Read the poem. The Pardah Nashin by Sarojini Naidu Sarojini Naidu was an Indian poet and activist. Known as the "Nightingale of
India," she advocated for India's independence, social welfare, and equal rights. The Pardah is a religious and social practice of seclusion in some Hindu or Muslim communities of South Asia. Women are either physically separated from males using separate buildings, screens, walls, or curtains, or they may be concealed by loose clothing and veils. Her life is a revolving dream Of languid and sequestered ease; Her girdles and her fillets gleam Like changing fires on sunset seas; Her raiment is like morning mist, Shot opal, gold and amethyst. From thieving light of eyes impure, From coveting sun or wind's caress, Her days are guarded and secure Behind her carven lattices, Like jewels in a turbaned crest, Like secrets in a lover's breast. But though no hand unsanctioned dares Unveil the mysteries of her grace, Time lifts the curtain unawares, And Sorrow looks into her face... Who shall prevent the subtle years, Or shield a woman's eyes from tears? How does the personification in the lines, "From thieving light of eyes impure, / From coveting sun or wind's caress," affect meaning? The portrayal of the sun as "coveting" reinforces the idea that women must be protected from the sun to retain their beauty. References to "light" and the "wind's caress" evoke religious imagery, establishing the virtue of the pardah and its importance to those who wear it. The portrayal of the sun as "coveting" reinforces the purpose of the pardah, which is to protect women from the dangers of the outside world. The sun and wind become characters in the poem, establishing the power and beauty of the natural world.
