THE GIFT OF INDIA - Sarojini Naidu

The Gift of India is one of the patriotic poems of Sarojini. It was written in 1915 and included in her volume of poems entitled The Broken Wing. Mahatma Gandhi had called upon the people of India to co-operate with the British Government during World War I, and in response to his call Indian youth in large numbers joined the army, and went to distant battlefields, and thus laid down their lives in the service of their motherland. They were the gifts of mother India to the world.

In this moving lyric, Mother India herself speaks to the world. She asks the world what else does it require from her? Has she kept back any rich clothes and grains of gold from the world? If so, she is ready to give them also. She has already given to the world her most precious possessions i.e., her brave and heroic sons. She gave them to the world when she heard the call of duty, and they went away to distant lands only to meet their deaths there. When she did not keep back her sons and allowed to go to their death in distant parts of the world, there is nothing else, which she would withhold or refuse. Nothing was more precious to her than her sons and she has already given them to the world.

Mother India expresses her grief for her dead sons through a number of similes following each other in quick succession. They are now buried in their graves in foreign lands like pearls in their shells. Some of them are lying dead in distant Persia, as if they have been sent to sleep by the sweet rhythmic music of her murmuring rivers. There are others whose dead bodies are scattered on the sands of Egypt, as it they were empty shells. Their brave hands have been broken and their faces are deathly pale. There are still others who lie scattered on the bloodstained meadows of France and Flanders.  They lie there like flowers that have been plucked and scattered all over by the cruel hands of destiny. Thus mother India has given her most precious gifts, her sons, to the entire world.

The world cannot adequately measure the grief of Mother India, nor understand the suffering and anguish of the vigil, which she has kept over her dead sons. Her anguish and despair, no doubt, are intense and unfathomable, but her heart also thrills with pride when she remembers their heroic deeds. Full of anguish she prays for their souls, but hopes of the future also comfort her heart. She sees glorious visions of the future, of which her heroic sons fought and dies would be victorious. No doubt, even such victory would have a tinge of sadness, but visions of such a victorious future console her and make her proud of her heroic sons.

Sarojini ends the lyric on a note of hope and prophecy. Today hate and strife rule the world and strike terror into the hearts of the people.  But a time will soon come when the reign of hate and war will end, and life will be shaped anew ‘on the anvils of Peace’. When the reign of falsehood will end and Truth shall prevail, the world would remember the deeds of her sons. The world would be grateful to them. The world would then honour the immortal deeds of her sons, and remember forever their heroic self-sacrifice. The martyrdom of her son has not been in vain and earned love and gratitude and a permanent place in history.

It might be a topical or occasional lyric, but the sons and daughters of Mother India with throbbing hearts will always read it. It is Sarojini’s tribute to the greatness and glory of her native land – India.

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St. MARTIN AND THE BEGGAR -- THOM GUNN

ST. MARTIN AND THE BEGGAR

Thom Gunn

St. Martin and The Beggar – a religious poem from the pen of Prof. Thom Gunn, -- educated in Cambridge and teaching now in University of California USA.

The poem deals with a popular legend about St.Martin, born of pagan parents but became a converted Christian and went to monastery (convent) as a cenobite, received Christian doctrine and discipline before his baptism. St. Martin was not satisfied with the mere observance of Christian rites and the following of its teachings. Thus, reluctantly he had enlisted himself in the Roman Army.

Should I not pay my nature down

With a religious nail?

St. Martin asked himself whether he should not subdue his nature to his religious teachings. Was he not betraying his religious faith when he joined the army? He, therefore, did not want to fix up his belief to the religious nail.

When a brawny beggar started up

Who pulled at his rein

And leant dripping with sweat and water

Upon the horse’s mane.

Once he set out on horseback in order to live up to the true principles of Christianity. While, travelling across the plain, he came across a well-bodied beggar who pulled at his rein and leaned upon the horse’s mane, soaked to the skin in the hailstorm and shivering with cold. The beggar looked at Martin with wild light burning in his eyes. Martin understood what the beggar needed at the moment. He cut soldier’s cloak in two equal parts and gave one part of it to the beggar. The beggar received it gratefully and soon disappeared in the dark.

I have no food to give you,

Money would be a joke.

St. Martin’s merit laid in recognizing the human need of both the beggar and himself. He would have been acting foolishly if had given the beggar money instead of food it will become a joke or if had given the beggar the whole cloak in the name of selflessness, but to flatter God’s grace.

You recognised the human need

Including yours, because

 You did not hesitate, my Saint,

To cut your cloak across;

Here the poet heralds the god’s manifestation of universal brotherhood and cooperation by identifying the human need. Those who refuse to share what they have with their needy fellow-creatures are the enemies of God. The poet mention another class of people, who show off their compassion towards the needy by giving everything what they have, and boast that they have fulfilled God’s purpose are also to be condemned. But God’s acceptance is as he said, “In so far as ye (you) have done it unto the least of these my brethren, Ye (you) have done it unto me”.

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