Understanding ideas of Empire and colonialism in Naidu’s ‘The Gift of India’
I can explain how Naidu presents the experience of dying at war within the context of Empire and colonialism.
Understanding ideas of Empire and colonialism in Naidu’s ‘The Gift of India’
I can explain how Naidu presents the experience of dying at war within the context of Empire and colonialism.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Naidu personifies India as a mother to humanise the soldiers and emphaise that they are someone's son.
- Arguably, Naidu uses the poem as a request for Britain to remember the sacrifice of the soldiers.
- The poem is a tribute to the memory of more than one million soldiers from undivided India who had served in WW1.
Common misconception
That only soldiers from England fought for Britain in WW1.
Soldiers from all over the British Empire fought for Britain.
Keywords
Despair - Despair means the complete loss or absence of hope.
Grief - Grief means intense sorrow.
Colonial - Colonial refers to a period of political control by a more powerful country over another country.
Activism - Activism means the policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change.
Sacrifice - Sacrifice means to give up something valued for the sake of other considerations.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of Sarojini Naidu's 'The Gift of India' for this lesson. There is a copy in the additional materials.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
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