The Indian Weavers by Sarojini Naidu
-An appreciation
About the poem/ poet and the title:
Poet: The poem, The Indian Weavers was written by Sarojini Naidu in the
1920s. Besides being a great poet, she was one of the leading figures in the
Indian Independence Movement. Sarojini Naidu was called the nightingale of
India as she conveys the true soul and spirit of India through her poems in a
lyrical way. Her poetry has a singing quality. Her poems depict the culture and
philosophy of life in India.
Title:
The title indicates that the poem is about the Indian weavers and the variety of
clothes that they weave according to various occasions in life. We also learn
the significance of colours used by the weavers.
Poem:
The poem is a narrative poem written in the form of question and answer. The
poem represents the culture and tradition of India particularly the importance
of colours during various stages of life. It is noteworthy that the weavers in
India who were once fovourites in Kings’s homes and poor man’s huts were
now pushed to extinction with the emergence of textile industries run by the
British Raj. By choosing to write about and celebrate the task of Indian weavers
Sarojini Naidu emphasizes the need to use swadeshi goods through her poem.
Theme:
The poem describes different stages of human life, i.e. birth, marriage and
death. In a way it tells us the cycle of human life meaning childhood, youth and
old age and relates them to different colours and different times of the day.
The colours mentioned in the poem are very significant as they reflect the
moods of the weavers during different events of life.
Freedom struggle is an implied theme in the poem. Sarojini Naidu was
influenced by Gandhiji’s ideas of Swadesi movement. These were times when
publication of newspapers were banned. Sarojini Naidu used the medium of
poetry to communicate her thoughts and sensibilities. By celebrating the
Indian weavers, she is implicating the importance of Swadesi goods and urges
the Indians to boycott foreign goods. The weavers weave round the clock- at
the break of day, and the fall of night(evening) and at midnight. And yet more
than the back- breaking job, the poet highlights the variety and range of their
products.
She makes an effort to communicate that whatever the occasion, the weavers
have clothes for it.
Another theme that is implicated through the poem is the folk theme. The
common beliefs, practices and other typical cultural elements of the Indian
society is brought to the forefront. Weaving of clothes based on the occasion is
intricately linked to Indian culture and tradition. Moreover, the poem has a
lyrical quality to it and can be sung just like folk art.
Poetic style:
The language/poetic devices used in the poem:
The poet uses the narrative style. The poem has a conversational style and is a
dialogue between the weavers and the poet written in the form of question
and answer. There are three stanzas of 4 lines each. The poem is not a free
verse. The poet has used rhyming scheme “aabb” in all the stanzas. The poetic
uses Alliteration to maintain the lyrical quality. The sound ‘w’ has occurred at
least 20 times in the poem giving it a musical quality. Various other figures of
speech used in the poem are Metaphor, Simile and Imagery.
Special features:
The poem is written in amazingly simple and effective language which is easy
to understand. The simplicity creates an impact. The poem is dedicated to the
craft and skill of Indian weavers.
The poem has rich imagery like break of day, fall of night, solemn and
still…moonlight chill.
The poem sums up the life of human beings in three main stages by using
symbols like cloth and times of day.
The poem depicts how the weavers are intricately connected to the culture
and ethos of the country.The poem exposes the importance of recognizing the
work of the Ondian weavers who weave from dawn to night. It is a call to the
countrymen to get back to Indian goods and manufacturers.
Message, values, morals,opinion:
I think the poem portrays the skill and craftmanship of the Indian weavers. The
poem also admires the knowledge of colour and how the weavers match it
with different occasions. It salutes the contribution of weavers to the society.
The language is simple and musical. I am pleased with the picturesque quality
of the poem.
