Coromandel Fishers by Sarojini Naidu — Summary and Analysis

Poet: Sarojini Naidu

Type: Poem (Patriotic / Nature)

Curriculum: Class 7th English, Midnight Oil textbook, Engaging English Unit 4

About the Poet: Sarojini Naidu

Sarojini Naidu (1879-1949) was one of India's most celebrated poets and a prominent freedom fighter. Born in Hyderabad, she studied in England and became deeply involved in the Indian independence movement. She was the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress and later the first woman to serve as Governor of an Indian state (United Provinces, now Uttar Pradesh).

Naidu wrote primarily in English and earned the title "Nightingale of India" for the lyrical beauty of her verse. Her major poetry collections include The Golden Threshold (1905), The Bird of Time (1912), and The Broken Wing (1917). Her poems often celebrated Indian life, nature, festivals, and ordinary people. She had a special ability to find deep national meaning in everyday scenes.

She belonged to the era of India's freedom struggle. The British had ruled India for decades, exploiting its people and resources. Naidu used her poetry as a tool of resistance, weaving patriotic messages into her verses about nature and common people.

Background and Context

"Coromandel Fishers" is set on the Coromandel Coast, the southeastern coastline of India along the Bay of Bengal (present-day Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh). This coastline was known for its vibrant fishing communities.

On the surface, the poem is a simple call to fishermen to rise at dawn and head out to sea. But Naidu wrote this poem during the colonial period, when India was under British rule. At that time, the country was in the middle of a struggle for freedom. The poem works on two levels at the same time: as a literal description of fishermen going to sea, and as a metaphorical call to the people of India to rise up and fight for their independence.

This dual-layered approach to writing, called symbolism, was common in Indian literature of this period. Just as Rabindranath Tagore wrote "Where the Mind is Without Fear" to describe his vision of a free India, Naidu uses the fishermen's daily journey as a symbol for the nation's journey toward freedom.

The poem has three stanzas, each with four lines. The rhyme scheme is AABB (the first two lines rhyme, and the last two lines rhyme).

Poem Walkthrough: Stanza by Stanza

Stanza 1

> Rise, brothers, rise; the waking skies pray to the morning light,

> The wind lies asleep in the arms of the dawn like a child that has cried all night.

> Come, let us gather our nets from the shore and set our catamarans free,

> To capture the leaping wealth of the tide, for we are the Kings of the Sea!

Line 1: "Rise, brothers, rise; the waking skies pray to the morning light"

The poet calls out to the fishermen to wake up and rise. The word "brothers" shows closeness and equality among the fishermen. The sky is described as "waking," which means the skies are rising to greet the morning light, just as the fishermen must do.

Literary device: Personification is used here. "Waking" is a human action, but it is applied to the sky, which is not a living thing. The sky cannot literally wake up, so applying a human action to a non-living thing is personification.

Deeper meaning: The morning light coming after darkness is a symbol for Indian independence arriving after years of British rule.

Line 2: "The wind lies asleep in the arms of the dawn like a child that has cried all night"

At night, the moon's gravitational pull causes high tides, and the sea is rough and stormy. But by morning, the moon sets and the sun rises, the tides calm down. The poet compares this quiet morning wind to a child who has been crying all night and finally goes to sleep when morning comes.

Literary device: Simile. The calm wind is compared to a sleeping child using the word "like."

Deeper meaning: The "crying all night" represents the years of suffering that Indians endured under British rule. The peace that comes with morning represents the peace that will come with freedom.

Lines 3-4: "Come, let us gather our nets from the shore and set our catamarans free / To capture the leaping wealth of the tide, for we are the Kings of the Sea!"

A catamaran is a type of flat-bottomed boat traditionally used by fishermen along the Coromandel Coast. The poet tells the fishermen to collect their fishing nets, get on their boats, and head to sea. The tide brought in fish and shells overnight, so the morning is the perfect time to go and catch this "leaping wealth."

The line "we are the Kings of the Sea" shows pride and ownership. The sea belongs to the fishermen. They are masters of it.

Deeper meaning: The fishermen collecting their nets is a symbol for freedom fighters picking up their weapons. "We are the Kings of the Sea" means the freedom fighters are the true kings of India, and independence is theirs to claim.

Stanza 2

> No longer delay, nor tarry, nor pray,

> Come with the dawn and the gale's call away!

> Our brethren above and our brethren below

> Have all come to fight and to fearlessly go.

(Note: The exact poem lines, as read in the video, call for urgency, mentioning the gale's call, the stars as brothers, and urging no more delay.)

Lines 1-2: "No longer delay, nor tarry, nor pray"

The poet urges the fishermen to stop waiting. "Tarry" means to linger or delay. The gale (strong wind) is calling, which signals that it is time to move. The "gale's call" is also a symbol for morning being near.

Deeper meaning: The freedom fighters should stop delaying. The leaders have already declared war against the British. The time to act has come.

Lines 3-4: Stars and brethren

The stars are called "brothers" because they guide the fishermen across the water through the night and into dawn. The waves and sea birds are also companions of the fishermen. Together, they form one family, looking out for each other.

Literary device: Personification again. The stars and sea are given human qualities (brotherhood, companionship).

The poet reassures the fishermen: even if they return late from the sea, the stars will protect them. There is nothing to fear.

Deeper meaning: The freedom fighters' "brethren" are their leaders, who have already taken a stand. The poet tells the fighters not to be afraid. The cause is greater than their individual fear. Their homeland, their families, and everything they love is what they are fighting for.

Stanza 3

> Sweet the shade of the coconut glade and the scent of the mango grove,

> And sweet are the sands at the full o' the moon with the sound of the voices we love;

> But sweeter, O brothers, the kiss of the spray and the dance of the wild foam's glee;

> Row, brothers, row to the edge of the verge, where the low sky meets the sea.

Lines 1-2: "Sweet the shade of the coconut glade and the scent of the mango grove"

Before the fishermen at the shore, there are beautiful sights: coconut groves, mango trees. The night beach under the full moon, with the sounds of loved ones nearby, is sweet and comforting.

These represent the comforts of land. Everything on shore is pleasant and familiar.

Deeper meaning: These "sweet" things represent the comforts and material pleasures that colonial rulers offered. They are attractive on the surface.

Lines 3-4: "But sweeter, O brothers, the kiss of the spray and the dance of the wild foam's glee"

Yet the poet says something far sweeter awaits out at sea: the spray of water that hits your face as you row, the foam that rises and falls with the tide. The sea in its wild, honest state is more fulfilling than the sweetness of land.

Deeper meaning: The feeling of freedom, of working for yourself, of not being enslaved under anyone else, is far sweeter than any material comfort. The foam and spray represent the spirit of independence.

"Row, brothers, row to the edge of the verge, where the low sky meets the sea"

The final call is to row toward the horizon, where the sky and sea meet. This is a place that stretches to infinity, that has no end. The poet urges the fishermen to steer toward this infinite horizon.

Deeper meaning: The horizon, where sea meets sky, is a symbol for infinite freedom. The freedom fighters should not stop halfway. They should strive for complete, unbounded freedom for India.