"The Village Song" by Sarojini Naidu: Reading from a Feminist Perspective

"The Village Song" by Sarojini Naidu is a poem that explores the conflict between societal expectations and personal desires. It portrays a conversation between a mother and her daughter, referred to as "Honey, child," as the daughter expresses her intention to leave home and venture into the wild forest. We encounter the doubts and fears of a simple village girl from Mathura as she returns home after fetching water from the river Jamuna. Mathura and Jamuna are often associated with the legends of the Vaishnav deity, Krishna. However, in this poem, the girl seeks protection from Ram during her journey from the river. The poem covers the themes of freedom, longing, and the allure of the unknown.

Drawing of Naidu by John Butler Yeats,
 1896, from the frontispiece of 
The Golden Threshold (1905)

The poem begins with the mother questioning her daughter's intentions, asking if she is willing to abandon her privileged life symbolized by the jewels she possesses. This signifies the daughter's willingness to let go of material possessions and societal norms. The mother further emphasizes the daughter's potential loss by questioning if she is prepared to grieve the lover who is about to marry her. This suggests that the daughter's departure might disrupt the expected course of her life, including a conventional marriage:

"HONEY, child, honey, child, whither are you going?

Would you cast your jewels all to the breezes blowing?

Would you leave the mother who on golden grain has fed you?

Would you grieve the lover who is riding forth to wed you?"

we can interpret it from a feminist perspective, focusing on the themes of independence, agency, and challenging traditional gender roles. The speaker, a young woman, is determined to venture into the wild forest despite her mother's concerns and societal expectations. The opening lines show a conflict between the speaker's desires for autonomy and her traditional roles as a daughter and a prospective bride. The term "HONEY" suggests an endearment, but it can also be seen as somewhat condescending, implying that she is young and naive. The questions posed by the speaker's mother may represent societal norms that expect women to prioritize their family and husband's needs above their own dreams and ambitions.

In response, the daughter explains her desire to explore the wild forest, where nature is depicted in vibrant imagery such as the blooming champa buds and the enchanting river-isles with lotus lilies. She mentions the calls of the fairy folk, emphasizing the allure of the unknown and the enchantment of the natural world. This highlights the daughter's longing for a life beyond societal expectations and her yearning for adventure and freedom. This amounts to feminine exhuberence:

"Mother mine, to the wild forest I am going,

Where upon the champa boughs the champa buds are blowing;

To the köil-haunted river-isles where lotus lilies glisten,

The voices of the fairy folk are calling me: O listen!"

Here, the young woman responds assertively to her mother, expressing her desire to venture into the wild forest. She seeks freedom and connection with nature, symbolized by the blooming champa buds and the enchanting river-isles with glistening lotus lilies. The mention of "fairy folk" calling her indicates a longing for a world beyond societal constraints, where she can explore her own path and identity.

The mother, concerned about her daughter's departure, tries to dissuade her by highlighting the pleasures of the world, including bridal songs, cradle songs, and leisure scented with sandalwood. These represent the traditional roles and comforts of married life. The mother mentions the preparations for her daughter's wedding, symbolized by the bridal robes and cakes, suggesting that she should stay and embrace the expected path of marriage and family:

"Honey, child, honey, child, the world is full of pleasure,

Of bridal-songs and cradle-songs and sandal-scented leisure.

Your bridal robes are in the loom, silver and saffron glowing,

Your bridal cakes are on the hearth: O whither are you going?"

The mother tries to lure her daughter back to the conventional path by emphasizing the pleasures associated with marriage and domesticity. The "bridal-songs and cradle-songs" represent the traditional roles of a woman as a bride and mother. The mention of "sandal-scented leisure" may allude to a comfortable life of privilege and leisure, but it also implies being confined to certain societal expectations and comforts.

However, the daughter counters her mother's arguments, asserting that the traditional roles of marriage and motherhood are accompanied by sorrow and the transient nature of life. She contrasts this with the enchanting sounds of the forest and its streams, which she finds far sweeter. Her decision to follow the fairy-folk and heed the call of the wild implies that she is willing to sacrifice the comforts and certainties of her current life for the unknown and the possibility of personal fulfillment:

"The bridal-songs and cradle-songs have cadences of sorrow,

The laughter of the sun to-day, the wind of death to-morrow.

Far sweeter sound the forest-notes where forest-streams are falling;

O mother mine, I cannot stay, the fairy-folk are calling."

In response to her mother's attempts to convince her otherwise, the young woman challenges the idea that traditional roles necessarily lead to happiness. She suggests that these roles have their share of sorrow, implying that being bound to societal norms can bring about a sense of regret and unfulfillment. On the other hand, the "forest-notes" symbolize the allure of freedom, self-discovery, and the potential for a more authentic and fulfilling life. She reiterates her desire to follow her own path, as she feels compelled by the "fairy-folk" and their beckoning, representing her inner longing for self-expression and independence.

In this feminist reading, the poem portrays a young woman's quest for independence, challenging societal expectations, and embracing her individuality. It highlights the tension between traditional roles imposed on women and their aspirations for autonomy and self-realization. By choosing to venture into the wild forest and heed the call of the "fairy-folk," the young woman asserts her agency and determination to shape her own destiny.

"The Village Song" can be interpreted as a critique of societal expectations and the limitations they impose on individuals. It explores the tension between conforming to traditional roles and pursuing personal desires and passions. The daughter's decision to venture into the forest represents a quest for self-discovery and the courage to break free from societal norms. The poem invites readers to contemplate the conflicts between duty and personal fulfillment and encourages them to explore their own desires and embrace the possibilities that lie beyond societal expectations.

Note: Sarojini Naidu (1879-1949) was an Indian poet and freedom fighter born to Bengali parents who had settled in Hyderabad. She was raised and educated in a multicultural environment. Being highly proficient in English, she later married into a Telugu family and became involved in the Gandhian political movement. Her first collection of poems, titled "The Golden Threshold" (1905), was published in London. It was followed by "The Bird of Time" (1912) and "The Broken Wing" (1917). In 1925, she presided over the Indian National Congress. Naidu actively worked for women's upliftment and campaigned for equal voting rights. After India gained independence, she became the first Governor of the United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh). Despite her strong nationalist convictions, Sarojini Naidu chose to write her poetry in English. Her poems beautifully depict various aspects of Indian life, infused with lyrical elegance.

Ardhendu De