UP Board Solutions Class 11 English Chapter 4 To India My Native Land

UP Board Class 11th English Short Poem Chapter 4 Questions And Answers

कक्षा 11 अंग्रेजी पाठ 4 के प्रश्न उत्तर

These Solutions are part of UP Board Solutions for Class 11 English. Here we have given UP Board Solutions for Class 11 English Poetry Short Poem Chapter 4 To India: My Native Land.

About The Poet

Henry Vivian Louis Derozio, one of the most eminent poets of Nineteenth Century was born in Calcutta in 1809. He was half Indian and half Portuguese. His father was a Portuguese while his mother was an Indian. He took to teaching English and emerged as a very popular teacher among his students. He was an ardent Nationalist in spite of his western upbringing, Derozio loved India profoundly. His great ambition was to voice the aspirations of the Indian masses and - to sing the glory of India. He wrote with the object of inspiring patriotic zeal and fervour among the youths of India. He was shocked to see the miserable condition of India, and her poverty and slavery. But he was proud of her rich cultural heritage and great spiritual values.

Though Derozio succumbed to cholera at a very young age, he left behind him a number of creditable poems, including the narrative poem, The Faquir of Jungheera. He was one of the earliest Indian poets to compose poetry in English with considerable ease and self-assurance.

About The Poem

The theme of the poem is patriotism. The author talks about the past glory of India and how the country that was called the ‘Golden Eagle' has been chained and enslaved. His purpose is to sing the glory of that heritage of the distant past which is lost and longs for the return as well as hopes for a kind wish from the country and its people.

Central Idea

The poet recalls India's glorious past civilisation. Her fame and spiritual message had spread throughout the world. She was worshipped like a goddess. All the countries looked up to her for her spiritual leadership .

It is too sad that such glory and reverence is not found in her any more. The reason is, she is now bound by the chains of slavery. A country that used to soar high like an eagle, is now grovelling in the infamous dust. The miserable condition of the country does not inspire the poet to sing a song in her praise. Instead, it leads him to tell a sad tale of her miserable state.

(कवि भारत की वैभवपूर्ण प्राचीन सभ्यता को पुनस्मरण करता है। उसका यश वे आध्यात्मिक संदेश सम्पूर्ण विश्व में विस्तृत हो गया था। उसकी, देवी की भाँति, आराधना होती थी। समस्त देश उससे आध्यात्मिक नेतृत्व की अपेक्षा करते थे। यह अत्यधिक दुःख की बात है वह वैभव व सम्मान उसमें अब विद्यमान नहीं है। कारण यह है कि वह अब दासता की श्रृंखला से बँधा है। एक देश जो कभी उकाब की भाँति ऊँचा उड़ा करता था, अब अपयश की धूल में गिड़गिड़ा रहा है। देश की शोचनीय स्थिति कवि को उसकी प्रशंसा में गीत गाने को प्रेरित नहीं करती। इसके बजाये यह उसकी शोचनीय स्थिति की दुःखभरी कहानी कहने को प्रेरित करती है ।)

EXPLANATIONS (With Meanings & Hindi Translation)

