Reinstating the Literary Aesthetics of Telugu Folk Songs in G. Kalyana Rao’s Untouchable Spring

Abstract

The paper tries to focus on the natural, participatory, and linguistic elements of Telugu folk songs in particular, presented in the novel Untouchable Spring. Telugu folk songs, presented through the characters in the novel, correspond to Wordsworth’s propositions on the elements of poetry. Do the folk songs employ the spontaneous overflow of emotions, explained by Wordsworth? Does the novelist try to de construct the very understanding of art? In what way caste oppression influence the folk songs? Are the questions the paper tries to answer. The novel by creating the alternative aesthetics, focuses on the naturalness not only in language, but in the activities where people in the village are involved in. the novel also proposes that, the folk art shouldn’t be considered insignificant. Folk art gives a space where the villagers can find themselves. The novel also stresses on the sense of othering, experienced by the urban reader, but can relate with the aesthetically pleasing images. The paper tries to focus on these nuances of folk art, presented in the novel.