Village Song
By Sarojini Naidu
Question and Answer
Let’s understand the poem
1. The poem appears to be a conversation between two persons. Who are they?
Ans: The conversation is between a mother and a daughter.
2. Where does the “honey child” go?
Ans: “Honey child” wants to go to the wild forest.
3. Why should she leave the mother and grieve the lover?
Ans: The girl wants to go to the wild forest because she is attracted towards it. She finds life in the wild forest far more interesting than getting married.
4. How does the child describe the “wild forest”?
Ans: The child is very much attracted by the wild forest. She describes that it has champa and its buds are blowing. There are birds that chirp and there is lotus that is shining. There are fairy folks who are singing and attracting her.
5. What does the expression ‘the world full of pleasure” mean?
Ans: ‘The world full of pleasure’ means that the life after marriage will be beautiful for the girl. She will have all the materialistic pleasures which she wants.
6. What is common about bridal songs and cradle songs?
Ans: Both the bridal songs and cradle songs describes the heavenly pleasures of life. It is described as sandal-scented life which means life which is beautiful and has pleasures.
7. How does the poet describe happiness and sorrow?
Ans: The laughter of the sun to-day, the wind of death to-morrow- this line is used in the poem to show happiness and sorrow. This lines implies that nothing is permanent in life, today’s happiness may not be the same next day.
8. How does the poet compare forest notes with bridal songs and cradle songs?
Ans: The poet feels that there is rise and fall of sorrowness in the bridal and cradle songs. There is no permanent state in both the songs, whereas she feels that forest notes are more sweeter and have deep impact on the minds.
Let’s appreciate the poem
1. The first four lines of the poem pose four questions. What does the mother want to tell her daughter?
Ans: The first stanza is full of questions. The mother asks her daughter where she was going. She asks her whether she is going to cast her beautiful jewelry and go away. She then asks her whether she is going to leave her mother all alone who took so much effort to raise her. Finally she asks her if she really wants to cry her husband-to-be and leave. In these four questions, the mother is persuading daughter to stay and get married. She, just like any mother, wants her daughter to be happy and settled.
2. Does the mother’s appeal have any effect on the girl? What does the girl find irresistible?
Ans: The girl is least affected by the mother’s appeal. She is completed taken away by the charm of the wild forest and its beautiful things. She finds beauty in the lotus that shines brightly, the koil that chirps. She finds charm in the champa buds that blows.
3. How are the worldly pleasures compared with the pleasures of the fairy land?
Ans: Worldly pleasures have no permanency. Today’s pleasure is replaced with tomorrow’s sorrow. On the other hand, fairy land is far more beautiful and has everything filled with certain beauty. Worldly pleasures have end at some point but fairy land’s pleasure has no end.
Let’s do some activities
1. How many times does the word “would” occur in the poem?
Ans: The word “would” occurs three times in the poem.
2. How many questions are asked in the poem? Who—the mother or the daughter— asks the questions?
Ans: Five questions are asked in the poem. The mother asks the questions to her daughter.
3. The adjective “bridal” is used in the following expressions: “bridal songs”, “bridal robes” and “bridal cakes”. Can you use the adjective in any other expression?
Ans: Bridal clothes, bridal jewelry, bridal make-up,etc.
4. In line 3 and line 4 of the first stanza the word “who” is used to qualify the nouns “mother” and “lover”. Use the word to qualify other nouns in sentences of your own.
Ans: My best friend is the best singer in our class who is also a great dancer.
5. Rearrange the following phrases in the sequence in which they occur in the poem:
Ans:
Correct sequence –
the champa buds are blowing;
koil-haunted river isles
lotus lilies glisten;
bridal robes are in the loom;
bridal cakes are on the hearth;
6. Mark the rhyming words in each stanza. Find out the rhyming words ending in ‘ing’ form. Discuss with your friends how many are common and what effect they have on you when you read the poem alone.
Ans:
Going-blowing
Glowing-going
Falling – calling
Let's Speak
How can we honour and thank our mothers?
Ans: 1.) Pray for their well-being every day.
2.) Take care of them when they are sick.
3.) Always respect them and never hurt them.
4.) We can help her in her daily chores.
5.) Always make sure to treat her well.
6.) Love her and show how much she means to you.
Let’s write
1. How does the mother dissuade the girl from going to the forest?
Ans: The mother persuades the girl not to go to the wild forest and marry. She wants her daughter to settle down and enjoy the worldly pleasures of life. The mother tells her daughter about the positive things of the married life. She tells her that there is much pleasure in married life and there are songs of pleasure. Bridal songs and the cradle songs are the most beautiful songs in a woman’s life. She finds pleasure is such things. She reminds the daughter of her responsibility towards her husband-to-be. The mother tells her bridal jewellery is shining and her robes are all set.
2. Why does the girl want to go there?
Ans: The girl is attracted by the wild forest. She is attracted by the beauty of forest. She finds the charm of the things of the forests. She is attracted by the champa buds, shining lotus, koil singing. She is attracted by the fairy folk. She feels that the worldly pleasure don’t last forever, today’s happiness is taken by tomorrow’s sorrow. There is nothing permanent in the worldly pleasure. The girl feels that the forest-notes are much sweeter than the songs of bridal and cradle. There is sweet tune and beauty in the world of forest.
3. Given below is a table. Write in the table the words / expressions from the poem that you think appropriate in each column.
Ans:
4. Now prepare a note on the atmosphere of fairy land as described in the poem.
Ans: There is a vivid description of the atmosphere of fairy land. There are champa buds which are blowing. There is a koil bird which sings beautifully. The lotus is shining brightly. There are fairy folks who are singing folk songs and calling the poet. The falling of the streams appear beautiful and creates a beautiful music that appeals to the ears. It is more beautiful than the bridal songs and cradle songs.