1. My country! In the day of glory past
A beauteous halo circled round thy brow,
And worshipped as a deity thou wast.
Where is that glory, where that reverence now?
[Word-meanings : glory = महिमा honour; past = अतीत ancient times; beauteous = सुन्दर beautiful; halo = प्रभामण्डल The circle of light shown around the head of an important religious person in painting; deity = देवता a god; wast = था was; reverence = श्रद्धा feeling of great respect. ]
भावार्थ- मेरे देश! अतीत वैभव के दिन में, सुन्दर प्रभामण्डल तुम्हारे माथे को चतुर्दिक घेरे था तथा तुम्हारी देवता के रूप में (जोकि तुम थे) आराधना की जाती थी। वह वैभव कहाँ है, वह श्रद्धा (की भावना) अब कहाँ है?
Reference: This stanza is extracted from the poem captioned 'To India : My Native Land' composed by Henry L. Derozio.
Context: The poet looks dejectedly at the country. He recalls the Ancient Times when India was at the apex of culture. Then in great dejection the poet presents the picturesque description of country's present pathetic condition when she is enslaved by the British. [N.B. : The above reference and content will be used for all the explanations of this poem.]
Explanation: The poet apostrophises the country. He recalls country's honour that she enjoyed in the long past years. The country was no less than a deity. A beautiful circle of light was seen around her as is seen around the head and face of important sage in paintings. She was worshipped in the way a goddess is.worshipped. In fact she was a goddess. The poet puts a question in sad tone : Where that glory has fled away, Where that profound regard has hidden itself at the present time?
(कवि देश को सम्बोधित करता है। वह देश के गौरव का पुनस्रमरण करता है जो उसे अतीत के वर्षों में प्राप्त था। देश एक देवता से कम न था। उसके चतुर्दिक सुन्दर आभामण्डल उसी प्रकार दृष्टिगोचर होता था जिस प्रकार चित्र में महत्त्वपूर्ण सन्तों के शीश व चेहरे के चतुर्दिक दृष्टिगोचर होता है। इसकी आराधना उसी प्रकार की जाती थी जिस प्रकार देवी की की जाती है। वास्तव में यह देवी थी। कवि दुःख भरे स्वर में एक प्रश्न पूछता है : वह वैभव कहाँ पलायन कर गया, उस गहन सम्मान ने वर्तमान में स्वयं को कहाँ छिपा लिया है?)
In simple words: This stanza expresses the poet's sorrow over India's lost glory. He remembers a time when India was worshipped and revered like a goddess, questioning where that past greatness and respect have gone.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on identifying the central theme of lost glory and reverence in India's past. Pay attention to how the poet uses imagery to contrast the past and present states.

2. Thy eagle pinion is chained down at last,
And grovelling in the lowly dust art thou :
Thy minstrel hath no wreath to weave for thee
Save the sad story, of thy misery!
[Word-meanings : pinion = पंख wings; chained down = जंजीरो में जकड़े tied in fetters; grovelling = घिघियाना to try too hard to please somebody who is far more important or higher in status/power than the person rubbing his nose; lowly = निम्न far below; minstrel = चारण choir; wreath = माला चक्र garland; weave = रचना compose; save = सिवाय except; sad = दुःखद sorrowful; misery = घोर व्यथा . great unhappiness, dejection.]
भावार्थ- तुम्हारे उकाब पंख अन्ततः शृंखलाओं में हैं। तुम धूलभरे निम्न धरातल पर खड़े घिघिया रहे हो।। चारण अब तुम्हारी स्तुति में कोई माला चक्र नहीं बुन रहे । (अर्थात् तुम्हारे चारण तुम्हारी स्तुति में किसी काव्य की रचना नहीं कर रहे), सिवाय सुनाने के (रचना करने के) तुम्हारी घोर व्यथा की दुःखद कहानी के।
Explanation: The poet apostrophises the country and presents the picturesque description of her present miserable condition when she is enslaved by the British. The country had strong wings like those of an eagle. An eagle, with its strong wings, sours high. Likewise the country soared too high far above the other countries. An eagle preys on small birds. The birds are terrified of it. In the same way, the country had enormous powers. Hence other countries were afraid of her. But now her strong wings are in fetters of slavery. As a result, she is on the low base. She is making prayers in humble and pathetic tone far worse than that of a beggar. The poets are no more composing verses singing her glory. The reason is she has lost the glory that could inspire her poets to compose poems. Instead, they are depicting her pathetic picture in their verses.
(कवि देश को सम्बोधित करता है तथा इसकी वर्तमान दयनीय स्थिति का सचित्र वर्णन प्रस्तुत करता है। जबकि यह अंग्रेजों का दास है। देश के पंख उकाब के पंखों की भाँति शक्तिशाली थे। उकाब अपने शक्तिशाली पंखों से ऊँची उड़ान भरता है। इसी प्रकार, यह देश अन्य देशों की अपेक्षा बहुत ऊपर उड़ता था! उकाब छोटे-मोटे पक्षियों का शिकार करता है। पक्षी उससे भयभीत रहते हैं। इसी प्रकार, इस देश की शक्तियाँ विपुल थीं। अन्य देश इससे भयभीत रहते थे। पर अब इसके सशक्त पंख दासता की बेड़ियों में हैं। परिणामतः यह निम्न धरातल पर है। वह भिक्षुक से भी अधिक विनम्र व विषादपूर्ण स्वर में याचना कर रहा है। कवि अब इसके वैभव का गान करने हेतु कवितायें नहीं रच रहे हैं। इसका कारण है कि इसने उस वैभव को खो दिया है जो इसके कवियों को कविता रचने के लिये प्रेरित कर सके। इसके बजाय, वे अपनी कविताओं में इसका विषादपूर्ण चित्र प्रस्तुत कर रहे हैं।)
In simple words: The poet laments India's enslaved state, comparing her to an eagle whose wings are chained, now grovelling in dust. He notes that poets can no longer sing her praises but only narrate her sorrowful tale of misery.

