Personality - John Keats (1795-1821)

The genius of poetry must work out its own salvation in man. It cannot be matured by law and precept, but by sensation and watchfulness in itself. That which is creative must create itself."

These words by John Keats express his philosophy of creation. Poetry was all about appreciation of beauty for its own self. His poetry is marked with vivid imagery and sensuous appeal.

Unlike Wordsworth and Shelley, Keats' love for beauty, especially natural beauty was for its own sake. He did not read any ‘message’ in nature. He enjoyed nature and beauty just as it was. Sensuous and sensitive, Keats is the archetype of the romantic poet. Though he never lived to write the poetry of "the agonies, the strife of human hearts", which he aspired to, he has given some immortal works which are likely to be remembered by generations to come.

Keats And His Family Background

Tracing John Keats' lineage, we find that he came from a middle-class background. His father, Thomas Keats, was the head ostler in a livery stable owned by Mr John Jennings. Thomas married Jennings's daughter, Frances. Mr Jennings soon retired leaving the management of the stable to his son-in-law. Thus John Keats (his three brothers and one sister included) was born at the stable, by the sign of The Swan–and–Hoop, on Finsbury pavement, facing the then open Lower Moorfields, on October 31, 1795. By the time the youngest child, Frances Mary was born in 1803, the family had shifted to a house in Graven Street, City Road.

Though coming from humble backgrounds, both Thomas and Frances were quite intelligent and clever. Especially Frances, was a understanding and affectionate parent. The family was a very close-knit one, especially the bond that John and his mother and the brothers shared.

Education

Aspiring to give the best possible education to their children, the parents chose Rev John Clarke’s School at Enfield, a well-reputed school located among pleasant atmosphere. John started going to school in 1803. In the very next year, that is in 1804, Thomas met with an accident. He fell from his horse as he was riding home one night from Southgate. The fall killed him (April 16, 1804). After a hasty marriage of Mrs Keats’ to one William Rawlings, and an equally hasty separation the Keats family went to live with the recently widowed Mrs Jennings at Edmonton.

Mr Jennings was quite comfortably off, financially. Apart from a number of legacies, which yielded a fixed income to his daughter, he had put a sum of £ 1,000 in trust for the Keats children. And so the next four or five years passed quite pleasantly and comfortably for John.

In school John was spirited and generous, quarrelsome and forgiving, handsome and lovable, and a natural leader. He was passionate in both tears and laughter. But beneath this facade he concealed (except from his brothers) a streak of painful sensibility, subjecting him to moods of unreasonable suspicion and self-tormenting melancholy.

The Keats brothers had always been close to each other. George, the second brother, was quite like John, except that he was less impulsive, bigger and stronger. Tom, the youngest brother was ‘delicate’ from childhood and was always protected by his two elder brothers. Their sister, then a child, was also bonded by the strong family sentiments.

The Book-lover

Initially, Keats showed no signs of being intellectual or artistic. He was methodical and orderly in what he did, but not studious. It was only when he was 14–15 years old, that he diverted his energy to studies. He soon became so engrossed in the pleasures of reading that he would always have a book in his hands – even before school and during play-hours. He preferred to read, rather than to play and won several literature-prizes in school. He soon exhausted the school library, reading every book of history, travel and fiction. Mythology was something that he enjoyed tremendously. During this period he took upon himself to translate Aeneid from Latin into English prose.

Death Of Mother

But trouble soon followed. John’s mother, Frances, already disabled by chronic rheumatism, fell ill and finally died in February 1810. John’s devotion to her was very much evident and he would not allow anyone else to attend to her, give her medicines or cook her food. He would sit with her for the entire night, reading novels to her.

Ready To Face Life

Within a few months of Frances’s death, Mrs Jennings executed a deed thereby putting her now orphaned grand-children under the care of two guardians. Most of her property was now to be held in trust by the guardians, till the children came of age. Although Mrs Jennings survived the execution of the deed by about four years, Mr Abbey and his co-trustee undertook the responsibilities and the management of the trust. By the end of 1810, John was withdrawn from school and readied for life. He was just 15 when he was apprenticed for five years to a surgeon, Mr Hammond, at Edmonton.

The study of medicine did not lessen his passion for literature and whenever he could spare time; he would go to visit his friend Cowden Clarke, at his old school in Enfield. They would exchange and read books and discuss them. Around this time, he had finished his translation of Aeneid.

Keats : The Poet

But he had still not written or attempted to write any poetry. Then one day, Cowden Clarke introduced John to Spenser. They read the Epithalamium in the afternoon and Keats carried The Faerie Queen with him when he went back. Keats was delighted with this new world opened up to him. Charles Brown, one of Keats’ many friends recalls, "Though born to be a poet, he was ignorant of his birthright until he had completed his 18th year. It was The Faerie Queen that awakened his genius. In Spenser’s fairyland he was enchanted, breathed in a new world and became another being; till, enamored by the stanza, he attempted to imitate it and succeeded." This, his earliest attempt, The Imitation Of Spenser was his first volume of poems and "it is peculiarly interesting to those acquainted with his history."

Secretly and shyly, Keats began writing sonnets and other verses, on various subjects, including his political impulse. But it was not until 1815 that he showed anything he had written to anybody, even his friend and confidante, Cowden Clarke.

Study Of Medicine

Keats had more than a year left of his apprenticeship, when he quarreled with Mr Hammond in the summer of 1814. Subsequently he came to London. He was about 19 years old. He continued his studies in London and enrolled as a student in the hospital of St Thomas and Guy, which were united for teaching purposes.

