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The Gift of India

Short Questions
Part – 1

(a) Referring closely to the poem ‘The Gift of India’ relate what Mother India says
about her brave sons.

Answer : In the poem, ‘The Gift of India’ the speaker is Mother India, who is
personified as a human being. It is she whose voice is heard in the poem. As a loving
and caring mother, she recalls how her brave sons were snatched from her and were
entrusted to the British masters. They did not know that they were fighting for. They
only yielded to the ‘drum beat of duty’ and fought till the last. This was the most
precious gift of India.
Mother India, in an anguished tone, recalls how the Indian soldiers fought bravely and
laid down their lives thousands of miles away from their homes in foreign lands. When
they died, their dead bodies lay unattended on the grassy fields of Flanders (Belgium)
and France. The unattended bodies of those soldiers were like the flowers which are
cut down casually and which lie scattered only to be trod upon mercilessly.

They are strewn like blossoms mown down by dance

On the blood-brown meadows of Flanders and France
Those dead bodies were like priceless pearls scattered by the Persian sea:

Gathered like pearls in their alien graves

Silent they sleep by the Persian waves.

Mother India then imagines that the deaths of her brave sons would not go in vain.
Their sacrifices would ensure a world in which terror and hate would come to an end.
The brave sons of India who sacrificed their lives deserve to be remembered and
commemorated. Memorials should be erected with a sense of gratitude in the memory.

(b) What idea does the poem give you of the role of Indian soldiers during British
rule?

Answer : The poem ‘The Gift of India’ explicitly speaks about the important role of
Indian soldiers during World War I when India was under the British rule. Indian
soldiers were very sincere and duty conscious. They were soldiers in the real sense of
the term. They did not know the cause for which they were fighting in foreign lands.
They had in mind the call to duty. They could not ignore it. They were truly brave and
courageous. They fought to the last. They sacrificed their lives. Their dead bodies lay
scattered on the fields of Flanders (Belgium) and France. It is, however, sad that their
commanders or masters did not attend to them and perform their last rites with due
respect and gratitude. No memorial has ever been raised to remember them. The poet,
in the voice of Mother India, is however certain that the supreme, selfless sacrifices
made by Indian soldiers would not go in vain.
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(c) In what way is the poem a celebration and yet suffused with pathos?

Answer : Mother India remembers the sacrifices made by her brave sons in a proud,
celebratory tone. She addresses the erstwhile rulers of India and proudly reminds them
the gifts they had received from her – rich clothes, grains and gold. However, the
priceless gifts they received were her brave sons – the brave Indian soldiers. Her sons
fought for them and laid down their lives in foreign lands. They were really brave and
devoted soldiers. They fought without knowing the cause for which they were fighting.
Mother India is exultant and proud while talking of the bravery of her sons. But soon
her voice is suffused with pathos. She laments over the gruesome killings of thousands
of Indian soldiers on battlefronts during World War I. She visualizes the horrible scenes
of dead bodies of Indian soldiers lying scattered on the fields. She pays a glowing
tribute to their bravery. She declares that in history no other country than India has
made such a priceless gift to any country. The heart of Mother India is heavy with grief
at the deaths of her brave sons. No one can measure the tears of grief of their
mothers.

Thus, the poem is celebratory in a way and yet it is suffused with pathos.

Part – 2

(a) The poem ‘The Gift of India’ exhorts us to honour bravery and establish a
peaceful world. Discuss with close reference to the text.

Answer : During the First World War (1914-1918) which forms the background of the
poem ‘The Gift of India’ by Sarojini Naidu, thousands of Indian soldiers perished in
alien lands on the bidding of their British masters. They fought bravely even though
they had no cause, but only a duty to fight. They laid down their lives. Their dead
bodies lay scattered in fields, unattended. The sorrows and sufferings of Mother Indian
can never be comprehended.
The poet hopes that soon the surge of hate and violence would come to an end. Life
would be refashioned on the strong foundations of peace:

when the terror and the tumult of hate shall cease 

And life be refashioned on anvils of peace,
The poet has the feeling that the rulers have forgotten the sacrifices of Indian soldiers
who fought and laid down their lives on the battlefronts, far away from their country in
distant lands in Asia, Middle East and East. Their sacrifices cannot and should not be
forgotten. Brave soldiers who die fighting deserve to be honoured and remembered.
The poet believes that those Indian soldiers who fought for their British rulers should
be remembered for generations to come. Their sacrifices would not go in vain.

To the comrades who fought on the dauntless ranks,

And you honour the deeds of the dauntless onces,
Remember the blood of my martyred sons!

