Synopsis of The Gift of India by Sarojini Naidu

About the Poet Sarojini Naidu

Sarojini Devi was a great patriot, politician, orator, and administrator. She was one of the finest poets of India, popularly known as "The Nightingale of India". She contributed remarkably in the arena of Indian poetry in English. Her first volume of poetry The Golden Threshold appeared in 1905. Sarojini Naidu's poems reflect her art of writing poetry which is marked by her originality of thoughts and spontaneity of expression. Her poems describe Indian flora and fauna, Indian customs and traditions, festivals, men and women, legends of kings and queens, etc. Naidu was a freedom fighter and a patriot and was known by the sobriquet- "The Nightingale of India'. She was a sensitive poet and wrote poetry based on the beauty of simple joys and sorrows of life. Her poetry included children's poems, nature poems, poems on love and death, etc.

About the Poem The Gift of India

The poem The Gift of India' by Sarojini Naidu tries to kindle a sense of pride as well as laments over the sacrifices of the sons of the Indian soil. The poetess picturizes emotions and myriad of sacrifices that a soldier undergoes in order to break free from the shackles of the English. British rulers forced Indian soldiers to obey their orders to fight for them in foreign countries where these soldiers ultimately died. Mother India had intense grief where she sheds tears while watching and weeping at the sufferings of the soldiers. Mother India asks the people to remember the amount of blood which the soldiers, the sons of India sacrificed for the cause of independence.

Summary of the Poem The Gift of India

“The Gift of India' is about the tribute to the brave sons of India. The boundless grief of Mother India for her heroic sons, who were killed in alien lands.

India's richness which is very valuable was extracted by the English. British rulers forced Indian soldiers to obey their orders to fight for them in foreign countries where these soldiers ultimately died. The soldiers who were as valuable as pearls died in the foreign lands of Persia (now Iran), Egypt, Belgium, France, etc. Mother India asks the people to remember the amount of blood which the soldiers, the sons of India sacrificed for the cause of independence.

Critical Analysis of the Poem The Gift of India

There is an element of identity that the poetess mentions in the poem, which evokes a sense of belongingness towards her nation, where she compares the insignificant loss through the ruthless killings of the Indian warriors who as such were bound by duty.

The word 'gift brings curiosity, expectations in one's mind as to what should be the nature of the gift. Is it spontaneous? Voluntary or by force? The poetess also mentions herself to have flung to 'East' and 'West' where priceless treasures were taken away from her showing a negative impact that colonization bought forth and also laments for the invaluable gift of many lives of the soldiers that can never be bought back. The poetess further moves and compares the lives of the dead to the pearls, scattered along the waves.

When placed in this context, the gift of India' is a means by which to prove that Indians were indeed capable and worthy of self-government.
The tone of the poem is emotionally surcharged with the sentiments towards our martyrs and the sacrifice of the sons of the Indian soil. This was the period when India was still squirming under the atrocities and exploitations of the British rule.

The heart of Mother India is heavy with the immeasurable sorrow and grief she has suffered. We alone can realize the extent to which we the Indians have been subjected to the ravages of the war. Hopeful prayer is the only source of solace even while our anguished hearts with overwhelming sorrow swell with pride at the thought of our gracious and valorous soldiers.

Word - Meanings 

raiment - (archaic) attire;
yield - produce something:
treasure - valuable things:
stricken - unpleasant feeling, serious affected;
saber - cavalry sword;
doom - destruction;
alien - non-native;
strewn - scatter;
meadows - green pasture:
woe - sadness;
tumult - loud noise caused by the people;
anvils - iron blocks: strong foundation;
comrades - companion or friend:
dauntless - fearless.
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