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272 Rakesh Desaisubject, meant only to nourish the main rasa; and thus bymaking it an independent poetic subject matter. 1(Sundaram 1946:39-40)Narmad, a prolific writer, has a number of poems on thesubjects of love, Nature and patriotism. The theme of love is treatedin the poems under the general titles of “Premniti,” “Priyani vani,”“Priyani vani,” “Priya ane priyani vani.” Poems descriptive ofNature are grouped under the general titles of ‘Van varnan’, ‘Pravasvarnan’, ‘Gram ane srushtisaundaryana varnankavyo’. The poems,embodying the theme of freedom are collected under the generaltitles of ‘Svatantrata’, ‘Shuravirna lakshano’, ‘Virkavita’, and‘Deshabhiman sambandhi’. Romanticism in such poetry by Narmadwould mean a shift from the didactic, religious poetry of themedieval period to the poetry allowing subjectivity with newsubjects like love, Nature and freedom.Though Narmad must be credited with his pioneeringcontribution to the emergence of modern Gujarati poetry with itsromantic strain, he leaves its further cultivation to his descendants.Sundaram comments on the way Narmad’s poetry treats the themeof love:There is hardly any attractive element left in Narmad’spoetry other than the specific element of subjectivity inthese love poems by Narmad. He shows a genuinely feltpassion of love, which is more than physical. A desire fortrue love also appears in him. But he could never godeeper than the physical level in his poetry.(ibid. 45)In the same vein Vishnuprasad Trivedi, a distinguishedscholar and a critic, points out the scope left for further developmentof the theme of Nature in Narmad’s poetry: