THE BIRD SANCTUARY
- Sarojini Naidu
In your quiet garden wakes a magic tumult
Of winged choristers that keep the Festival of Dawn,
Blithely rise the carols in richly cadenced rapture,
From lyric throats of amber, of ebony and fawn.
The bulbul and the oriol, the honey-bird and shama
Flit among high boughs that drip with nectar and with dew,
Upon the grass the wandering gull parades its sea-washed silver,
The hoopoe and the kingfisher their bronze and sapphire blue.
Wild gray pigeons dreaming of a home amid the tree-tops,
Fill their beaks with silken down and slender banyan twigs,
But the jade-green gipsy parrots are only gay marauders,
And pause upon their sun-ward flight to plunder red ripe figs.
In your gracious garden there is joy and fostering freedom,
Nesting place and singing space for every feathered thing,
O Master of the Birds, grant sanctuary and shelter
Also to a homing bird that bears a broken wing.
- from The Golden Treasury of Indo-Anglian Poetry (1970)
ABOUT THE POEM:
Sarojini Naidu’s poem “The Bird Sanctuary” appears in the influential collection, The
Golden Treasury of Indo-Anglian Poetry (1970). This poem is about the serenity, musicality, and
vibrancy of nature filled with lyrical songs of the winged fairies, birds. Its soft, mellow tune and
the essence of nostalgia make this piece an interesting read. The interest does not come solely
, from its musicality either. It originates from the very core of Naidu’s spirit which sings like an
unnoticed nightingale in the dense woods and mesmerizes hearts with its pellucid cadence.
Indeed, this poem explores the unrefined magnificence of nature with eye-catching and ear-
soothing imagery.
THEME OF THE POEM:
Naidu explores the themes of the musicality of nature, birds, comfort vs uncertainty,
grief, and spiritual longing in this poem. The list does not end here. If readers dive deeper into
the lines, they can pick a few more from the text. The main theme of this poem concerns the
musicality of nature. To describe this theme, Naidu resorts to the song of birds at dawn. The
music that is inherent to our soul, comes from the lyricism of nature. The same applies to the
poet as well.
Besides, the speaker also describes the beauty of birds in this poem. She beautifully
captures their movement and features. Apart from that, the third stanza contains an interesting
theme. It is about the comfort of home and the carefree life of “gay marauders”. The poet
compares these ideas by using the symbols of “Wild gray pigeons” and “jade-green gipsy
parrots”.
The last stanza specifically explores the poet’s sadness and spiritual longing. Here, she
implores God to grant him a place in the holy resort of nature. After witnessing the beauty of the
garden, she becomes sad. The musicality and serenity in nature create a sense of longing in her
heart.
LINE-BY-LINE ANALYSIS & EXPLANATION:
Lines 1-2
In your quiet garden wakes a magic tumult
Of winged choristers that keep the Festival of Dawn,
“The Bird Sanctuary” is rich in imagery and metaphors. These devices are present at the very
beginning of the poem. In the first line, Naidu’s poetic persona depicts a “quiet garden”. It
- Sarojini Naidu
In your quiet garden wakes a magic tumult
Of winged choristers that keep the Festival of Dawn,
Blithely rise the carols in richly cadenced rapture,
From lyric throats of amber, of ebony and fawn.
The bulbul and the oriol, the honey-bird and shama
Flit among high boughs that drip with nectar and with dew,
Upon the grass the wandering gull parades its sea-washed silver,
The hoopoe and the kingfisher their bronze and sapphire blue.
Wild gray pigeons dreaming of a home amid the tree-tops,
Fill their beaks with silken down and slender banyan twigs,
But the jade-green gipsy parrots are only gay marauders,
And pause upon their sun-ward flight to plunder red ripe figs.
In your gracious garden there is joy and fostering freedom,
Nesting place and singing space for every feathered thing,
O Master of the Birds, grant sanctuary and shelter
Also to a homing bird that bears a broken wing.
- from The Golden Treasury of Indo-Anglian Poetry (1970)
ABOUT THE POEM:
Sarojini Naidu’s poem “The Bird Sanctuary” appears in the influential collection, The
Golden Treasury of Indo-Anglian Poetry (1970). This poem is about the serenity, musicality, and
vibrancy of nature filled with lyrical songs of the winged fairies, birds. Its soft, mellow tune and
the essence of nostalgia make this piece an interesting read. The interest does not come solely
, from its musicality either. It originates from the very core of Naidu’s spirit which sings like an
unnoticed nightingale in the dense woods and mesmerizes hearts with its pellucid cadence.
Indeed, this poem explores the unrefined magnificence of nature with eye-catching and ear-
soothing imagery.
THEME OF THE POEM:
Naidu explores the themes of the musicality of nature, birds, comfort vs uncertainty,
grief, and spiritual longing in this poem. The list does not end here. If readers dive deeper into
the lines, they can pick a few more from the text. The main theme of this poem concerns the
musicality of nature. To describe this theme, Naidu resorts to the song of birds at dawn. The
music that is inherent to our soul, comes from the lyricism of nature. The same applies to the
poet as well.
Besides, the speaker also describes the beauty of birds in this poem. She beautifully
captures their movement and features. Apart from that, the third stanza contains an interesting
theme. It is about the comfort of home and the carefree life of “gay marauders”. The poet
compares these ideas by using the symbols of “Wild gray pigeons” and “jade-green gipsy
parrots”.
The last stanza specifically explores the poet’s sadness and spiritual longing. Here, she
implores God to grant him a place in the holy resort of nature. After witnessing the beauty of the
garden, she becomes sad. The musicality and serenity in nature create a sense of longing in her
heart.
LINE-BY-LINE ANALYSIS & EXPLANATION:
Lines 1-2
In your quiet garden wakes a magic tumult
Of winged choristers that keep the Festival of Dawn,
“The Bird Sanctuary” is rich in imagery and metaphors. These devices are present at the very
beginning of the poem. In the first line, Naidu’s poetic persona depicts a “quiet garden”. It