John was a very attentive student. He attended his hospital and did his work regularly. He cleared his examination as licentiate at Apothecaries’ Hall with credit on July 25, 1816 and was appointed a dresser at Guy’s under Mr Lucas. His performance there was good and he was able to assist in the operations without problem. But by 1817 he was thinking more and more about leaving the medical profession and devoting himself to a literary life. The muse was steadily luring this ‘cheerful, crotchety rhymester’. He confessed, "the other day, during lecture there came a sunbeam into the room and with it a whole troop of creatures floating in the ray; and I was off with them to Oberon and fairy-land." For quite sometime now, his friends included young men of literary tastes and occupations. His verses were no longer kept hidden. They were freely passed around among friends and often attracted the notice and approval of writers of good repute.

Poetry - His Passion

By the time he was 21 years of age, John Keats had decided to opt for the muse. Mr Abbey, his guardian, was not very happy with this decision, but Keats was not to be swayed. There was no formal quarrel between them and Mr Abbey continued to manage the money even though Keats had come of age.

Gradually Keats’ circle of literary friends grew. He would discuss and compare verses, always advocating for beauty as against the interest of action or passion. By nature, Keats was gentle, pleasant, steady, and well behaved. As one of his friends had observed, "his absolute devotion to poetry prevented his having any other taste or indulging in any vice."

His Friends : His Mentors

By now Cowden Clarke had also left Enfield and settled in London. The two friends met often, reading together as eagerly as before. One of the first books they thus attacked was Chapman’s Homer. After a night’s study, the next morning Clarke received the famous sonnet, On First Looking Into Chapman’s Homer, written by Keats. Cowden Clarke was also instrumental in introducing Leigh Hunt to Keats.

Hunt, along with his brothers, edited and published Examiner, a daily working towards improvement of English journalism. It was around 1816 to 1621, Hunt was the strongest intellectual influence on Keats. John Keats soon became a frequent and intimate visitor to the Hunt house. He admired Hunt and his 'extraordinary capacity for forming friendship'. They shared their interests and appreciation for poetry.

They accompanied each other in prison too. Both the friends were convicted for using libel language for Prince of Wales. They called him, '... a violator of his word, a libertine over head and cars in debt and disgrace, a despiser of domestic ties, the companion of gamblers,...' etc. Both Keats and Hunt were imprisoned for two years from January 1813 to January 1815.

Leigh Hunt also introduced Keats to a number of congenial spirits, prominent among them were John Hamilton Reynolds, the painter Haydon and the poet P B Shelley. He was also friendly with a Miss Georgiana Wylie, to whom George Keats was attached. Among Wylie’s friends was Joseph Severn, a struggling student of art. Severn soon attached himself to Keats with an admiring affection.

On The Stands

Keats’ passion for a poetic life grew steadily, aided by the encouragement of family and friends. Leigh Hunt first brought him before the world in print by publishing O Solitude ! If I With Thee Must Dwell in the Examiner, on May 5, 1816 and Sonnet On Chapman’s Homer on December 1 of the same year. He was soon encouraged to publish his first volume of poems and it was finally published in March 1817.

The book had moderate sales at first, but it stopped after a few weeks. Keats soon left London for the Isle of Wight, intending to devote himself to making a fresh start on his new book Endymion.

Financial Problems

About this time George wrote to John informing him of his financial difficulties. The trust funds amounted to about £ 8000, out of which the interest was to be utilized for the maintenance of the children till they came of age and then the principal amount was to be divided among them. But John’s expenses during his medical studies had to be raised on the security of the expected share. Similarly, Tom who was an invalid, had been advanced money and so had George. The Keats brothers were quite ill-informed about their finances.

Before John left London, he had come in contact with Merres Taylor and Hessey, publishers of London Magazine. He made an arrangement with them for the eventual publication of Endymion and started receiving some advance from them.

After moving about a little, the Keats brothers decided to take up lodgings at Hampstead, with a Mr and Mrs Bentley. Hampstead was quite convenient for Keats for more than one reason. Its fresh air was beneficial to the invalid brother, Tom. The beauty of the fields and wood, along with the picturesque habitations were ideal for John’s own long walks and meditations. Keats's imagination could easily transport this countryside beauty into the landscapes of Arcadia or of fable-land. Moreover, it was conveniently secluded from London and yet in its proximity, and finally it was in the immediate neighborhood of one or two intimate friends. In such pleasant surroundings, the Endymion progressed well. It was here that he made new friends, Charles Wentworth Dilke, Charles Armitage Brown and Benjamin Bailey.

By now his Third Book of Endymion was nearing completion. Around this time, he started maintaining regular correspondence with his sister Frances Mary, or Fanny as she was called. The Keats family bond did not leave out the kid sister, but after their grandmother’s death, Fanny was the responsibility of the trustee. She was put in a boarding school, later living at Mr Abbey’s own house. He often spoke to his friends about Fanny with ‘great delicacy and tenderness of affection.’ His correspondence with his sister shows Keats’ character in its most attractive light.

Keats : The Balancing Factor

It was around this time that Keats encountered discord among his friends. Haydon and Hunt were on uncomfortable terms, and so were Reynolds and Haydon, each trying to instigate Keats against the other. But Keats never let this kind of thing disturb his relations with his friends. He wrote to Bailey around this time, "The sure way, Baile, is first to know a man’s faults, and then be passive. If after that he insensibly draws you towards him, then you have no power to break the link. Before I felt interest in either Reynolds or Haydon, I was well read in their faults, yet knowing them both. I have an affection for them both, for reasons almost opposite, and to both must I of necessity cling…"

Soon the Endymion was completed. The brothers were temporarily separated when Tom and George went to Devonshire for the sake of Tom’s health. Apart from composing minor and incidental poems, Keats did not take up any major work.

