M. P. Paul was born on the May Day of 1904 at Puthenpally Varapuzha, in Ernakulam district of the south Indian state of Kerala to Poulose and Rosamma.
He started his career as a tutor at the same college following his graduation and during his stay in Tiruchirappalli, he unsuccessfully attempted the Indian Civil Service examination.
Returning to Kerala in 1928, he joined St. Thomas College, Thrissur as a faculty and stayed there until 1931; in between, he earned a master's degree in English literature in 1929.
The Church refused to allow him a catholic burial due to his constant confrontations with them and his mortal remains were buried at a public cemetery in Pattoor, Thiruvananthapuram.
[6] He published a weekly Navakeralam and a monthly Cherupushpam and served as the president of the Kerala Purogamana Saahitya Sanghatana for a brief period before distancing himself from the organization due to differences of opinion.
Kavya Darshanam, Khandakatha Prasthanam, Gadya Gathi, Sahithya Vicharam and Soundarya Nireekshanam are his other books on literary criticism.