TO INDIA MY NATIVE LAND (Summary & Notes)

 

LINE BY LINE SUMMARY

"My country! In thy days of glory past"
The poet remembers the glorious past of India.

"A beauteous halo circled round thy brow"
India was beautiful and admired by all.

"And worshipped as a deity thou wast—"
The country was once respected and almost worshipped like a goddess.

"Where is thy glory, where the reverence now?"
The poet laments the loss of India's past glory and respect.

"Thy eagle pinion is chained down at last,"
India, once free like an eagle, is now bound and oppressed.

"And grovelling in the lowly dust art thou,"
The country has been reduced to a low and miserable state.

"Thy minstrel hath no wreath to weave for thee"
The poet, like a bard, has no joyful songs to write about India's glory.

"Save the sad story of thy misery!"
He can only narrate tales of India's suffering.

"Well—let me dive into the depths of time"
The poet decides to explore history for inspiration.

"And bring from out the ages, that have rolled"
He hopes to retrieve fragments of India's lost greatness from the past.

"A few small fragments of these wrecks sublime"
He seeks remnants of India's former glory.

"Which human eye may never more behold"
These glorious times may never return.

"And let the guerdon of my labour be,"
The poet wishes his hard work to yield a reward.

"My fallen country! One kind wish for thee!"
He hopes for at least a kind wish for his beloved, fallen country.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1. What does the poet say about India’s past in the poem?

Ans: The poet says that India was glorious in the past. It was admired and respected, almost worshipped like a deity.

2. What does the poet mean by "thy eagle pinion is chained down at last"?

Ans: The poet compares India to an eagle, a symbol of strength and freedom. He says that India's freedom is lost, and it has been reduced to a low, powerless state.

3. Why does the poet say, "Thy minstrel hath no wreath to weave for thee"?

Ans: The poet means that he has no happy songs or praises to write about India because the country is now in misery and suffering.

4. What does the poet wish to do by diving into "the depths of time"?

Ans: The poet wants to explore India’s glorious past and bring back fragments of its forgotten greatness.

5. What does the poet hope to achieve through his efforts?

Ans: The poet hopes that his work will earn at least one kind wish for his beloved, fallen country.

6. What is the tone of the poem?

Ans: The tone is sad and nostalgic, but also hopeful as the poet wishes to revive India's forgotten glory.

7. What is the "guerdon" the poet mentions?

Ans: "Guerdon" means reward. The poet hopes that his hard work will be rewarded with a kind thought or wish for India.

8. Why does the poet call India a "fallen country"?

Ans: The poet calls India a "fallen country" because it has lost its past glory and is now suffering under misery and oppression.

9. What is the central idea of the poem?

Ans: 'To India My Native Land' by Henry Derozio expresses the poet's deep love and sorrow for his motherland, India. He laments India's lost glory and grandeur, which once made it revered like a divine being. Now, India lies in misery and bondage, symbolized by its chained wings. Despite this sorrow, the poet vows to explore India's glorious past, preserving its memory and offering a heartfelt wish for its revival and freedom.