Wandering Singers (Poem)

Wandering Singers

Class 7 | English

Warm Up

Discuss in pairs: Circle the names of musical instruments from the grid. One is done for you.

u c p k f d x g v e a s z a o k u u r m v e e n a q t i l r i s n j m g f t m i v b p i a n o a e d i t y r j g v r o a o a e a p x a u w n l b f l u t e d c g i l g h a t a m a a n a d a s w a r a m 

The Poem

Where the voice of the wind calls our wandering feet,
Through echoing forest and echoing street,
With lutes in our hands ever-singing we roam,
All men are our kindred, the world is our home.

Our lays are of cities whose lustre is shed,
The laughter and beauty of women long dead;
The sword of old battles, the crown of old kings,
And happy and simple and sorrowful things.

What hope shall we gather, what dreams shall we sow?
Where the wind calls our wandering footsteps we go.
No love bids us tarry, no joy bids us wait:
The voice of the wind is the voice of our fate.

— Sarojini Naidu

About the Poet
Sarojini Naidu was a famous Indian poet and a major freedom fighter. She was given the sobriquet Bharat Kokila (The Nightingale of India) on account of her beautiful poems and songs.

Glossary

• lute – a kind of stringed musical instrument
• roam – wander, travel
• kindred – relations
• lays – songs, stories
• tarry – wait, delay
• fate – destiny, luck

Classroom Activities

A. Read the poem aloud in groups.

B. Pick out the rhyming pairs from the poem and fill in the table.

1st stanza	2nd stanza	3rd stanza

C. Read these lines and answer the questions given below.

1. Where the voice of the wind calls our wandering feet
   Whose ‘wandering feet’ is referred to here?

2. With lutes in our hands ever-singing we roam,
   All men are our kindred, the world is our home.
   - Who does ‘we’ refer to?
   - What do they have in their hands?
   - What is its name?
   - How are the men in the world related to the singers?

3. Our lays are of cities whose lustre is shed,
   Here ‘lays’ means ______
   a. lying down b. stories c. to keep

4. The laughter and beauty of women long dead;
   Explain the meaning of the above line.

Writing

D. Answer in a paragraph.

What does Sarojini Naidu say about the Wandering Singers? Write in your own words. (in about 60 words)

E. Think and answer.

1. Are the singers homeless travellers? Why do you think so?
2. Do the singers have hopes and dreams? If not, why?
3. What are the themes of the singers’ songs?

Practice Practice Exercises

Here ‘lays’ means

1. Are the singers homeless travellers? Why do you think so?

2. Do the singers have hopes and dreams? If not, why?

3. What are the themes of the singers’ songs?