The Bird of Time (1912) is a poetry collection by Sarojini Naidu. Naidu’s second book of English verse is steeped in the Romantic tradition while entirely conscious of the present political strife of her native India. From songs of love to portraits of urban life, Naidu’s poems reflect her commitment to feeling, both for herself and for others. Traditional and modern, The Bird of Time is a powerful collection from a young poet on the brink of an impassioned life in politics. “O Bird of Time on your fruitful bough / What are the songs you sing? . . . / Songs of the glory and gladness of life, / Of poignant sorrow and passionate strife, / And the lilting joy of the spring…” In this mysterious ode, Naidu addresses the themes of her own multitudinous poems―life, love, grief, and nature, among countless others. Is the Bird of Time her muse, or a symbol for poetry itself? How can a poem express “the pride of a soul that has conquered fate?” As in much of Naidu’s poetry, the symbolic maintains its distance in order to reflect a deeper, perhaps even personal truth. To describe the poem, to assign it meaning, would ultimately negate the need for poetry itself, whose powers must remain at least partially veiled. Elsewhere in the collection, “In the Bazaars of Hyderabad” reflects her commitment to the struggle for Indian independence as it celebrates the homegrown produce and handmade wares of a proud and lively people. Moving along the street, she sings to vendors, goldsmiths, and musicians alike, concluding before a group of flower-girls, whose work serves weddings and funerals. Beneath this vibrant imagery is a call to action for the Swadeshi movement, a boycott of foreign goods designed to strike a blow against British commerce. This edition of Sarojini Naidu’s The Bird of Time is a classic work of Indian literature reimagined for modern readers.
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Sarojini Naidu (1879-1949) was an Indian poet and political activist. Born in Hyderabad to a Bengali Brahmin family, she graduated from the University of Madras at twelve before journeying to England to study at King’s College London and Cambridge. At nineteen, she married physician Paidipati Govindarajulu Naidu, with whom she would raise five children. Following the partition of Bengal in 1905, Naidu became involved with the Indian independence movement. A close ally of Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi, she travelled across India to speak on social issues such as welfare and the emancipation of women, as well as to advocate for the end of colonial rule. After travelling to London to work alongside Annie Besant, Naidu devoted herself to Gandhi’s Satyagraha movement, braving arrest during the Salt March of 1930 and promoting the principles of civil disobedience across the globe. As one of the most respected poets of twentieth century India, she published such collections as The Golden Threshold (1905), The Bird of Time (1912), and The Broken Wing (1917).