Champion

The Christmas weeks of 1817-18 were pleasant enough. Keats was the theatrical critic for the Champion newspaper in place of Reynolds, who was away. He was able to visit his sister, who was brought to London for the Christmas holidays, and he had the ‘immemorable dinner’ with Wordsworth. The party also included Charles Lamb, Monkhouse and Richtchie, the African traveler.

The month of February 1818 was perhaps the most prolific. Keats wrote a number of small but good pieces. By now his brother George had decided to marry and migrate to America. Tom had to be looked after, and so Keats joined his invalid brother at Teighnmouth, Devonshire. The Devonshire weather was not at its best. Keats writes, "you say what you will of Devonshire; the truth is, it is a splashy, rainy, musty, snowy, foggy, haily, floody, muddy, slipshod country. The hills are very beautiful, when you get a sight of them, the primroses are out, - but then you are in; the cliff’s are of a fine deep color, but then the clouds are continually viewing with them…." This weather allowed him only an occasional walk to enjoy the beauty of the scenery and the flowers. Besides taking care of his invalid brother, Keats was seeing the last sheets of Endymion through the press. He also composed Isabella, the first of his longer poems. This poem is written with much maturity and certainty of touch. He also read Milton’s Paradise Lost, swiftly grasping the very essence of its power and beauty. Keats’ power was maturing rapidly, but at the same time, the mysteries of existence and suffering, and the ‘deeps of good and evil’, were beginning, for the first time to weigh on his mind. "

"… and tho’, to-day,
I’ve gather’d young spring-leaves, and flowers gay
On periwinkle and wild strawberry,
Still do I that most fierce destruction see, -
The Shark at savage prey, - the Hawk at Pounce, -
The gentle Robin, like a Pard or Ounce,
Ravening a worm, - Away, ye horrid moods !
Moods of one’s mind !"
- ‘twas a quiet eve,

Light And Shade

All was not well with Keats’ world. Sicknesses seemed to be following him. Sickness had touched not only his brother, but many of his friends too. But more eminent was the certain pain of the family break-up.

George Keats had made up his mind to migrate to America, and use whatever capital he could get in business there. His long attachment to Miss Wylie culminated in their marriage. John and Tom both came to London to see the last of their brother.

Lost Love

Shortly afterwards, Keats met and fell in love with Fanny Brawne. She was a beautiful, high spirited girl who took care of Keats during his illness. Keats was very possessive and protective about her. It was a hopelessly tragic love affair. Even though they got engaged in October 1819 the wedding could never take place. She got married after Keats' death and led a normal life.

December 1818 witnessed the death of his brother Tom, leaving John in despair. Taking the money advanced by his friend, Brown, Keats went off to the countryside to devote himself to literature. George’s American speculations did not succeed and he soon wrote to John to send him fresh funds.

Trying to Cope With Troubles

Keats soon resolved to shake off his troubles and was determined to face them with a spirit. For the next two years Keats produced poems which give us the true measure of his powers, even when peace of mind and health did not stand by him.

When Keats returned to London, his will to face life sanely proved to be an illusion. He could stay away from his all-consuming object of love – Fanny Brawne for barely two days. The first meeting in about four months made him a passion’s slave again. Within a week he gave up all efforts to resist the spell and settled down next door to his joy and torment. He saw the future, "I shall be able to do nothing. I should like to cast the die for Love or Death. I have no patience with anything else." And the die was cast for death.

Soon Keats’ closest friends realized that something was troubling Keats, that he was suffering, even though Keats never revealed anything to anyone. He became reckless about his health and was taking a few drops of laudanum to keep up his spirit. When Brown accidentally discovered this habit, he made Keats promise not to take a single drop without his knowledge.


In January 1820, George Keats visited London for three weeks. Settled with his wife and child in America, George came to England to get possession of the remaining portion of the brother’s inheritance from the reluctant Mr Abbey. George also observed, "He was not the same being, although his reception of me was as warm as heart could wish; he did not speak with his former openness and unreserved, he had lost the reviving custom of venting his grief." He had also stopped writing.

Death

Keats’ condition began deteriorating and he was soon coughing blood. Friends were kind enough to nurse him. But the doctors recommended warmer climate for winter and in September 1820 John Keats sailed for Italy in the company of Severn. After a month’s journey and 10 days of quarantine in Naples, Keats and Severn came to Rome. Initially, he felt better, his mood was on the whole cheerful and thus thoughts were turning to poetry and verses. But on December 10, things took a turn for the worse. Violent fever accompanied by hemorrhages turned Keats' life into misery. He begged Severn to give him the bottle of laudanum, which Keats had entrusted to his friend while starting for Italy. Severn’s refusal to do so turned Keats’ appeal to despair. He tried to explain the gradual deterioration and tried to get the bottle of laudanum. For a while, he fiercely fought his friend’s ministrations to give in to his demand. But gradually the tumult of his soul abated. He tried to pass the remainder of his days in peace and contentment. After the first few troubled weeks, Keats normally lay quietly finding solace in his companion’s reading or in music. He would often ask the doctor, "Doctor, when will this posthumous life of mine come to an end ?" But his ‘posthumous’ life held out for about two and a half months and the end came to this brilliant poet on February 23, 1821, in Rome.

This simple epitaph was good enough for Keats – "here lies one whose name was writ in water." Finding it too abrupt, Charles Brown had the following carved on the stone :

"This Grave Contains All That Was Mortal Of A YOUNG ENGLISH POET Who On His Death Bed, In The Malicious Power Of His Enemies, Described These Words To Be Engraved On His Tombstone, ‘Here lies One whose Name was writ in water."

