International Indexed & Referred Research Journal, December, 2012, ISSN 0974-2832, RNI- RAJBIL- 2009/29954; VOL IV*

ISSUE- 47

Research Paper -Englsih

Sarojini Naidu: Poet of intense aspiration.

* Dr. Kuldeep K. Mohadikar
* Assistant Professor, Shri Shivaji Arts and Commerce College Amravati. A B S T R A C T
This research paper deals with Sarojini Naidu as a poet. The important theme of Sarojini Naidu's poetry is pure and intense aspiration. The hatred of tyranny, the overthrow of the tyrant, the love of liberty, the regeneration of her own country are some of the most important notes which find place in her aspiring and exciting poems. She boldly revolted against the mode of treatment given to widow.Sarojini Naidu's mysticism in her poetry is the result of her quest of peace in her life. Her poetry is also full of the note of suffering and melancholy. The note of melancholy in her poetry is found particularly due to her personal sadness and agony. Despite an under current of melancholy and pessimism Sarojini's poetry is optimistic.

December ,2012

Introduction:Belonging to the period of pre independence, Sarojini Naidu attracted the younger generation of India through her genuine verse. Her poems tells us of her fancies and longings, her moments of joy and the moments of sorrow in her thought provoking poems, she laid emphasis on the decayment of life and the importance of the fortune, the real purpose of life and mystery of death. Legends and mythological particulars interest her too much and she loves to sing the importance of the God and Goddess of all the religions with free heart and open mind. She sees the beauty of life and she writes poems on variety of subjects which include the kings as well as beggars and her poems also mark the imaginative plight as well as realistic description of the mundane ambitions an aspirations. She captures versatile subject matters in her poetry, although her poetic output is not so bulky. The important theme of Sarojini Naidu'spoetry is pure and intense aspiration. The hatred of tyranny, the overthrow of the tyrant, the love of liberty, the regeneration of her own country are some of the most important notes which find place in her aspiring and exciting poems. She is a true freedom fighter and her passion for a glorious India always aspires her to compose verses full of idealistic notes and visions. She wants to fulfill all her human hungers; she is convinced that she cannot die. Her insatiate soul insists on draining earth's utmost bitter and utmost sweet she prays to god: "Spare me no bliss, no pang of stife, Withhold no gift or grief I crave, The intricate lore of love and life And mystic knowledge of grave," (The soul's prayer) The ideal of Sarojini Naidu is to see the country of her birth free, independent and regenerated. To her, India

is young and fertile enough to beget new glories from India's ageless womb. To her India is fit for the leadership of nations that in fettered darkness weep. India was once the empress of the sovereign past. But the idealism of the poet suffers a set back at the sight of contemporary Indian scene, and she feels despondent for a while. Sarojini Naidu and her fellow compatriots see visions of a great dawn. The mournful night is over and her country wakes at last from her deep age-long sleep. Sweet and long slumbering buds of gladness open fresh lips to the returning winds of hope. "Our eager hearts renew their radiant flight, Towards the glorious renascent light, Life and our land await their destined spring. (The broken wing) Main Text:This research paper throws light on different aspects of Sarojini Naidu as a Poet.Sarojini Naidu is a poet of liberal attitude because a large number of her poems deal with her secular and liberal attitude. She loves all the creatures of the world. In her poems she never criticizes any one and she appreciates both fair and foul. She conceived that all the creatures of the world are the reflections of the Supreme Being. It pleases her to see people of diverse creeds leaving in brotherhood. She has great love and respect for the poors and oppressed people. In this sense, she becomes the poet of Indian mass because she is eager to evoke the emotions and passions of the common men and women of India. Particularly for the widows, she shows her great interest. Her heart feels the pain of the widow's unfulfilled desires. She appreciates the moonless vigils of the widow's lonely nights. She understands the anguish of the widow's tears. She pleads for toleration and love. In one of her poems she suggest the elders.

