A sonnet of fourteen lines divided between three quatrains and an ending couplet, "To India My Native Land" is a song of love and deep emotion from Henry Louis Vivian Derozio to his "fallen country," India. The poem was published before Derozio's untimely death at the age of twenty-two from cholera in 1831.
The abab abcc dede ff rhyme scheme employed by Derozio is most clearly identifiable as a variation of Edmund Spenser's Amoretti rhyme scheme
Introduction to the Poem
• To India- My Native Land is one of the best known poem of Derozio.
• In This Poem, Derozio expresses his grief over the past glory of India.
• The country has lost it altogether.
• Time was in the past when the country enjoyed lot of respect and
power among the countries of the world.
• She was almost worshipped by others.
• Her greatness was accepted by all.
• But the present appears dark to poet.
• Her former glory has disappeared.
• The monster slavery had devoured everything.
• The poet want the world to know the glorious past of India through his
song.
• In, fact the poem is full of the noble sentiment of patriotism.
Summary
• India is a country with a glorious past.
• Once upon a time, she was worshipped by others for her great power
and glory.
• She was like an eagle which is a bird with strong wings and a keen
sight, and which soars high when it flies.
• All her glory and greatness are no more.
• They have been destroyed by the chain of slavery that she is wearing.
• She lies flat, humbled and deprived of self- respect.
• Derozio is anxious to weave a garland of songs of praise for his country.
But when he finds her in her present miserable state, he can only relate
her story of her misery.
• The poet is however, very anxious to sing songs of her glory and
greatness. He is proud of her rich culture an heritage and the noble
spiritual values she up-held in
Bibliography: http://www.enotes.com/to-india-my-native-land/summary http://atulvidyalaya.ac.in/images/lesson_plan/english_literature_std9-10_to_india_my_native.pdf The above has been taken from the following website http://www.diary.viveksanghi.com/2006/10… http://www.icseenglishhelp.org/2012/07/poetry-study-aidto-india-my-native-land.html http://stubbornfanatic.wordpress.com/2006/10/09/%E2%80%9Cto-india-%E2%80%93-my-native-land%E2%80%9D-by-derozio/