Personality - Sarojini Naidu

Sarojini Naidu, also known as the Nightingale of India, lived a purposeful life. A devoted freedom fighter, a principled politician, a progressive activist, a radical reformer, an inspirational poet - woman of varied talents and high caliber, Sarojini Naidu lived life to its fullest. Her sincerity and zeal in speeches, poems and conversation reflect devotion and loyalty towards her motherland. Sarojini's career exhibits an intriguing paradox. She was one of those great personalities whose greatness is difficult to identify and substantiate. Though, she made no epoch-making contribution to either the ideology or practice of the struggle against colonialism, yet she played a lieutenant-like role in Indian politics. Sarojini was not only the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress but also the first woman to become the Governor of a state in independent India.
Ahead of times, she painted a romantic, idealistic picture of Indian women in her poems, and she, in real life also led the struggle for women's emancipation in India. She came forward and roused them to a realization of their own latent powers. On the other front she demonstrated how politics could be a clean game.

Certainly, Sarojini Naidu, with her multifaceted personality, was one of the most colorful and memorable women of the 20th century.

Today that seems so long, so strange, so bitter, will soon be some forgotten yesterday.
Let us rise, o my heart, let us gather the dreams that remain.
We shall conquer the sorrow of life with the sorrow of song.

Sarojini Naidu, an eminent personality is treasured in the memory of every Indian. As a politician, nationalist leader, poet, activist for women's rights, orator, and celebrity, she was certainly one of the most memorable mighty Indian women.

To Dr Aghorenath and Varada Sundari Chattopadhyay was born an Aquarian baby girl on February 13, 1879 in Hyderabad, India. She was the eldest of eight children born to Chattopadhyays. The baby was named Sarojini - meaning lotus. Sarojini was very lively and pleasant from her very childhood, like a lotus. The only difference between Sarojini and lotus was of their surroundings. A lotus blooms in a puddle whereas baby Sarojini blossomed in an atmosphere of culture and refinement.

Aghorenath was a multifaceted persona - qualities of a philosopher, scientist, poet and teacher rolled into one. He took his degree of Doctor of Science at the University of Edinburgh in 1877, and afterwards studied at Bonn. On his return to India he founded the Nizam College at Hyderabad. He was a great influence on Sarojini. She used to say, "My Father is a dreamer himself, a great dreamer, a great man. I suppose in the whole of India there are few men, whose learning is greater than his." The home of Aghorenath Chattopadhyay was known as the 'Seat of Learning', because there met all men of learning and culture and distinction - moulvis, pundits, European scholars, lawyers, prominent social personalities. Her mother, Varada Sundari was an accomplished cook. Outwardly she seemed self-effacing. But she had a distinct personality of her own. She used to compose lyrics in Bengali and was a good musician. Many languages were spoken in the Chattopadhyay household. The children were raised in a multilingual atmosphere and they could speak and follow all of them. Sarojini's brother Virendranath was fluent in 16 languages. Sarojini herself spoke Urdu, Telgu, English, Persian and Bengali. Curiously enough, she resisted English language for a long time as a child.

Education


The fortunate circumstances of her life cannot be measured in terms of worldly riches but by riches more valuable than gold. Her father, a true academician brought up his children in perfect freedom. She enjoyed unrestricted freedom at home. In a sense, she was brought up in the lap of luxury. Her father employed an English and a French governess with a view to give her an excellent training. She also had a Persian teacher and developed a taste for it. Even as a child she had the luxury of having her own room, her own library, her own furniture and her own wardrobe, of which an average Indian child could not even dream of.

Aghorenath paid special attention to all her requirements. He wanted her to follow his footsteps. But she had distinctly inherited poetical bent from her mother. She wrote, later in one of the letters to Arthur Symons, a literary scholar with whom she had made acquaintance in London, how her inborn poetic instinct struggled to master circumstances, and how it ultimately triumphed : "one day, when I was 11', read the letter, 'I was sighing over a sum in algebra. It wouldn't come right but instead, a whole poem came to me suddenly. I wrote it down. From that day my 'poetic career' began."

At 12, she appeared for her Matriculation examination at Madras. She excelled in the only exam she appeared. She stood first in the entire Presidency.

Poetic Career - The Start

The poetess was all armed and her pen started pouring the pieces, which was not likely of an ordinary child of 13.

After her matriculation, she did not go for a Bachelor's degree. Moreover, her ill health compelled her to discontinue her studies from time to time. From 1892 to 1895 she was back in Hyderabad. She spent time in extensive reading. During this period she developed taste for literature. She had devoured almost all the great English works. Her favorite poet was P B Shelley.

She wrote a long poem a la Lady of the Lake - 1,300 lines in six days. Next year, she wrote an impassioned poetic drama of 2000 lines ! The pen had taken off and did not stop without scripting out a drama. It was a Persian play - Meher Muneer. This play was, probably, influenced by her Persian study. Aghorenath Chattopadhyay, who had always encouraged his daughter's literary activities, got it printed. A few copies of it were distributed among friends. A copy was given to the Nizam of the state in the year 1895. It was Meher Muneer that bagged her a foreign scholarship of £300 a year, with first class passage.

My Joys are not what joys to childhood seem :
Not on unthinking sports my soul was Fed,
But nursed it was on many a brighter them
And high ideas formed my radiant dream.

The lines were written by Sarojini on her 14th birthday. Her outlook on life had matured. When her younger brother died, the sorrow turned into a poem.