(b)  How does the poem ‘The Gift of India’ express anti-war sentiments?
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Answer : ‘The Gift of India’ clearly records how wars consume the precious lives of
young soldiers. During World War I, thousands of Indian soldiers laid down their lives
on foreign soils. Their dead bodies lay scattered, unattended. No one was there to
arrange last rites for them with respect and gratitude. The poet uses brilliant smiles to
convey her dislike of war and what it stands for. The lines that strike us the most are:
they are strewn like blossoms mown down by 
chance
On the blood-brown meadows of Flanders and
France
One is moved to read the snatching away of sons from the bosoms of their mothers
and the mothers’ intense grief over their demise. The rhetorical questions provide the
answers themselves:

Can ye measure the grief of the tears I weep

Or compass the woe of the watch I keep?
The dead bodies of the soldiers lying unattended on the blood fields of Flanders
(Belgium) and France are compared to the scattered flowers that nobody cares for.
That they have been as precious as pearls scattered by the sea-beaches conveys the
enormity of the loss. This sense of loss conveys to us the poet’s anti-war sentiments
quite forcefully.

(c) What makes you like of dislike the poem? Give reasons.

Answer : ‘The Gift of India’, in traditional form, is a powerful anti-war poem. It consists
of 24 lines and is not divided into regular stanza. It employs the complete form which is
suitable in the context of the subject-matter of the poem. Like any other poem of Naidu,
it also makes good use of similes and metaphors.
The poem appeals to us mainly because of its sentimental subject. The way the poet
has handled a forgotten subject is brilliant. We are moved by the apt comparisons used
in the poem : the dead soldiers compared to scattered shells on sands, or to flowers
cut down casually. ‘Priceless treasures’ is an apt metaphor for the precious lives of
Indian soldiers. The rhetorical questions such as ‘can ye measure the grief of the tears
I weep’ is quite moving, and arouses the feelings of grief in us.

The poem is an apt reminder to all of us that we should recognise and honour the
sacrifices made by brave Indian soldiers in forgotten wars.

Long Questions
Question 1 : Discuss the poem ‘The Gift of India’ by Sarojini Naidu as an anti-war
poem. Give examples from the text. 

Answer : ‘The Gift of India’ by Sarojini Naidu gives expression to her hatred of war and
violence. Thousands and thousands of soldiers are killed, maimed or wounded during
the war which is often fought to satisfy bruised egos. During World War I the British
who ruled over India sent about one million Indian soldiers to distant lands to fight
against the German and its allied forces.
In the poem Sarojini Naidu recalls how Indian soldiers, snatched from the breasts of
their mothers, laid down their lives without knowing why they were fighting. They fought
bravely, however they were not treated well by their British masters. The poet
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envisions terrifying scenes of dead bodies of Indian soldiers lying unattended on the
battlefields:

They lie with pale brows and brave, broken

hands,
they are strewn like blossoms mown down by 
chance
On the blood-brown meadows of Flanders and
France.
This is a beautiful image that captures horror involved in any war. Thousands of dead
bodies lie scattered like the flowers cut down casually. These dead bodies are not
buried properly.

The poet, representing Mother India, gives vent to her sorrow over so many
unhonoured deaths of Indian soldiers, and asks the erstwhile rulers of India in an
almost choking voice:

Can ye measure the grief of the tears I weep

Or compass the woe of the watch I keep?
During the war brave sons of brave mothers die, but the rulers remain unmoved. They
do not recognize the sacrifices of young men and fail to fathom the sufferings of their
mothers who continue to wait for the return of their sons knowing well that they cannot
return.

The poet wants that those who get killed should be shown proper respect, and
memorials should be erected in their memory.

In short, the poem by Naidu is an implicit protest against waging meaningless wars
which take a heavy toll of precious human lives. It is an anti-war poem, though its focus
is different.

Question 2 : Give a critical appreciation of Sarojini Naidu’s poem ‘The Gift of

India’. In what way does the poem appeal to you? Discuss.

