Critical Appreciation Of Village Song by Sarojini Naidu

  

Poem Entitled " Village Song " has been composed by Sarojini Nadiu a great Indian English Poet and Freedom fighter . Her poetry is appreciated for its birds like quality , Lyricism , Symbolism , imagery, native favour and Mysticism are the remarkable Qualities of her poetry.                                  

 

The present poem is a poetic rendering of a famous folk song of  Uttar Pradesh . In India village life , fetching water by village maidens either from  ' panghat ' or the river , specially Yamuna is the common folk theme . The speaker in this poem is a village maiden who had gone to fetch water from river Yamuna and now her pitchers are full , she is lured to tarry by the boat men's lilting song . The maidens pitchers are full and she has to return home through lonely and long pathways. Night is fast approaching and the calling under the  ' wild owls ' cry. this is a suitable way to say that darkness has almost come . the darkness is further aggravated by the absence of moon beans. In such a darkness and through long and lonely way she apprehends the bite of a snake or encounter with an evil sprit . In such a situation the maiden says : " Ram re Ram ! I shall die ". The brother and mother would become anxious about her and would pray to God for her safely return , more so , because the water of Yamuna or a lighting will flash , she will have no place to hide herself except in the arms of God or else she would die.

                  The poem extends Indian ness both in content and imagery . The refrain at the end of each of the stanzas only hightens the effect with all the meritine images associated with the folk song the poem has the lyrical presentation of India folk life and raise the poem to lyrical heights enriched by folk images. In the poem Sarojini Naidu remains a true Indian in her thoughts and imagery ....................................