Thou cam'st to us two years ago
In June when pink wild roes blow
Beneath the golden skies.
When autumn winds made melody
And yellow leaves fell from the tree
God's angels set their seal on thee
And closed thy lovely eyes.

Love in Life

The grieving period fortunately was balanced by an experience that was joyful and exciting. On a visit to Sholapur, she met a young man named Dr Muthyala Govindrajulu Naidu, who had just passed out of medical college. He was a family friend and treated her while she was ill. Though he was quite senior to her, that never created a barrier between them.

Both Sarojini and Dr Naidu belonged to families with very different cultural backgrounds, and their parents were against this relationship. Sarojini was sent off to England in 1895.

Sarojini in England

It was a coincidence that Dr Annie Besant, the head of the Theosophical Society at Chennai, and later a promoter of Home Rule for India, was also a passenger in the ship which Sarojini boarded for her voyage to London. She came to love and admire Sarojini as a daughter and offered to take care of her.

In England she had a unique privilege of being ward of Miss Manning, who was the pioneer worker for Indian students in England. At Miss Manning's salon, some of the highest literary figures of England resorted. There Sarojini met Sir Edmund Gosse, a well-known English scholar who later sponsored her in England; Arthur Symons, another scholar; William Archer, the distinguished drama critic; and Mr Heinemann, her future publisher. She studied for two years at King's College. Then she joined Girton Girls College at Cambridge. Those two years she invested in refining her poetic talent in the vicinity of Sir Edmund Gosse. She showed him all her poems. Gosse advised her to forget the robins and the skylarks of the English countryside and to set her poems firmly among the mountains, the gardens, the temples…to be a genuine Indian poet of the Deccan, not a clever imitator of English classics !

Sarojini valued the advice of this famous English critic and made a transition from skylark to bulbul. The poetess had lost herself in the city of poems. She got tired of university life, with its routine and discipline. Moreover her health broke down and her career at Girton ended.

All through this, she kept in touch with Dr Govindrajulu Naidu through letters. Probably he was the only Indian to devour the bulbul's melodies.

In Europe

Leaving Cambridge, she traveled the continent, sojourning in Switzerland and Italy for a few months in 1897. Sarojini, with passion in her frail body always desired to be ' a wild free thing of the air like the birds, with a song in my heart'. Here her desire was fulfilled.

Her radiant letters from Italy read, "This Italy is made of gold, the gold of dawn and daylight, the gold of the stars, and now dancing in weird enchanting rhythms through this magic month of May, the gold of fireflies in the perfumed darkness - 'aerial gold'." Further, her letter were like streams, happily flowing, singing and enjoying. It read, "God ! How beautiful it is, and how glad I am that I am alive today ! I drink the beauty like a wine, wine, golden and scented, and shining, fit for Gods."

Marriage and Domestic Life

After a stay of three years in England she landed on Indian soil in September 1898. She wanted to meet her love. Her parents had thought that she has forgotten Govindrajulu Naidu but she was determined.

In December 1898, amidst all the oppositions, the lovers got married, breaking through the bonds of caste. Sarojini was firm in her resolve never to desert her cherished ideals, though friends might fail her and her community scoff at her and called her a renegade. She had a happy domestic life. It was only that at times illness hampered the easy flow of Sarojini Naidu's life. Dr Naidu was a loving husband. She found in him the fulfillment of her soul's deepest yearnings.

The loving couple was blessed with four children by the end of 1904 - two sons and two daughters, the eldest Jayasurya, second Padmaja, the third, Randheera, and the youngest Leilamani. Sarojini wrote a poem dedicated to each newborn.

In worldly riches she was fairly endowed. The poet in her was finding fuller expression. At the time her heart held some of her most cherished dreams.

First Publication

Though frail in body, and delicate in health, the spirit in her was defiant, self-willed and purposeful. The period of despair, and the fear that 'any tomorrow I might die' was soon over. The clouds that darkened the sky of her hopes, her aspirations, her ambitions, soon vanished. In 1905, Heinemann published the first volume of her collection of poems called The Golden Threshold, with an introduction from her friend Arthur Symons.

The poetry in the volume soon secured unanimous verdict of the English press as 'beautiful poem', 'pure gold', 'surprisingly individual', 'authentic poetry', and the expression of 'soul of East'. There was fundamentally something in these poems, which seemed to prove that the best song knew nothing of East or West. Sarojini Naidu, woke up one fine morning and found herself famous.

Call of the Motherland

For many years, before Sarojini plunged in Non-Cooperation movement, she had been doing social work that brought her in contact with many eminent politicians. Gopal Krishna Gokhale, a well known freedom fighter in the India's independent movement, impressed Sarojini. He asked Sarojini to use her talent, songs, and speeches for the motherland. Gokhale said, "O poet, see visions from the hill top and spread abroad the message of hope to the toilers in the valley."

She joined the Indian freedom struggle, in the wake of the aftermath of partition of Bengal in 1905. She was an inspirational orator and could express her ideas in plain but striking words. She followed the national freedom struggle with her body and soul and contributed in every possible way, motivating spellbound audience with her appealing speeches. With her vigor and dedication to the national cause, Sarojini became one of the foremost leaders. Her single-minded dedication won her approval of other national leaders as well as general public. She became an ardent follower and a dear disciple of Mahatma Gandhi.

In 1906, the 27 years old Sarojini attended the Indian National Conference. At that time the word 'Hindu' was used in a general sense. To Sarojini, it was a generalization that contradicted her secular spirit. She suggested an amendment substituting 'Indian' for 'Hindu'. Sarojini, in her characteristic gentle but firm way told the delegates that she would leave the National Conference if her amendment was dropped. Needless to say her speech and her appeal received great response.

