INDIAN WEAVERS Poem Summary
About the Poet:
Sarojini Naidu was born in 1879 and dies in 1949. She was a political activist, feminist
and the first Indian woman who became the President of the Indian National Congress. She was an important figure in India’s Struggle for Independence. She is called as the Nightingale of India. She became the Governor of the United Provinces in 1947 becoming the first woman to hold the office of the Governor in Independent India.
About the Poem:
It is a short poem of only three stanza where the poet talks about three types of garment that the weavers weave at three particular times of a day. Each stanza of the poem represents the three important events of human life: birth (childhood), adulthood (young) and death (old). The colours mentioned in the stanzas are very significant as they indicate the moods related to the events.
Summary:
It is a short poem composed by Sarojini Naidu. There are only three stanzas having four lines each. The poetess talks about three types of dresses that the Indian Weavers weave at three particular times of the day. Three times of a day and three types of dresses symbolizes particular stages of human life. The poetess uses a number of literary devices to express her ideas like simile, metaphor, etc. The poem also presents the discussion between the poet and the weavers; the poet asks the questions to Indian weavers and gets the reply.
In the first stanza, the poetess asks a question to the weavers that why they are weaving clothes early in the morning that seem to be quite beautiful and charming and of a blue colour. She is very curious to know about the cloth which is being woven by the Indian Weavers. The weavers reply that the clothes that they are weaving are blue as the wing of a halcyon/ kingfisher. They are weaving the robes of a new-born child who has just born. In this stanza the poetess tries to describe the first stage of human life which is full of happiness, beauty and hope and there is no kind of place for sorrow at this stage of life.
In the second stanza, the poetess again tries to ask a question why they are weaving a cloth late in the evening. She also asks why they are weaving a garment so bright like the plumes (feathers) of a peacock, purple and green. The weavers answer that the cloth is bright and richly coloured because they are weaving a veil of queen. It is a kind of marriage veil. This stanza presents adult stage of life when humans get married and quest for a better and prosperous life. Purple and green colour symbolizes the ups and downs of the life that makes adulthood bright.
In the last stanza, the poetess observes the Indian Weavers quite sad and silent. They are weaving in the dead of the night which is colourless and lifeless so, instead of asking why they are weaving, she asks what they are weaving. The weavers answer that they are weaving shroud which means a cloth which will be used to put on the dead body. It represents the death, last stage of human life which is lifeless and emotionless just like a white cloud or a feather. However, the white colour also highlights the eternal peace and calmness that comes with death.
The poem presents human life in three main stages using symbols like three types of clothes and three different times of the day. The life begins with its journey with blue colour representing joy and happiness and then it comes to green and purple that represents the various ups and downs in life with happiness and at last comes a white colour that represents the last stage of human life.