The akam poems in the earlier episodes are concerned with love in all its varied situations: Clandestine and Illicit, Conjugal Happiness and Infidelity, Separation and Union. The reader can relate to the poem very closely.
The other branch puram talks about the public life of people, the bravery and charity of kings and the wars. This is called puram meaning the outer, public life or exterior. Puram poems refer to many kings, the names of them being explicit or implied. The puram poems encompass all other aspects of worldly life: Wars and battlefields, the munificence of kings and chieftains and the wisdom of bards.