Meanwhile, she was awarded Kaisar-e-Hind title in 1908 in recognition of her work in the Ambulance Corps during the War.

Poet and Politician

Two more volumes of her poetry were published: The Bird of Time in 1912 and The Broken Wing in 1917. The former bore the introduction by Edmund Gosse. The poetry in these volumes, especially The Bird of Time added to her already established reputation as a lyric poet. The Broken Wing shows the suffering and sorrows she saw while traveling for the cause of India. The lyrical energy in these volumes did not slack a bit. It was rather gaining a new experience. It gave a richer, graver music to her poetry. The poetess had made a transition from the youthful ecstasy to something stern.

The graph of her career shows her reputation as a poet at its peak during the first decade of 20th century. Mah Rukh Begum, Women's Education and Unity of India are her only published prose pieces.

Sarojini's talent as a lyric poet made Mahatma Gandhi call her Bharta Kokila (The Nightingale of India).

Hindu - Muslim Unity

The patriot in Sarojini rose with the Nobel counsel. India was in a miasma at that time. The relationship between the Hindus and Muslims was getting more and more strained, widening the gulf of separation. Gokhale asked Sarojini to work for the cause. In June 1913, Sarojini addressed a letter to the Editor of the Indian Review. "The Muslims have held out their hand," she wrote. "Be gracious, be wise. Do not analyze motives too closely but take the proffered hand and hold it fast."

While Sarojini was involved in the freedom movement her father, Aghorenath Chattopadhyay died in February 1915. His last words were, "There is no birth and there is no death. There is only spirit seeking evolution in higher and higher stages of life." The poetess daughter paid him a final tribute.

Thy life was love and liberty thy law,
And truth thy pure imperishable goal.

The next year her mother Varada Sundari died in Calcutta, in 1916.

The Orator at Her Best

Sarojini Naidu, the disciple of Gokhale and Mahatma Gandhi, had taken the responsibility to spread the light to the toilers down in the valley. The years to follow witnessed an excellent orator, who played an eminent role in making the movement a national level movement.

The year 1917 occupied her in speaking engagements from North to South India. In January 1917, she was at Allahabad for a lecture. The subject of her lecture was 'The Vision of Patriotism', and Pandit Motilal Nehru, an eminent freedom fighter and one of the renowned lawyers of the time, presided over the event. Later that year she was in Southern India. At Chennai (Madras, as it was known then) she addressed the Madras Students' Convention, under the presidentship of Mrs Annie Besant.

In March 1918 she went to Jallandhar to inaugurate a women's school, she addressed the mass, showing the importance of women's rights. The year round, she went from one place to another awakening women and bringing them out of the four walls. In September, she attended the congress session at Bombay (now Mumbai) and moved the resolution demanding equal qualifications for men and women.

Rowlatt Act and Jalianwalla Bagh

The British were constantly trying to suppress the rebels by using all the possible tactics. In March 1919, the British government passed the Rowlatt Act, according to which, the possession of seditious documents was illegal. Mahatma Gandhi organized a passive resistance movement to protest against this repressive law. Sarojini was the first to join him. She delivered speeches at various places to resist the hideous nightmare. The Government suppressed the movement sternly.

In one such action, at Jalianwalla Bagh in Amritsar, an unarmed crowd was brutally fired upon, leaving 400 people dead. World was aghast at this cruel act. Sarojini returned the Kaisar-e-Hind medal to the Government.

The Home Rule League in India decided to send a representative to England. The spokesperson had to be a good leader, orator and also a good communicator. Sarojini was handed over the task. She went to England in July 1919.

She stayed there for a year and contacted Indian community and students. Among English, she created awareness regarding the condition of Indians under the British rule. Through public lectures and private conversations, she briefed the English about the Jalianwalla Bagh tragedy.

Giving her Best

Sarojini returned to India in July 1920. On August 1, Mahatma Gandhi formally started the Non-Cooperation movement.

The movement received tremendous response throughout India. Sarojini played a vital role in awakening and organizing the youth. She addressed hundreds of meetings, exhorting people to boycott foreign goods. In an address to the students, she said : "It is a battle of self-purification, self sacrifice and self-devotion. Come, march with me to the Temple of Liberty.'

Satyagraha and Freedom Struggle

By the end of 1921, entire nation joined Mahatma Gandhi's movement. To keep the morals of the masses high and reinforce the required measures, the party leaders' meetings were held. One such meet took place in December 1921. Mahatma Gandhi was handed over the reins of the chariot to lead the nation through the movements of non-violence and non-cooperation, aka Satyagraha.

The British government wanted to curb the movement. Gandhiji was arrested. With his arrest, the responsibilities of his subordinates doubled. With the advancement of the movement, the differences between various political leaders also surfaced. Eminent leaders like Motilal Nehru and C R Das formed a new party, Swaraj Party. Even the unity that existed between Hindus and Muslims during the Khilafat Agitation was cracking up. The British Government also felt secured in the new pattern of communal dispute. The Muslim League became increasingly communal in its outlook. Sarojini exerted all her energy to strengthen Gandhian viewpoint, particularly when Gandhiji was in jail. Unfortunately, the tension mounted and communal riots broke out in many cities. Sarojini visited as many of these places as she could and helped to put out the flames of religious fanaticism.

After these years of hard work, Sarojini needed some change. She went to South Africa in January 1924. She was one of the two delegates sent by Indian National Congress. She received a warm reception when she presided over the East African Indian Congress at Mombasa on January 19, 1924.

During her brief journey of less than four months Sarojini had won the hearts of the Indians settled in Africa.

