Tamilmanam International Research Journal of Tamil Studies

Literature consistently centers on society, aiming to uplift human values and build a better world by reflecting shared human emotions and experiences. A prime example of this is Tamil Sangam literature—collectively known as Pāṭṭum Tokaiyum or Pathinenmelkanakku—which comprises 2,381 poems divided into Akam (interior/love) and Puram (exterior/heroic) genres. Among the Akam anthologies, Kurunthogai stands out as the only text distinguished by the honorific prefix "Nalla" (excellent). This article, titled "Kapilar's Psychological Approach in Kurunthogai Poems," investigates how the celebrated poet Kapilar, or "Kurinjik Kapilar," utilizes creative literary narrative techniques and a psychological framework across his twenty-eight poems in the collection. By integrating Western psychological theories and contemporary research interpretations, the study analyzes the alignment between these poetic compositions and psychological methodologies to demonstrate how emotional experiences are structured within the classical texts.