The poem Indian Weavers deals with the transition of human life from childhood to death . Naidu has beautifully structured the poem in the three quatrains that gives a light upon human life. It also intrigues Keatsian Romanticism and idealism of Human Seasons but Naidu gives an ornament of Indian weavers. The taste gives a sense of Indian spirit and cultural reflection but the imagery brings forth the surface of human life.
The poem is enriched with a literary device creating a lyrical quality. The alliterative lines in the poem and a rhyming scheme of aabbccdd gives a blend of musical effect as well. The anaphora is used widely in the poem where the repetition of certain phrases heightens the theme of transition of human life. The refrain reminds the readers of the next stage of life where the musical quality enriches the natural scenario of images gives a sensuous touch. Critically, the changing style of garment colours from “blue” to the peacock’s “purple and green” to the “white” colour itself gives a transition of human life in the poem.
The poem is beautifully constructed with a rhetorical question in each quatrain that demands an answer from the weavers. The conversational tone is also added in a light tone and the weavers highlights the natural beauty of nature as well as the human life. The weavers are asked about the reason behind weaving the garment during the day, night and moonlight chill. Their responses gives a light into human life where the weavers are intimidated by the life of childhood and weaves the garment during the day that shrouds the beauty , joy and enthusiasm as the “halcyon wild “. The weavers answered that they weave the grament during the day to address the adult life which the weavers interpolates with the colours of “peacock, purple and green” giving a references to purposeful human life for adulthood where the adults are preparing for their marriage and new life. The weavers also answered that they are weaving at the moonlight chill because the y are now preparing for the funeral of a grown person which comes after adulthood.
The symbolism is enriched in the poem where the bird “halcyon wild” symbolizes enthusiasm , beauty and joy. The colour “blue” symbolizes the innocency of the bird where is similitude to the child’s innocency. The “peacock” symbolizes a number of colourful experiences of adulthood including the colour of “purple and green” which could be both the happiest moments and the saddest moments of life. The “veils of a queen” symbolizes the search for a companion in adulthood or the union of two soul which is the quest in adult life. The colour “white” represents the peace of a dead person or the attainment of eternal life.
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