Congress President

The Nightingale of India, by that time had reserved a branch for herself in the vast garden of India. The cuckoo was known to the masses. Shortly after her return, Sarojini attended the Belgaum session of the Congress. Gandhiji was released by the Government because of illness. Her name was proposed for presidentship but ultimately Gandhiji was persuaded to accept the position. Sarojini was elected the president of the next session, to be held at Kanpur.

The office of Congress President carried enormous prestige. Sarojini's elevation to this office was welcomed as an honor to Indian womanhood. It received good deal of publicity even outside India. The New York Times, for instance, published an article in which Sarojini was referred to as the Joan of Arc who rose to inspire India and as the first highborn Brahmin woman to break the strict tradition of veil and caste.

As a congress President, Sarojini traveled extensively, especially in North India. Various meetings were conducted and she addressed the masses to unite and fight for the cause of freedom. The national scenario was becoming more and more disappointing. The differences between Hindus and Muslims widened. Her friend Jinnah, (the Muslim leader) whom she had once praised as the ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity had drifted away from the congress. Jinnah insisted on making a separate Muslim League.

While all this was going on, Mahatma Gandhi, the indisputable leader maintained his low profile. Sarojini was constantly in touch with him. Confrontation between congress and the British Government became more frequent. Members of Congress felt a strong need to represent India at the international level. Sarojini planned a journey to the United States. The idea was welcomed by all. During her visit to America, she was often referred to as Mahatma Gandhi's unofficial ambassador.

Sarojini in USA

Sarojini arrived in New York in October 1928. After a year's stay she returned, in July 1929. Her journey through USA and Canada was a great success. Wherever she went, she received a warm welcome. She represented India and its struggle for freedom. Her lectures on India were grouped under three main headings. The first series consisted of interpretations of Indian womanhood. Sarojini also explained the role of Indian women in the nationalist movement. In the second series, she spoke about the renaissance in modern India, surveying trends in philosophical and religious thought, and the new movements in literature and arts. In the third series, she explained the spiritual ideals of India, distinguishing elements of universal and permanent values from all that was superficial and custom-ridden. Everywhere, she spoke about the significance of Mahatma Gandhi.

The beauty and variety of the American landscape enchanted her. She was impressed by the vitality, dynamism and optimism of the people, their sense of duty, their love for freedom and respect for the dignity of human labor. At the same time, Sarojini was not blind to the darker side of American life. She was concerned with the unjust treatment to the Negroes and the American Indians. C F Andrews, Mahatma Gandhi's friend, happened to be in the USA during Sarojini's visit. He wrote to Gandhiji about her 'amazing popularity' in America. The letter was published in Young India.

After America, she went to Canada. It was equally successful. The New York Times published an editorial and a letter about her. The Unity of Chicago paid a glowing tribute to Sarojini : 'nobly born, highly educated, utterly consecrated, dowered with supreme gifts of intellect and will'. One of the highlights of her journey was a great reception held in her honor at the International House.

In and Out of the Jail

After her return to India, Sarojini was taken on the Working Committee of the Congress and thus became a member of what came to be known as the Congress High Command. The same year, Jawaharlal Nehru was elected President of the Congress session held at Lahore. Sarojini left for Kenya in November to preside over the East African Indian Congress. Before her departure, she congratulated Jawaharlal Nehru and promised him that she would return in time for the Congress session.

Sarojini kept her promise and returned to attend the session. Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the 'Tricolor', the National flag adopted by the Congress Party - at the stroke of midnight on December 31, 1929. Now the Congress leaders adopted complete independence as their goal and had resolved to boycott the legislature. On January 26, 1930, Independence Day was celebrated all over India.

Meanwhile, Gandhiji was preparing for the next Satyagraha. Gandhiji wanted the Government to lift the Salt Tax. In those days, Britishers levied tax on salt. Gandhiji was against it. Viceroy Lord Irwin refused his demands. The law prohibited salt making without paying tax. The famous Dandi March began on March 12. Mahatma Gandhi led the procession towards the small town of Dandi on the western coast. Sarojini joined Gandhiji at Dandi and broke the law. The Government used ruthless methods to stop the Satyagrahis. An American journalist expressed his amazement at the courage displayed by Sarojini as she pushed her way into the crowd, appealing to the Satyagrahis to remain non-violent.

On May 5, Mahatma Gandhi was arrested. Sarojini continued to lead the movement, but she was also arrested. She was in jail for several months. Sarojini displayed all those human qualities, which had won the admiration of her national level colleagues. She was brave, patient, understanding and full of good humor. After few months of imprisonment, she along with eminent leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, was released on January 31, 1931. The few improvements were seen in the British Government after Gandhiji signed an act with the Viceroy. Gandhi-Irvin Act made congress call off the Civil Disobedience movement and agreed to participate in the Second Round Table Conference.


In September, Mahatma Gandhi sailed to London. Sarojini traveled with him. After attending the Conference, Mahatma Gandhi returned while Sarojini stayed back. She had many old friends. The poet and political leader also had many invitations from literary and social organizations. She visited the continent and revived the memories of her previous visit to Italy and Switzerland. She also visited South Africa as a member of a delegation. She had hardly returned to India when Gandhiji was arrested. The Government had again resorted to repression.
Soon, Sarojini was also arrested. In the prison, her health deteriorated and she was to be released on medical advise. Her constitution had never been strong and the strain and stress of years of hectic political life, combined with the discomforts of jail had made it evident. She went to Hyderabad to rest. Now the Government had laid their hands on the lower classes. Separate electorates were issued for the lower classes as well as the Muslims.

