Patrick Fernando

D. C. Ranjan Alwis Goonetilleke (University of Kelaniya)

Ed. by D. C. Ranjan Alwis Goonetilleke, University of Kelaniya, Pavan Kumar Malreddy, J W Goethe University of Frankfurt
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 10.3.4: Sri Lankan Writing and Culture.
Vol. editors: Claire Gallien (Université Paul Valéry Montpellier 3), Birte Heidemann (Technische Universität Dresden), Pavan Kumar Malreddy (J W Goethe University of Frankfurt), Delphine Munos (Université de Liège)

Dates

Born 1931
Died 1982
Activity 1951-1982

Places

Born in Sri Lanka
Active in Sri Lanka

Activities

Primary

Poet

Resources

Fernando's Works

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As a poet, Patrick Fernando was a path-breaker, one of the most accomplished and polished Sri Lankan poets, the first poet of his country to be published, and in London, too (1955). Under the richness of his poetry lies incisiveness that matches his career as a tax official in the Inland Revenue Department (1952-1979):

He scans the share list, chuckling now and then, And she is knitting socks for charities, Both dreaming of a girl known long ago.

These are the concluding lines of his poem “Chorus on a Marriage”. They suggest that marriage finally changes into custom and parallel lines of interest and behaviour. This is preceded by the poet

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1219 words

Citation: Goonetilleke, D. C. Ranjan Alwis. "Patrick Fernando". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 25 February 2018 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1511, accessed 24 November 2024.]