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Coromandel Fishers — Sarojini NaiduCoromandel Fishers — Explanation & Back Exercise

Coromandel Fishers — Explanation & Back Exercise — Summary

Coromandel Fishers by Sarojini Naidu — Summary, Explanation and Back Exercise Answers

Poet: Sarojini Naidu

Form: Poem (three stanzas, four lines each)

Rhyme Scheme: AABB

Curriculum: Class 7 | Midnight Oil Literature Textbook | Engaging English Unit 4

About Sarojini Naidu

Sarojini Naidu (1879-1949) was one of India's most celebrated poets writing in English. She was born in Hyderabad and received her education in Madras, London, and Cambridge. She is often called the "Nightingale of India" because of the musical quality and lyrical beauty of her poems.

Naidu was not only a poet but also a prominent freedom fighter. She was deeply involved in India's independence movement and worked closely with Mahatma Gandhi. She later became the first woman to serve as the Governor of a state in independent India (Uttar Pradesh).

Her major works include poetry collections such as The Golden Threshold (1905), The Bird of Time (1912), and The Broken Wing (1917). Her poems often celebrate nature, love, and the lives of ordinary Indian people such as potters, weavers, and fishermen. Through these ordinary figures, she frequently wove in themes of national identity and the desire for freedom.

"Coromandel Fishers" is one of her most well-known poems. It celebrates the fishermen of the Coromandel Coast while also serving as a call to action for all Indians to rise and fight for independence from British rule.

Background and Context

The poem is set on the Coromandel Coast, a stretch of coastline along the southeastern coast of India that runs through present-day Tamil Nadu and part of Andhra Pradesh. The region has historically been associated with fishing communities who have lived and worked on these shores for centuries.

Sarojini Naidu wrote this poem during the period of India's freedom struggle. While on the surface it appears to be a poem about fishermen going out to sea at dawn, it carries a deeper political meaning. The fishermen's call to "rise, brothers, rise" and venture into the sea together is also a call to the Indian people to rise up against colonial rule. The sea becomes a symbol of the challenges ahead, and the fishermen's courage and unity become a model for the freedom movement.

The poem's structure reflects this energy. Each stanza builds urgency. The AABB rhyme scheme gives it a rhythmic, almost chant-like quality that suits its role as a call to action.

Stanza-by-Stanza Explanation

Stanza 1

> Rise, brothers, rise; the waking skies pray to the morning light,

> The wind lies asleep in the arms of the dawn like a child that has cried all night.

> Come, let us gather our nets from the shore, and set our catamarans free,

> To capture the leaping wealth of the tide, for we are the kings of the sea!

Word by word meaning:

  • Rise = wake up, get up
  • Waking skies = the sky is slowly getting light as morning begins
  • Pray to the morning light = the sky is greeting the sunrise, as if welcoming it
  • Wind lies asleep in the arms of the dawn = early morning is calm and still, the wind has not yet picked up
  • Like a child that has cried all night = the wind has been restless all night (storms/gusts) but is now calm and still, like a tired child that has finally gone to sleep
  • Catamarans = flat-bottomed boats made of planks tied together, traditionally used by fishermen in South India
  • Set our catamarans free = untie the boats from the shore and push them into the sea
  • Leaping wealth of the tide = the fish in the sea, jumping with life. The sea is full of fish (wealth) that leap in the water
  • Kings of the sea = the fishermen feel powerful and proud on the sea. They are its masters

    • Explanation: The poet opens with a bold, energetic call. The fishermen are being asked to wake up before dawn. The early morning is calm and peaceful. The wind has settled. It is the perfect time to set out. The fishermen are asked to gather their fishing nets and push their boats into the water. The sea is full of fish. The fishermen feel like rulers out on the open water.

    Stanza 2

    > No longer delay, let us hasten away in the track of the sea gull's call,

    > The sea is our mother, the cloud is our brother, the waves are our comrades all.

    > And here, where the mango and citron and rose are awake in the first sweet hour,

    > To lip the south, the saffron south, the season of flowers in flower;

    Word by word meaning:

  • Hasten away = hurry up and go
  • In the track of the sea gull's call = follow the direction of the seagulls, who know where the fish are
  • The sea is our mother = the fishermen depend on the sea for their livelihood, just as a child depends on a mother
  • The cloud is our brother = the clouds bring rain, which keeps the sea alive with fish. Clouds are like family to the fishermen
  • The waves are our comrades all = the waves are the fishermen's companions and close friends. They are always with the fishermen on the sea
  • Comrades = close friends, companions
  • Mango and citron and rose = plants and flowers blooming along the coast, representing the beauty of the homeland
  • First sweet hour = the early morning, which is fresh and pleasant
  • Saffron south = the warm, golden south, where the sun shines brightly and the land is rich in colour
  • Season of flowers in flower = the blooming season, a time of great beauty

    • Explanation: The poet asks the fishermen not to wait any longer. They should follow the seagulls, which are a natural guide to where fish can be found. Then comes one of the most famous lines of the poem: the sea is like a mother, the clouds like brothers, and the waves like close friends. These are not just comparisons. They show that nature is the fisherman's true family. The coast is beautiful. Mango trees, citron plants, and roses are in bloom. The south is warm and golden. This is home, and it is worth protecting and loving.

    Stanza 3

    > Hearken, O mother, the sea calls to us, the night is aweary of stars,

    > Beat, beat, O rushing wind, against the shore in the dawn of the first of bars;

    > So shall we capture the wealth of the sea, we, the kings of the saffron shore,

    > High tide or low, brothers, away! Let us win ere the day is o'er.

    Word by word meaning:

  • Hearken = listen
  • The night is aweary of stars = the night has grown tired, meaning it is almost over. The stars fade as dawn approaches
  • Beat, O rushing wind = the wind is picking up now as the day begins
  • Kings of the saffron shore = the fishermen are the proud owners of this golden, sunlit coastline
  • High tide or low = whatever the condition of the sea may be, calm or rough
  • Ere the day is o'er = before the day ends

    • Explanation: The fishermen call out to the sea. The long night is almost over and dawn is breaking. The wind is picking up, which makes it a good time to sail. No matter whether the tide is high or low, the fishermen must go out. They will not return until they have caught fish. They are called "kings of the saffron shore" again, reinforcing their pride and ownership over the coastal land. The stanza ends with urgency: they must go out and succeed before the day is over.