Explore the poem

Over one million Indian soldiers served for the British Empire in the First World War, a massive contribution to the war effort. During this time, India remained under British colonial rule despite a strong political movement in the country to gain independence. Many leading figures of the independence movement believed that if India proved its worth to the British during the war, they would be given the gift of independence as a result. However, independence would not be attained until 1947, long after the war’s end in 1918.

As a fierce activist for Indian independence, in this poem Naidu is paying tribute to the service of the Indian Army, but also making a statement about how their sacrifice should be recognised – to give thanks to the dead, but also to ‘honour the deeds of the deathless ones’. The earlier reference to ‘alien graves’ impresses on the reader that these soldiers are far from home. The use of the word ‘martyrdom’ implies that this sacrifice was made for a greater cause. Naidu also writes the poem in the form of a direct address from one voice to another. Consider who she is speaking to. Who or what plays the roles of ‘I/my’ and ‘you/your’?

About Sarojini Naidu

Sarojini Naidu was born in India in the late 1800s, during a time when the country was still subjugated under the rule of the British Empire. After studying in England, Naidu returned in 1905 to join the movement for Indian independence from Britain, along with many educated leaders including Mahatma Gandhi and fellow poet Rabindranath Tagore. A strong believer in women’s rights and anti-imperialism, she often used her poetry as a form of expression for her political activism.

Naidu later became a leading figure in the independence struggle, especially in representing the role of women. She toured India and travelled to many other countries to speak and advocate for this cause, often at great personal risk. She participated directly in nonviolent acts of protest against the British, and spent 21 months in jail. For her contributions to poetry, she was dubbed ‘The Nightingale of India’, and in 1925 she was elected as the first female President of the Indian National Congress. Following India’s hard-fought independence in 1947, she was elected governor of the region of Uttar Pradesh, the first female governor in India’s history. She remained in this post until her death of a heart attack in 1949.