Give a critical appreciation of the poem the gift of India by Sarojini Naidu
Answers
In The Gift of India by Sarojini Naidu is the poem about the Indian soldiers who fought in World War 1 for the Britishers. Herein, India is personified as mother Indian who is a speaker, also as the mother of its children in India.
The speaker further conveys that as a mother she never denied anything to its children and sacrificed her priceless sons. Due to the world war, she weeps for the loss. She just sees the pain and blood of the soldiers and declares that victory is nothing for her. Further, she is proud of giving birth to courageous and brave sons and have sacrificed their lives by fighting courageously and fearlessly. At last, she conveys that her son's sacrifices and bravery will be remembered when the peace will be restored.
The Gift of India - the poem written by Sarojini Naidu is written for the Indian Soldiers who fought for the British from the side of the Britishers in the First World War. In the poem, the mother India, the country is personified as the mother of these children i.e., the human beings. The country vouches and tells the world how she never denied anything to them and even gave her sons away to them even though being her children they were the significant part of her life and inseparable from her. She calls out to the glory of the sacrifice or contribution of Indian soldiers in the war. Mother India cries her heart out, regrets and bares her soul over the irreparable loss suffered by her due to the pain inflicted by the world due to all these human cruelties and selfish acts. Mother earth repents and cries for her loss, bloodshed, and irreversible loss suffered by her as her men/sons died on a foreign land fighting the 1st world war from the side of the British and how the victory or result of the war was insignificant to her on account of the bigger loss to her on the ground of humanity and life. Though mother India personified is proud of the brave souls and brave men of her land who fought fearlessly and with full force. The poem hopes for, awaits and looks forward towards the restoration of eternal peace, normal life, and harmony around where humanity would be graced and respected; and the sacrifice of the Indian soldiers - referred to as her brave sons will always be remembered.