Answer : ‘The Gift of India’ by Sarojini Naidu is an elegy. It is a tribute to thousands of

Indian soldiers who laid down their lives during World War I (1914-1918) on the behest
of the British who ruled over India then. About a million Indian soldiers were sent to
distant lands. Thousands of them lost their lives. Shockingly, their dead bodies lay
scattered in pools of blood, unattended:
Silent they sleep by the Persian waves,
Scattered like shells on Egyptian sands,
They lie with pale brows and brave, broken hands,
they are strewn like blossoms mown down by chance
The sentimental tone adopted by the poet is justifiable in the context. As a
representative of Mother India, she reminds the British, the erstwhile rulers of India,
that they had received many gifts from India. The brave sons who fought and died as
martyrs on their bidding during World War I constitute another gift. The poet hopes that
the sacrifices of Indian soldiers would be remembered with gratitude. However, the
reality is that the rulers, be they Britishers or Indians, seldom care to remember the
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brave dead soldiers. At times they only pay lip-sympathy or at the most erect some
memorials which remain neglected after a while.

This poem by Naidu consists of 24 lines and is not divided into regular stanzas. It uses
the couplet form which is suitable in the context of the subject-matter of the poem. Like
any other poem of Naidu, it also makes good use of similes and metaphors.

The poem appeals to us mainly because of its sentimental subject. The way the poet
has handled a forgotten subject is brilliant. We are moved by the apt comparisons used
in the poem : the dead soldiers compared to scattered shells on sands, or to flowers
cut down casually. ‘Priceless treasures’ is an apt metaphor for the precious lives of
Indian soldiers. The rhetorical question such as ‘can ye measure the grief of the tears I
weep’ is quite moving, and arouses the feelings of grief in us.

In short, ‘The Gift of India’ is Naidu’s apt reminder to all of us that we should recognize
and honour the sacrifices made by brave Indian soldiers in forgotten wars.

Question 3 : What is in the background of ‘The Gift of India’ by Sarojini Naidu? In

what way this poem is a tribute to brave Indian soldiers who laid down their lives
in the World War I?

Answer : ‘The Gift of India’ by Naidu is a tribute to those brave Indian soldiers who laid
down their lives during the World War I (1914-1918). The poet addresses the British
who ruled over India during that period, and on whose bidding about one million Indian
soldiers went to distant lands in Europe, the Middle East and Asia to fight for them.
About 75,000 of these soldiers became martyrs, and over 70,000 were seriously
injured. They were, according to the poet, a gift of Mother India to her rulers. Indian
soldiers proved their worth. However, they were not treated properly. Their dead
bodies remained unattended. The brave soldiers, after some time, were conveniently
forgotten by the rulers.
Torn from their mother’s breasts, the sons of India were entrusted to their British
masters. They did not know for what they were fighting. They yielded to ‘the drum-
beats of duty’ and fought till the last. This was the most precious gift of India – richer
than the gifts of garments, grain or gold.

The poet, in an anguished tone, recalls how the most precious gift of India was
received. Thousands of miles away from their homes, the Indian soldiers fought
bravely and laid down their lives. But their dear dead bodies lay unattended on the
grassy fields of Flanders (Belgium) and France. In a beautiful image, the poet says that
the unattended dead bodies were like the flowers which are cut down casually and
which lie scattered only to be trod upon:

they are strewn like blossoms mown down by

chance
On the blood-brown meadows of Flanders and 
France
Paying glowing tribute to the dead Indian soldiers, the poet compares their dead
bodies to priceless pearls scattered by the Persian sea:
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Gathered like pearls in their alien graves

Silent they sleep by the Persian waves.
The poet, then, imagines that the deaths of Indian soldiers would not go in vain. Their
sacrifices would ensure a world in which terror and hate would cease to exist. The war
would come to an end and peace would prevail. Love and memory would be the
foundations of this new, peaceful world:

when the terror and the tumult of hate shall cease

And lie be refashioned on anvils of peace,
The poet seems to remind everybody – the English as well as Indians – that those who
laid down their lives sincerely and honestly deserve to be commemorated. Their
sacrifices should be acknowledged and honoured. Memorials shold be erected with a
sense of gratitude in their memory.

The poem ends on a serene, hopeful note. The coming generations of Indians would
remember the brave sons of India who laid down their precious lives to the call of duty.

Compound Questions and Answers from The Gift of India by Sarojini

Naidu

Questions and Answers from The Gift of India

1. (a) Analyse the poem 'The Gift of India' and discuss the speaker and theme of
the poem?

Answer

The poem "The Gift of India', composed by Sarojini Naidu is a tribute to the Indian
soldiers who had sacrificed their lives in the First World War. The speaker of the poem
is Mother India herself, who has decided to speak up for the sake of her sons' honour.
The theme of this poem is the queries of Mother India that she makes to the colonizers
for whom her sons sacrificed their lives. She asks them if they can measure her grief
and her tears or know her sufferings when she watches all war proceedings. She says
that they can never truly understand the pride that fills her heart, in spite of her despair.