🎯 Exam Tip: Analyze the strong imagery of the 'chained eagle' and 'grovelling in dust' to understand the depth of India's subjugation. Explain how the role of the 'minstrel' changes from singing glory to narrating misery.

3. Well let me dive into the depths of time,
And bring from out the ages that have rolled
A few small fragments of those wrecks sublime,
Which human eyes may never more behold;
And let the guerdon of my labour be
My fallen country! One kind wish from thee!
[Word-meanings :dive = डुबकी लगाना (यहाँ अतीत का पुनस्मरण करना) take a dip (here recall the past); rolled = व्यतीत हो गये pased away; fragment = टूटी हुई वस्तु के टुकड़े pieces of some broken thing; wrecks = दुर्दशा को प्राप्त वस्तु something that is damaged and is in a very bad condition; sublime = अति श्रेष्ट of extremely high quality; behold देखना = see; guerdon = पारितोषिक reward; fallen = पतन को प्राप्त subject to its downfall.]
भावार्थ- मुझे समय की गहनता में गोता लगाने की अनुमति दो, (अर्थात् अतीत का अध्ययन करने दो) तथा उन युगों से जो कि व्यतीत हो चुके हैं उस अति श्रेष्ठ अतीत के थोड़े से भग्नावशेषों को लाने दो, जिन्हे मानवनेत्र (चूंकि वह अतीत में खो चुका है) अब कदापि नहीं देख सकते तथा मेरे अथक प्रयासों का पारितोषिक जिसकी मैं कामना करता हूँ। ओ मेरे पतित देश! तुम्हारी केवल दयालुता युक्त शुभकामना मात्र की अपेक्षा है।
Explanation: The poet wishes to delve deep into the History. A great number of centuries have passed away between that Golden period and the present miserable period when she is a slave of the White. He expresses his aim for composing this poem. The country is compared to a ship. When a ship collides against another ship or some submerged rocks, its wrecks get scattered. The sublime culture of Ancient India wrecked long ago. The poet will pick up its fragments. The whole of the universe has never seen such a sublime culture. The poet will do this arduous task. He concludes the poem with the reward that he aspires for.
He longs for one kind wish from the Country. With deep dejection he addresses the country as the country that has met its downfall.
(कवि इतिहास की गहनता में गोता लगाने अर्थात् अतीत का अध्ययन करने की कामना करता है। उस स्वर्णिम युग तथा वर्तमान दयनीय युग, जबकि यह अंग्रेजों का दास है, के मध्य अनेक शताब्दियाँ गुजर गई हैं। वह इस कविता की रचना करने में निहित अपने उद्देश्य को व्यक्त करता है। देश की तुलना एक जहाज से की गयी है। जब जहाज किसी अन्य जहाज से या जलमग्न चट्टानों से टकराता है तब उसके क्षतिग्रस्त भाग बिखर जाते हैं। प्राचीन भारत की अति श्रेष्ठ संस्कृति दीर्घ समय पूर्व नष्ट हो गयी थी। कवि इसके टुकड़ों को बीन लेगा। सम्पूर्ण विश्व ने इस प्रकार की अति श्रेष्ठ संस्कृति को कभी भी नहीं देखा होगा। कवि इस दुःसाध्य कार्य को सम्पन्न करेगा। वह कविता का उपसंहार उस पारितोषिक के साथ करता है जिसकी वह कामना करता है।
उसे अपने देश से एक दयालुतापूर्ण इच्छा की कामना है। गहन नैराश्य के साथ वह देश को ऐसा देश कहकर सम्बोधित करता है जिसका पतन हो चुका है।)
In simple words: The poet wishes to explore history to find remnants of India's glorious past, which is now lost. His only desired reward for this effort is a kind wish from his fallen country, acknowledging her deep decline.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify the poet's purpose in this stanza: to revive the lost glory of India by recalling its magnificent past. Note the comparison of India's past culture to 'wrecks sublime' and the poet's modest desire for a 'kind wish' as his reward.