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International Indexed & Referred Research Journal, December, 2012, ISSN 0974-2832, RNI- RAJBIL- 2009/29954; VOL IV* ISSUE- 47

Love recks not of feeds and bitter follies, of stranger, comrade or lain, Alike in his ear sound the temple bells and the cry of the muezzin. For love shall cancel the ancient wrong and conquer the rage, Redeem with his tears the memoried sorrow that sullied a bygone age. (An Indian love song) Sarojini Naidu is the poet of human beings and this is a reason that she always sings the songs of common people. In the orthodox society there are many things which are not appreciable to her. She boldly revolts against them. Her entire nature rises up against the tame-bird view of life. She asks her third child Randhir to be lord of love and chivalry, inspiring him in these words: Learn to conquer, learn to fight, In the foremost flanks of right. (To my children) She boldly revolted against the mode of treatment given to widow. She does not want that the widow should at all times be made to feel and look like widow. She disapproves of the social conventions that divest her of fine clothes and jewellery. She raises her hand to stop this harshness and cruelty. In her poem "A challenge to fate" she challenges fate which is always hostile against him. Fate may strike her blind, enfeeble her memory, render her short of hearing and rob her of her power of speech. Mysticism is one of the most characteristic features of Sarojini Naidu's poetry. Her spiritual and intellectual leanings and longings are fused with mysticism. Her love poems are loaded with the burden of mysticism. She loves to dwell on the love of the human soul for the divine. She believes in the platonic concept of love which tends to mystify the situation. There is clash between mundane and divine aspirations which are presented in the poems of Sarojini Naidu. She realises the fact that direct and immediate communion with God cannot be obtained by the common men and women. Sarojini Naidu's mysticism in her poetry is the result of her quest of peace in her life. The quest of the human soul for the infinite takes the form of human love. Radha's love for Krishna points out that the relation of the human soul to the ultimate reality is one subjection and surrender. The nectar of Krishna's flute is turned to spiritual account by the God-intoxicated mystic poet. The symbolic nectar washes clean the weather-stains of cares, stimulates the torpid heart and fills the recipient with sudden greatness: Still must I like a homeless bird? Wander, forsaking all The earthly loves a worldly lures That held my life in throll

And follow, follow, answering Thy magical flute call. (The flute player of vrindavan) For the true mystic poet, there is no distinction between the lover and the beloved. The lover and the beloved are the two persons with one soul. The poet does not deny the importance of the physical elements between the lover and the beloved because it is a physical accomplishment which leads to spiritual and intellectual fulfillment. The passionate mutual love breaks down the hard walls of the ego and produces a new being composed of two-in-one. Her poems are full of note of eroticism. Her erotic verses are not vulgar but enchanting and magical. She has written lot about the depression and suppression from which the women suffer. The traditional and orthodox society puts so many hurdles before the free development of the women. The note of feminism is extremely important in her poetry. In her poems she presents the woman's point of view and demanding the required freedom for woman. She wants to give proper importance to woman as a human being who is still treated like animals. She is aware of the tragic treatment of women by the men. She clearly evokes that the woman do not need money and power but they need proper love and affection. The women are epitome of love and affection and these qualities enable them to play various important roles successfully. Love is a dominant aspect which plays important role between man and woman. Love brings happiness and joy and removes loneliness and sorrow which afflict human being to a great extent. She says that there should be free and fearless companionship between the man and woman. The poet criticises the people who are not in favour of the physical aspect of love. She wants to establish relationship between physical love and ideal love. Her poetry is also full of the note of suffering and melancholy. The note of melancholy in her poetry is found particularly due to her personal sadness and agony. Her poem "To the God of pain", is one of her most melancholic poems in which the melancholic notes touches the climax. The poets heart is sad and full of sorrow and her heart is always throbbing for betterment of her own life as well as country. But she would like to face the problems boldly and she does not want to surrender herself before so many oppressions. In her poem "Transience", the poet expresses her desire to over step melancholy and sorrow. Her heart is always aspiring to remove the sadness from her life. Her personal life which is the symbol of suffering always aspires for betterment.