The poet suggests that the speaker, despite her sadness and deep-rooted anguish, is
proud of her sons who have fought bravely and brought victory. She gives expression
to the voices of countless Indian mothers whose sons have fought in the war. The poet
says that the people of the great warring nations can never realize the small hopes of
these mothers and the pain of praying for the safety of their sons. She asks if they can
understand the vision of glory that she sees, which is drastically different from what
they see. Her vision of victory and glory is a sad one because she had to lose her sons
to gain victory. This victory has come after the loss of so much blood is sad and
meaningless to her.

(b) To whom is the poem homage from the poet?

Answer
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‘The Gift of India' is a poem written by the Indian poet and freedom fighter Sarojni
Naidu also known as the 'Nightingale of India. The poet speaks on behalf of Mother
India who is eulogizing the great works of her sons, many of whom have died fighting
for the victory of their temporal rulers. The poem is a tribute to the contribution of
Indian soldiers in World War I. More than a million Indian soldiers from the British
Indian Empire served in the Allied forces in the First World War. A large number of
them sacrificed their lives in a war that had nothing to do with them or their motherland.
Indian troops fought in different locations of significance to the allied stronghold and
had an important share in many of the battles throughout the course of the war.
However, the contribution of the Indian soldiers is overlooked in the vast expanse of
the War's history. The selfless sacrifices of the Indian soldiers done for the colonizers
have been praised in Naidu's poem The Gift of India'. The poem not only concentrates
on the theme of soldiers making their ultimate sacrifice for someone else's war but also
talks about the numerous benefits the foreign countries reaped from India. The poet
regards these benefits as gifts given by India to the colonizers, which have not been
appropriately appreciated and received.

(c) What does the poem say about the benefits that colonisers have gained from
India?

Answer

The Gift of India' is a poem that celebrates India's contribution to the causes of others.
It is also a very strong war poem that concentrates both on the evils of destruction that
wars bring, and the mourning, as well as the courage, honour. and recognition of the
heroes who fight in it. The poem mentions how India gave thousands of her sons when
Britain needed them in order to fight evil powers during the First World War. The
soldier sons of India went to fight in favour of Britain and laid down their lives in distant
lands where they were buried. These sons of the soil did not even get a grave in their
motherland. They fought long as they lived and they died honourable deaths at the
hands of the enemies. During the Great War, Britain made full use of India's material
resources as well as benefitted from the valour of her sons. The poem says that India
had showered great favours even on her colonisers and they did not appropriately
appreciate her greatness. Without the help of India, the British could have never
gained such great victory in the war. The victorious allied powers owed great gratitude
to India, which was not duly paid to her.

Long Questions and Answers

1. What do gifts symbolize? Justify the title of the poem 'The Gift of India'

Answer

The title of the poem 'The Gift of India' by Sarojini Naidu has many connotations.

Gifts symbolize many things according to the occasion, the time period history, and the
society. Gifts are often given in gratitude, celebration, or commemoration. Gifts are
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given to express or reinforce love, friendships, and political or social alliances.

Sometimes gifts are given out of the sheer joy some people feel by giving to those in
need.

The title "The Gift of India' evokes a sense of pride to the people of the country of
attaining freedom from the shackles of the British. The poetess compared the lives of
the dead to the pearls strewn in abandonment along the waves which can be
considered as bright and shining gifts of India's manhood buried in the foreign land.
The invaluable gift of so many lives who fought against the British can never be
undermined. The history reveals that the disposition of the English towards the Indians
was no better than that of the Americans towards the black slaves.
The title of the poem can also be seen from the perception of Mother India as a giver
involving a vast country rich with natural resources. She can produce rich resources of
raiment, food or gold in abundant generously. To the delight of the takers, her
resources remain strewn about in all directions. From time immemorial, the tradition of
this country is to offer food, clothes and other valuables to the seekers who came for
shelters. But the looters filled their coffins with rich booty wherever they lay their hands
on.

The quality and the number of gifts the motherland is capable of providing baffles one's
imagination. Her brave offspring are often summoned abroad to the call of duty. The
bodies of these heroes are not simply an organic matter, born to die. The value of their
lives can be compared to the most valuable jewel of the mother earth.

Thus the poem "The Gift of India is a celebration and a demand for accounting as
Mother India proclaiming proudly her gifts to the west including her sons who were
martyred in the battle of the First World War.

