Wimalaratne Kumaragama
| Wimalaratne Kumaragama | |
|---|---|
| Born |
January 18, 1919 Pathadumbara, Sri Lanka |
| Died |
December 30, 1962 (aged 43) Sri Lanka |
| Alma mater | Dharmaraja College, Kandy |
| Occupation | Divisional Revenue Officer |
| Known for | Great Sinhala Poet |
Wimalaratne Kumaragama (January 18, 1919 - December 30, 1962) is a prominent Sri Lankan poet, of the Colombo era. A Divisional Revenue Officer (DRO) by profession, his poems were centred round Wanni,and the people of Wanni. They emanate the life of the villagers and its characters, surroundings, environment, animals and their experiences. He depicted their lives in a broader perspective and described the environment beautifully in poetic language.
Early life
Wimalaratne Kumaragama was born on 18 January 1919 at Narampanawa, Patadumbara, Pallispattu Korale West. He was the second, in a family of seven and possessed a majestic and charismatic personality. He had his primary Education at Werapitiye school and later attended the Bilingual school at Teldeniya and Sri Rahula Vidyalaya, Katugastota. He ended his schooling at Dharmaraja College, Kandy. Even as a student, he was interested in Sinhala Literature and he used to write poems to the school magazine. At Dharmaraja, he was an outstanding student and passed the Matriculation Examination with distinctions.[1]
Civil service & Poetry
After passing the Government Clerical Competitive Examination, he started his career as a clerk at the Kaccheri, Anuradhapura. In 1942, he was successful in the D.R.O. Examination. In 1944, he assumed duties as an Assistant Government Agent at Anamaduwa. He later served as a DRO in areas like Hanguranketha, Kalawana, Daladagama and Kotmale.[2]
He loved Wanni and its innocent villagers. Like Leonard Woolf, the great Kumaragama lived with the villagers and his poems were centered round Wanni. He knew the pulse of Wanni Folks. The general public loved his company. Sometimes the innocent villagers came in search of him to solve their private and confidential problems. He kept everyone happy, and sometimes recited "Hitiwan Kavi", or Instant verses. His poems emanate the life of the villagers and its characters, surrounding, environment, animals and their experiences. Some of his outstanding, famous and popular poems Wanniye mal, Harak Hora, Iiyanayake, Yantam beruna, Game-wewa and Herath Hami depicts the true life of the villager of Wanniya. He also served as the Editor of the "Colombo Young poets' Society".
Wimalaratne was a fine student of English literature. He was a voracious reader and had a good knowledge on English Poetry. He as well as his contemporaries such as Meemana Prematilaka and Sagara Palansooriya, are said to be great admirers of Romantic poets of the likes of John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, William Wordsworth and Alfred Tennyson.
The life of the Great Poet Wimalaratne Kumaragama, who had shone like a bright star in the firmament of sinhala poetry, was so simple, but he was full of life. After a life entirely devoted to uplift the standard of living of the poor villagers of Wanni, he died on December 30, 1962.
Books
- Nilseenaya (1941)
- Oruwa (1942)
- Sanwega Wedana (1946)
- Sapumalee (1946)
- Surathallu (1961)
Poems
- Herath Haami
- Aiyanayake
- Dadayama
- Wanniye mal
- Game wewa
- Kira
- Aarachchi rala
- Sirageya
- Yantham Beruna
- Harak hora
- Buduruwa
- Sundara Haami
- Aganthuka sathkaraya
- Awurudu niwaduwa
- Muthuge prashna
- Wanniye dosthara
See also
References
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