3. SAROJINI NAIDU
Sarojini Naidu was born in February 1879 in Hyderabad
Her first collection of poem titled GOLDEN THRESHOLD,
was published in 1905
Her poems are in English , but have Indian soul
After he independence she became the first woman
governor of Uttar Pradesh
She passed away in March 1949
4. COROMANDAL FISHERS
Rise , brothers ,rise , he wakening skies pray to the morning light,
The wind lies asleep in the arms of the dawn like a child that has cried all night
Come , let us gather our nets from the shore , and set our catamarans free,
To capture the leaping wealth of the tide, for we are the sons of the sea!
No longer delay , let us hasten away in the track of the seagull’s call,
The sea is our mother, the cloud is our brother, the waves are our comrades all
What though we toss at the fall of the sun where the hand of the sea- god drives?
He who holds the storm by the hair, will hide in his breast our lives
Sweet is the shade of the coconut glade, and the scent of the mango grove,
And sweet are the sands at the full o’ the moon with the sound of the voices we
love
But sweeter , O brothers , the kiss of the spray and the dance of the wild foam’s
glee;
Row ,brothers , row to the blue of the verge where the low sky mates with the sea
5. SUMMARY OF THE POEM
The early and daily morning song that is inculcated in the hearts and minds of the
simple fishing community in the eastern coast of India. It calls them all at each and every
early dawn to tell the men folk to rise, brothers, rise; the wakening skies pray to the
morning light for the great catch throughout the day. The wind lies asleep in the arms of
the dawn like a child that has cried all night. They should leave immediately and let them
gather their nets from the shore and set their catamarans; a yacht or other boat with twin
hulls in parallel free. To capture the leaping wealth of the tide, the innumerable and
immeasurable shoal of fish that moves with the warm ocean current; for these simple
fishing folks are the kings of the sea! No longer had delay let them hasten away in the
track of the sea gull's call. The sea is their mother, the cloud is their brother, and the
waves are their comrades all. What though they toss at the fall of the sun where the hand
of the sea-god drives? He, who holds the storm by the hair, will hide in his breast their
lives. Sweet is the shade of the cocoanut glade; an open space in a wood or forest; and the
scent of the mango grove; a small wood, orchard, or group of trees.
And sweet are the sands at the full of the moon; the light of the full moon lightens the
surface water of the sea; with the sound of the voices they love; while returning to the
shore they sing in rejoice to close each triumphant day. As the endlessly moving waves
washes the sores of the land, they create very thick foam at the boundary of the water and
the land. But sweeter, are the brothers, the kiss of the spray and the dance of the wild
foam's glee; great delight: a song for men’s voices in three or more parts, usually
unaccompanied. Row, brothers, row to the edge of the verge; an edge or border; where
the low sky mates with the sea; the point over the horizon where the sea appears to touch
the sky.
16. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1 Who is the speaker of the poem? Who does he address?
A fisherman is the speaker. He address his friends.
2 What does the speaker ask his friends to do?
To gather their nets from the shore and set their catamarans free.
3 Speaker has other friends than his fellow fishermen. Who are they?
Waves
4 What is the leaping wealth of the tide?
Fish is the leaping wealth of the tide.
5 What is the wind compared to?
Wind is compared to a child that has cried all night.
6 Which is sweeter for the fishermen the land or the sea ? why?
Sea. Because he believes that the kiss of the spray and the dance
of the wild foam’s glee are sweeter than the things on land .
