.
From the ancient verses of the Anuradhapura era to the contemporary works of modern poets, Sri Lankan poetry reflects the country’s multicultural heritage.
Much of the poetry in this country was influenced by Buddhist teachings, Hindu mythology, and colonial experiences. The best-known poems often explore themes of love, spirituality, war, and identity.
Poets like Mahagama Sekara, Jean Arasanayagam, and Anne Ranasinghe have left indelible marks on the literary landscape with their profound insights and evocative imagery.
The poem ‘Lepidoptera’ is a metaphorical representation of a mentally ill mind, likened to a broken butterfly wing. The poet is imploring society to support those with mental illness.
On broken butterfly wing,
your crippled mind fluttered into my schoolroom. Failed. And died.
I couldn’t do a thing to stir its organs
of poor maimed sense to life again.
‘Animal Crackers’ by Richard de Zoysa describes the political situation in Sir Lanka through the drawing of symbolic animals.
‘Interview’ by Daya Dissanayake describes the societal pressures put on all workers. These pressures requires one to change in order to find happiness.
‘On the Beach’ by Anne Ranasinghe is a dark and disturbing poem in which the poet explores sadism through the narrative of a dog’s fate at the beach.
‘Kite’ by Daya Dissanayake describes a boy’s attempt to enjoy his own childhood amongst the polluted air and piles of refuse in his town.
‘Monuments’ by Kamala Wijeratne describes the depressed state of a Sri Lankan community in the midst of the Civil War which lasted from 1983 to 2009.
‘Folk poet, Ysinno’ by Lakdasa Wikramasingha describes the plight of the folk poet “Ysinno” and his efforts to roof his newly built bamboo hut.
‘The Fisherman Mourned by His Wife’ tells the story of a marriage between a fisherman and his wife and how she and her children mourn his passing.
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