Coromandel Fishers Class- VII Sarojini Naidu

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I. Give the meanings of the following: [Copy from the text book]
II. Answer the following questions:
1. Explain the line, ‘the wakening skies pray to the morning light’.
Ans: ‘The wakening skies pray to the morning light’ means that in the early morning the blue
sky gets very little light from the sun. It seems that the morning sky is praying to the sun to
lighten it up.
2. What will the fishermen do when they hear the seagull’s call?
Ans: When the fishermen hear the seagull’s call, they will follow them. The fishermen follow
the seagull as these birds know the place in the sea where there is plenty of fish.
3. Which lines in the poem highlight the courage of the fishermen?
Ans: The lines in the poem which highlight the courage of the fishermen are-
“What though we toss at the fall of the sun where the hand of the sea-god drives?
He who holds the storm by the hair, will hide in his breast our lives.”
When the sea gets rough, they hold on and fight back knowing that they have the blessing of
the sea God.
4. Write down one example of visual imagery and another that appeals to the sense of smell
and explain them. .
Ans. Example of visual imagery is the ‘wakening skies pray to the morning light’ - In this line
the poet visualises the sky when it is dawn. The sky seems to pray to the sun to brighten it
up.
“The wind lies asleep in the arms of the dawn”
Example of the sense of smell is ‘the scent of the mangrove’. This line shows that the mango
trees are filled with sweet smell of mangoes.
III . Answer with reference to context:
1. “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!”
a. Who is the speaker in these lines? [H.W]
Ans.
b. What is described as the ‘leaping wealth of the tide’? What is the figure of speech used in
this phrase?
Ans. The fish is described as the leaping wealth of the tide.
The figure of speech used in this phrase is a metaphor.
c. What kind of weather had the people in the catamarans recently experienced?
Ans. The people in the catamarans had recently experienced a storm when they were out in
the sea.
d. Why does the speaker call himself and others the ‘king of the sea’?
Ans. As fishermen are well acquainted with the sea, the speaker calls himself and others the
‘king of the sea’.
2. “The sea is our mother, the cloud is our brother, the waves are our comrades all.”
a. Why does the speaker call the sea their mother, clouds their brother and waves their
comrades?
Ans: The speaker calls the sea their mother as the sea is their provider. The clouds guide
them towards the direction of winds. Hence clouds are their brother. The waves are their
comrades because the waves help the fishermen to move forward as the waves rise and fall.
Unless the waves are there, the fishermen are not able to move on the sea because the
catamarans find it difficult to move forward on a calm sea.
b. What is being referred to as the ‘fall of the sun’ later in the stanza? [H.W]
Ans:
c. Who is being referred to as ‘he’ in the stanza? What will he do? [H.W]
Ans:

3. “Sweet is the shade of the coconut glade, and the scent of the mango grove…..”
a. What are the different meanings of the word ‘sweet’ as used in this stanza?
Ans: According to the speaker, the shade of the coconut trees and the scent of the mango
grooves are sweet which implies that they give comfort and relaxation after a long
and hard day at sea. The sight of the sand on a full moon night is very beautiful
mixed with the voices of the loved ones.
b. What according to the speaker is ‘sweeter’ than sitting in the shade of coconut and
mango trees? Why?
Ans: According to the speaker going out in the sea is sweeter than sitting in the shade of
coconut and mango trees because the fishermen enjoy the spray of sea water on
their face and the waves dancing in the wild sea.
c. Where does the speaker ask his brothers to row towards in this stanza? Find a single
word for this place.
Ans: In this stanza the speaker asks his brothers to row towards ‘the edge of the verge’. A
single word for this place is horizon.

Summary of the poem:

The ‘Coromandel Fishers’ written by ‘Sarojini Naidu’, depicts the bond between the
fishermen of the Coromandel Coast and the sea. In this poem, the poetess has personified
nature in the best possible way describing the beauty of nature. It depicts the relationship of
fishermen with nature. Nature stands as a symbol of beauty that expresses the optimistic
view of life.
In the beginning of the poem, we see the leader of the fishermen giving a call to his friends
to start work early in the morning. The wind which has blown throughout the night is sleeping
soundly in the arms of the dawn like a child that has cried all night. He tells them to collect
their fishing nets, untie their boats and venture into the sea to catch the leaping wealth of the
sea (fish). In his opinion, the sea is their mother for it is the source of their livelihood and tells
them not to delay but to follow the seagull’s path. He asks them to be brave and not to be
afraid even if the waves toss their boats at sunset and drive them far, as God who controls
the storm will protect their lives.
In the opinion of the fishermen the shade of the coconut trees, the scent of the mango grove,
and the sand on a full moon night with the sound of the people they love surrounding them
are all sweet. But, the kiss of the water spray and dance of the wild foams (waves) are
sweeter. The speaker implores his fellow fishermen to row till they reach the horizon.