SHODH, SAMIKSHA AUR MULYANKAN

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International Indexed & Referred Research Journal, December, 2012, ISSN 0974-2832, RNI- RAJBIL- 2009/29954; VOL IV* ISSUE- 47

In her poems she exhibits herself as a complete poet of human motives she loves to present both the aspects of life pessimism and optimism. It is the beauty of her poetic talent that she mixes pessimism and optimism at the same time. For example in her poem "summer woods", she writes, O I am tired of strife and song and festivals and fame And long to fly where cassia woods are breaking into flame. Love, come with me where Koels call from flowering glade and gley Far from the toil and weariness, the praise and prayers of men" (Summer woods) Sarojini Naidu resembles D.G. Rossetti in pictorialquality of her poems. Her poem "Indian dancers", is full of pictorial qualities she practices the difficult art of describing beauty in motion. She beautifully paints a picture of an open air dance at night. The poet has presented her sensations and thrills minutely. The strain of keen music is portrayed as wild and entrancing. The poet gives one detail after another and all the details about colors, senses and beauty perceptions are presented with amazing rapidity, like John Keats Naidu gives full play of all the five senses-seeing, hearing, smelling, touching and tasting. She always presents the graphic picture and she always seems to be valuable painter, movie-camera photographer, audiographer and pointer. True poetry cannot be composed without emotional exuberance. All the great poets Shakespeare to W.B.Yeats have laid emphasis on the importance of emotion which is the echo of human feelings and thoughts. Being a born lyricist Naidu gives much importance to her poems. Lyricism is one of the marked features of poetry of Sarojini Naidu. Her lyrics are full of music, charm and fascination. The real beauty of her poems lies in the quality of lyricism which she is always capable of creating. Sarojini naidu has also used symbolic and allegorical techniques in order to present her thoughts and feelings. She employs these poetical devices for the presentation of her mystical visions which she realises in her meditation. Her use of symbols are burden on the readers, rather the readers get entertainment after reading her symbolic poems. She has also employed allegory in some of her poems to create double meaning. Her allegorical method is always linked with parallelism. For instance her poem "The village song", runs on mortal, spiritual and divine

level. She uses this technique for the objectification of her own personal thoughts and feelings.Thus Sarojini naidu is unique poet of Indian writing in English. She sings the truth and beauty of life everywhere and every time. She beautifully and remarkably compares life with death, life with beauty and life with dream. Her real achievement lies in the fact that whenever we read her poetry, we begin to sing along with her. For instance we sing along with her the lines: And spirits of truths were the birds that sang And spirits of love were the stars that glowed And spirits of peace were the streams that flowed (Song of dream) In "The Soul's prayer" the poet craves for earth's utmost bitter, utmost sweet and wishes to be spared no bliss, no pang of pain and the prayer, says the lord, shall be granted: her soul shall know all rapture and despair. In Sarojini Naidu's poetry says P.S.Dustoor, "The defiance of pain goes beyond a refusal to fear suffering. The war is, as it were, carried in to enemy's territory: the pain is accepted as essential even beneficial it is welcomed. It is not only that much can be achieved in spite of the suffering; it is rather that the fullness of living involves the experience of suffering and that in the ultimate analysis life and death are not mighty opposites but two aspects of a single reality. Life and death are two different aspects of his personality. Life is beautiful, colorful life emanating from him; death is but the dark shadow cast by his face. Realization of this truth is the only way to salvation. The lyric ends with: "I, bending from my seven fold height Will teach thee of my quickening grace, Life is a prism of my light, And death the shadow of my face" Findings:It is found out that Death according to Sarojini Naidu is not an extinction of life but a gateway to new life. It makes union with the infinite possible. Sarojini is aware that time is destructive and nothing can escape its ravages, but she is also aware that time is the agent of experience, growth and maturity. It is both creative and destructive. Despite an under current of melancholy and pessimism, Sarojini's poetry is optimistic and forward looking that is looking forward to the soul's union with the eternal, the infinite and death are the means to this union.

R E F E R E N C E
1 ) Reference Manual: English Literature, Published, 2003 by reference press, New Delhi. 2 ) The Soul's Prayer from Songs of Radha, Published in Selected poems of Sarojini Naidu, Published by Educational Publishers, New Delhi. 3 ) Summer Woods from Additional Poems, Published in Selected poems of Sarojini Naidu, Published by Educational Publishers, New Delhi.

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