2. What is the major gift India gave and in what way was it used? Based on your
opinion, explain how selecting appropriate gifts is essential. You may use the
points below for reference.
• the futility of waging wars 
• several thousand people died in a war not concerning the political interests of
India 
• gift India gave to the English was manpower to support the English army 
• separation from family and friends, working for a purpose not serving their
needs or interests and forever shattering bonds was the cost Indians paid to
prepare the exquisite gift
• reminder to people to be wise about the gift they give to the others

Answer

'The Gift of India' narrates the fate of India's gift to the world. The theme of the poem is
an emphasis on the futility of waging wars and the setting of the poem dates back to
the times of World War I. At that time, Indians were fooled by the English who forced
them into joining the army. Their fate was sealed when several thousand people died
in a war not concerning the political interests of India.

India is a land of diversity, bravery, sacrifice, brotherhood, tolerance, freedom and has
welcomed guests to its land since the very beginning. Apart from wealth and multi-
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cultural diversity, India is known for its loyalty towards all its allies. The gift India gave
to the English at the time of World War I was manpower to support the English army
and its allies at the cost of separation of families and walking towards an unknown
future. Indian soldiers had travelled to various unknown lands to support the British.
This was the major gift India gave to the world.

Separation from family and friends, working for a purpose not serving their needs or
interests and forever shattering bonds was the cost Indians paid to prepare the
exquisite gift. Wars have had always done harm. Indian soldiers had to face the wrath
of wars, which held no meaning and was of no gain to the citizens.

A gift is a mark of celebration for an event or serves as a means of gratitude. It is

prepared to keep in mind the interests of the person and that the gift lasts forever. In
any case, the gift, India had given to the English was none other than her own sons - a
gift which no longer remained a gift and became a factor contributing to the destruction
of the world. All efforts made in preparation for war are futile and in a way, it can be
said that the gift that Mother India prepared was rendered useless as soon as it was
presented. It resulted in loss on the Indian as well as global fronts.

Sarojini Naidu's "The Gift of India' is a reminder to people to be wise about the gift they
give to the others and remember that a gift is given only as a token of happiness, not
as a weapon to hurt others, both physically and emotionally. Although gifts must be
prepared considering the interest of the person, it must be a message of peace and
love to them and to the world.

3. 'The Gift of India' is a poem which describes sufferings of Indians at the hands
of English during the colonial period. Support this statement using references
from the poem. You may use the points below for reference. 
• poem is a celebration and demand for accounting as Mother India
•  proclaims proudly her gifts to West • India's wealth looted and heritage
destroyed
•  Mother India is in conflict because she sees her children grow and
get stronger through the torture they endure 
• poem a message to the future generations who have the privilege of
breathing free air

Answer

The Gift of India is a poem written in 1915, which is both a celebration and a demand
for accounting as Mother India proclaims proudly her gifts to the West, including her
sons who were martyred in the battlefields of the First World War. It describes the
plight of Indians during the period of colonization. All of India's wealth and treasure
were looted by the colonizers, which once formed the identity of the country. It included
wealth, culture and manpower. On the other hand, it is described that Mother India had
donated her wealth to help countries due to her philanthropic nature. The line
“Priceless treasures torn from my breast" supports the idea of India's wealth looted and
heritage destroyed.

In the poem, it is Mother India who speaks. A mother is concerned about her children's
welfare but also cannot let go of her pride when her children achieve success. No
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matter how enduring the condition may be, when a child succeeds, a mother is the
happiest. She tries her best to do things for her children's welfare and encourages
them to walk on the path though it might be the riskiest of all. Mother India plays a
similar role and portrays the role of a caring and concerned mother who seeks
acknowledgement for the children's contribution, which is seen as a gift to the world.
However, she cannot bear to see her children being tortured and her home destroyed.
In her, she has pride because her children succeed but cannot let go of the situation
because it is the same factor, which is responsible for the welfare of her children. Here,
welfare can only mean the success Indians achieve in foreign lands and their growth
as brave Indians.
"Or compass the woe of the watch I keep? 
Or the pride that thrills thro' my heart's despair"

The above lines are evidence for the fact that Mother India is in conflict because she
sees her children grow and get stronger through the torture they endure.

Overall, the colonial period was a period of sufferings for Indians who gave up all their
worldly pleasures and sacrificed their families for the freedom of their motherland. They
continued fighting the war for the English and attained freedom at the cost of their
lives. They survived terror to let future generations live in freedom. The final line of the
poem 'Remember the blood of my martyred sons!' is the apt expression for the emotion
expressed during the colonial period. The final line is not said to the Englishmen but to
the future generations who have the privilege of breathing free air.