Introduction
Henry L. Derozio was the first national poet of India who wrote in English. He is also known as the first poet of India writing in English. His patriotic poems are quite popular. His poem ‘To the Pupils of the Hindu College’ was first published in 1907 in collection ‘The Poetical Works of Henry Louis Vivian Derozio, ed. B.B. Shah (1907)’. This poem is an address to the students of his college.
Central Idea
The Poet is addressing his students and conveying his message that now you are maturing enough to understand the changes going on in the society. Now the spell of ignorance and superstition has started to weaken and you are ready to take a long flight towards future. The speculation and imagination about bright future of his students makes him feel proud.
Themes
- Changes in society in early nineteenth century – Poem centralises on times in early nineteenth century when India was under British rule and society was started shedding effect of superstitions and ignorance on basis of science and new knowledge based on west was started to be given to the new generation.
- Optimism of India’s Future – Poem has a strong theme in the form of poet’s hope of India’s future. While addressing his students he understood it well that new generation is less affected by old superstitions and new knowledge is removing their ignorance hence India has a bright future ahead.
- Liberty and freedom – Poem gives strong vibes of gaining impending freedom. It motivates to get free of old age unsustainable bondage of superstitions and rituals and move towards liberal and scientific world.
Figure of Speech/Literary Devices
- Alliteration – ‘Soft summers’ phrase has repetition of consonant sound /s/ at the starting of words hence its alliteration.
- Assonance – In the last line of the poem there is repetition of vowel sound /i/ in words ‘feel’, ‘lived’ and ‘in’. Hence it’s an example of assonance.
- Simile – In the very first line mind is compared to the expanding petals of flowers. Hence it’s simile here. Similarly in fifth line intellectual powers of young pupil is compared to young birds trying their first flight in summers.
- Metaphor – In the third line ‘spell’ is a metaphor for effect of superstitions and ignorance. Similarly ‘mirror’ in the phrase ‘mirror of futurity’ is a metaphor for foresightedness.
- Sibilance – It is a device in which hissing sound is found in group of words. In line ‘And the sweet loosening of the spell that binds’ /s/ is making hissing sound hence its sibilance here.
- Anaphora – Lines 7-9 are starting with ‘Of’ hence it’s an example of anaphora where line is starting with same word and its creating emphasis too.
- Enjambment – It’s a device in which sentence is continued to the next line of poem. It’s a very common device and found in abundance in modern poetry. In this poem “sweet loosening of spell that binds”/ “Your intellectual energies and powers” is one among many examples of enjambment.
A Teacher’s Dream
Derozio was a teacher and every teacher has this dream of see his/her students to do good or be successful in life. In this poem too Derozio is hopeful of a great future of his pupil and he closes his poem by writing these lines ‘weaving the chaplets you have yet to gain / Ah then I feel I have not lived in vain’.
Effect of romantic age
This poem was written during romantic age going on in England. Derozio used to read John Keats, P.B. Shelly and Lord Byron. Hence his poetry has influence of romanticism. Firstly it has strong theme of liberty and freedom which was a feature of romanticism and secondly images of nature used in the poem clearly indicate towards influence of romantic age.
Structure and Rhyme Scheme
The poem is a sonnet. It is has different rhyme scheme than usually sonnets have. It rhymes as abbaababccddee.
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