In September 1932, Gandhiji started fasting against the divide and rule policy of the Government, which nearly cost him his life. Sarojini was at his side during the fast. About six months later, Gandhiji again undertook a 21-day fast of self-purification for India's sin of untouchability. He survived the ordeal. Sarojini, once again by his side, cheered him up, nursing him.

A Difficult Path towards Freedom

Gandhiji was released in 1933. The Satyagraha was over. Sarojini once described this period as the last and the most difficult stages of the journey, the back breaking, exhausting precipitous climb before reaching the top of the mountain.

Shortly after, Gandhiji moved to an ashram at Wardha in the Central province. He concentrated on communal harmony. He traveled extensively during 1933-34. Sarojini accompanied him on some of his travels and visited her home at Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, by 1934, the Congress decided to fight the election to the provincial assemblies. The results showed that Muslim League was achieving strength. With that demand for a separate Muslim state was put forward. At the external front, it was World War II. The Viceroy, without consulting the Indian legislature, made a declaration on behalf of India to fight against the powers. In 1940, a resolution was passed by the Congress working committee reiterating India's demand for immediate transfer of power. The Muslim League also supported the Congress. But the Lahore session of Muslim League formally demanded the division of India and the creation of a new Muslim state called Pakistan.

Five Years before Independence

The partition of Hindustan (India) was the most unwanted thing for those who fought for its freedom. At the Congress meet, it was decided to have freedom at any cost. Congress adopted the famous 'Quit India' resolution. Mahatma Gandhi took the charge to lead masses. Before the struggle could be launched, the Government swooped down upon the Congress. Thousands were arrested. Gandhiji was sent to Yervada Jail. Sarojini was arrested before dawn and was not given time even to pack her clothes. Her presence in the jail had a soothing and cheering effect on her comrades. She cooked for them, planted flowers in the jail yard, told anecdotes, and encouraged other leaders to celebrate festivals.

In May 1944, Gandhiji was released. The 'Quit India' movement, though suppressed, had left its mark. The Government had been morally isolated to such an extent that it became impossible for the British to flout world opinion any longer. They were left with only one option - to transfer the power to a new Constituent Assembly. The elections were announced for the purpose. The Congress swept most of the general seats while the Muslim League was equally successful in winning seats reserved for Muslims.

The power could be transferred to the new Constituent Assembly but the biggest hurdle was disagreement between the Congress and the Muslim League : Gandhiji met Jinnah several times to evolve a formula for the sake of a united India. The efforts failed. On August 15, 1947, the power was transferred, rather divided between two independent states, India and Pakistan. The decision resulted into Hindu-Muslim riots. Mahatma Gandhi tried to reconcile the situation. Sarojini, the most devoted leader and follower of Gandhiji was back to work to restore peace.

The Last Phase

The Asian Relations Conference, held in New Delhi, in March 1947, was the last important event before independence with which Sarojini was closely associated. She presided over the Steering Committee meetings held in the Constitution House lounge, and again at the Plenary Session of the conference held at Purana Qila. Sarojini made a moving speech, calling for understanding and goodwill among the nations of Asia. Those who heard her felt that India, even before formal attainment of freedom, was going to play an important part in the unity of Asian nations.

The eve of independence arrived. Sarojini was offered the governorship of Uttar Pradesh, politically most sensitive state of India. She was unwilling. But Mahatma Gandhi urged her to utilize her lifelong experience in working for Hindu-Muslim Unity. She was convinced to accept the responsibility. The Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court administered the oath to the office to Sarojini Naidu at the Government House, Lucknow on August 15, 1947.

Sarojini addressed the UP (Uttar Pradesh) legislature. The speech delivered without any notes, created a deep impression. She soon merged herself in the work she was assigned to. She familiarized herself with the peculiarities and complexities of UP. She handled these problems tactfully. The agitation of UP, which later became an ugly feature of major cities in UP, did not assume serious proportion as long as Sarojini was there to defuse the tense situations. Her wit and wisdom were remarkable in all avenues. She brought together people belonging to rival groups and conflicting ideologies. "In my green pastures here at Lucknow", she once said, "Lions and lambs lie down together very pleasantly." Although she had to be at Lucknow most of the time, she appreciated the cultural importance of Allahabad and Benaras as well. In December 1947, the Benaras Hindu University conferred an honorary doctorate upon her. The previous day, she had attended the Golden Jubilee Convocation of the Allahabad University.

Mahatma Gandhi's assassination shattered Sarojini. She too lost her health gradually. In October 1948, she fractured a leg and was in great discomfort. Still the lady known for her anecdotes could laugh at it. In a letter to her friend she wrote : "My Excellency is very disturbed and anxious…It is bad for an old lady, nearing 70, will a groggy heart, high blood pressure, and an injured leg to be so disturbed" read the letter, "What are you going to do about it ?"

At the end of 1948 and the beginning of 1849, she visited Shantineketan and Lucknow University. Later she went to New Delhi. As she was returning to Lucknow, she fell ill. Dr B C Roy examined her and found that her heart had become very weak. She was treated by expert doctors but to no avail. Sarojini Naidu passed away in the early hours of the morning on March 2, 1949. Within few hours of the news, leaders and public poured in Lucknow. Pandit Nehru, Maulana Azad, Govind Ballabh Pant and other national leaders arrived. C Rajagopalachari and Lady Mountbatten came on hearing about the sad demise of Sarojini Naidu.

Jawaharlal Nehru personally supervised arrangements for the funeral. The cortege proceeded slowly through Hazratganj in Lucknow - to the bank of river Gomti. Her son, Dr Jayasurya performed the last rites. 60,000 people watched in silent grief as Sarojini Naidu merged with her motherland.