Summary of the Poem:
Stanza 1:
Old widows get up early in the morning when the stars still twinkle in the sky and the people lost in their sweet dream are asleep. It is a calm atmosphere and there is none to share their utmost grief and pain. They, in such a calm atmosphere, are seen at their grinding wheels. While grinding the grains, they sing a pathetic song which accords well with their own sad predicament. The corn-grinders first ask a she-mouse the reason of its suffering in such a gay atmosphere when the stars are also laughing with joy in the sky. It expresses its utter sorrow to them by saying that its lover, lord, and mate is not alive and now there is none to console it in its pain and suffering. On asking the reason of its mate's death, she-mouse told them that once it went to a rich farmer's granary to satisfy its hunger. It was entirely unware of the impending danger. It was caught in a mouse trap and was killed. She-mouse lamented again at the death of its mate.
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| Sarojini Naidu’s Poem Corn-Grinders—Summary and Critical Analysis |
Stanza 2:
Addressing a she-deer, the old widows asked why it was moaning alone in the forest. She-deer replied that its lord and mate is dead. It cried in pain and said that there was none to console it in its sorrow. When they (corn-grinders) asked the reason of its lord's death, it told them that once its lord felt great thirsty and went to satisfy its thirst near the river-head. But unfortunately, a hunter was already waiting his prey and as soon as he saw the deer, he took aim and shot it with his sharp spear. The sharp spear struck its lover's heart. The spear pierced its heart deeply and it died on the spot. In this way, its lord departed from this world leaving it alone for wailing and weeping. She-deer felt its absence and its grief was unbearable for it.
Stanza 3:
Finally the old widows inquire a bride the reason of her shedding tears in such a calm atmosphere when all the world is asleep and the gay stars are still laughing in the sky i.e., the stars are still twinkling. On hearing the sympathetic words from the old widows, the bride cannot resist her feelings and expresses her utter grief by saying that her lord is not alive. She feels great pain and says that she is extremely hungry of love and in the absence of her lord, her passions are suppressed. Her extreme desires are still at full bloom. Now she has to pass many years of her youth wailing and weeping and pining for love. She has to satisfy her passions only remembering the short time spent in the company of her lord. She tells them that she has preserved the memories of her first night. She is on the fire of her extreme desires which are insatiable.
Critical Analysis of the Poem:
Introduction:
The poem entitled Corn-Grinders has been written about the wretched condition of Indian widows who have to do the manual work of corn-grinding. Old women in early morning hours, when the stars still laugh and all the happy world is asleep, are at their grinding wheels, singing at the same time in a pathetic tone, which harmonises well with their own life experience and the lonely hours of the morning. The poetess through the old widows, describe the harsh treatment inflicted upon the young widows, who lead a hard life after suppressing their desires of sex and love. They are ploughed in tough domestic work. The poetess also describes the tyranny made by human beings upon the mute and innocent animals. The human beings do not consider their feelings and emotions and just for their fun, they kill them.
Universal Theme:
The poetess presents pathetic tales of widows in India, particularly in villages. The conventional ideas prevalent in Indian villages perform a vital role for the miserable condition of widows. They are forced to lead a life of austerity. They have to follow the conventional rules strictly. The young widows are not allowed to marry again after their husband's death. They have to suppress their extreme passions of youth. They are completely tamed in the hands of society. The poetess also depicts the tyrannical attitude of human beings towards mute and innocent animals. The poem reveals the poetess unbounded humanity which encompasses even the animal world. Her heart was so much full of the milk of human kindness that she extended her sympathy to the sorrowful mouse and deer.
The Element of Pathos:
Pathos is the main feature of this poem. It is pathetic from beginning to end. The poem begins with the pathetic tale of she-mouse when it tells the con-grinders how its mate was killed and how it is all alone now. Next she-deer tells its heart-rending story of the death of its mate. The last stanza in this poem reveals the very height of pathos It depicts the pathetic condition of a very young widow who has not seen the world yet. Her desires, dreams and ambitions have been badly trampled under the heavy feet of time and destiny. After her husband's death she has to lead a mountain like life. She will remain hungry for love which she can never enjoy:
"Alas! alas! my lord is dead!
Ah, who will stay these hungry tears,
Or still the want of famished years,
And crown with love my marriage-bed?
My soul burns with the quenchless fire
That lit my lover's funeral pyre....
Alas! alas! my lord is dead."
Style and Language:
The poem is written in question-answer form. There are three stanzas of seven lines with four foot iambic metre. The rhyme-scheme is abbacca. Each stanza is preceded by a rhymed couplet. This poem is written in simple, easy, direct and graceful language. It is written in ballad metre. The figure of speech, used here is transferred epithet. The poetess has felt the sorrow of the widows and mute and innocent animals in the calm atmosphere of early morning. Her imagination about their feelings and emotions are praiseworthy:
"O little mouse, why dost thou cry
While merry stars laugh in the sky?"
"O little deer, why dost thou moan,
Hid in thy forest-bower alone?"
"O little bride, why dost thou weep
With all the happy world asleep?"