Get notes, questions, answers, solutions, Assam, pdf, and extras of the poem The Soul’s Prayer by Sarojini Naidu which is a part of the syllabus of NBSE class 9 alternative English. However, these notes should be used only for references and additions/modifications should be made as per the requirements.
| Select notes version |
| NBSE Class 9 Alternative English version |
| MBOSE Class 12 Alternative English version |
Introduction
The Soul’s Prayer may be seen as part of a mystical tradition. The speaker recollects, in awe and humility, the childhood dialogue she had with God. She recollects all the things she asked from God when she was still naive and so didn’t understand that understanding everything is not fathomable.
The first three stanzas represent the child’s desire for knowledge, and the subsequent four stanzas record God’s response and final truth. The poem succeeds, in a simple way, to allow the reader, a glimpse at least, of the mystery of the Creator, and indeed many places, however tiny it may be, in the scheme of the universe.
Video tutorial
Explain with reference to context.
1. Child, I will hearken to thy prayer,
And thy unconquered soul shall know
All passionate rapture and despair.
a. Who is the speaker?
b. Why is the soul ‘unconquered’? (‘Unconquered’ by what?)
c. What does the speaker promise the child?
Answer: a. The speaker here is God.
b. The soul is unconquered because it is never satisfied with pain and joy.
c. The speaker promises the child the fulfilment of her prayers and that she will experience all the passionate raptures and unfeeling despair.
2. I, bending from my sevenfold height,
Will teach thee of My quickening grace,
Life is a prism of My light,
And Death the shadow of My face.
a. What is the effect of ‘sevenfold height’?
b. What do you understand of life and death from these lines?
c. How is life and death contrasted? (What are the terms used?)
Answer: a. The effect of ‘sevenfold height’ implies that God is larger than life and beyond our understanding.
b. Life and death both are the contrasting attributes of yet a singular God.
c. Life and death are contrasting aspects of the singular God. While life is compared to the prism of God’s light, death is likened to the shadow of his face.
Answer the questions
1. Rewrite the dialogue between the child and the Master in your own words (in dialogue form).
Answer: Not needed for exams.
2. Describe the child. (attitude, knowledge, innocence)
Answer: In the poem The Soul’s Prayer, the child is curious, naive, and eager to learn. She wants God to give her answers to the existence of life. She is aware that there are different levels to her soul and is trying to get a better understanding from God about life, death, and existence. She wants to live life to the fullest and experience every form of extreme emotion, whether joy or sorrow. She even wants to have mystic knowledge of the grave that has been unexplored. She asks God to not withhold any grief or gift that she craves.
The child is too innocent to understand that God can neither be fully understood nor His eternal knowledge can be learnt in eternal years, and all these she wants to have in an instantaneous life.
3. Will the Master respect the child’s request? What will He teach her?
Answer: Yes, the Master will respect the child’s request.
God will, however, not answer the prayers of the child in the exact same way as she desires, and she will have a change of heart for salvation. He promises the child that she will be taught raptures and despairs, joy, love, and pain. He assures her that her pain will clean the impurities from her desires and thereby make them pure. Her chastened soul will thereby aspire for salvation.
Think and answer
1. Explanation of the poet’s use of underlined words:
Answer: a. “In childhood’s pride I said to Thee:” – The word “pride” reflects the child’s naive confidence and a sense of invulnerability, typical of youth, believing in the possibility of mastering life’s mysteries through a simple request to a divine power.
b. “For my insatiate soul would drain” – The adjective “insatiate” emphasizes the soul’s unending desire for experience and knowledge, insinuating a deep thirst that cannot be quenched, which drives the speaker to seek all of life’s extremes.
c. “The intricate lore of love and life” – The phrase “intricate lore” suggests that the knowledge and understanding of love and life are complex and multifaceted, much like a vast and detailed study that one needs to learn profoundly.
d. “Lord, Thou didst answer stern and low:” – “Stern and low” indicates a serious, possibly grave, response from the Lord, imparting the weightiness of the wisdom to be shared, suggesting that the response will not be comforting but rather a somber truth.
e. “And pain shall cleanse thee like a flame” – The simile “like a flame” portrays pain as a purifying force, burning away trivial desires and impurities, a necessary ordeal to achieve greater spiritual and emotional maturity.
2. Did the speaker learn a lesson from the childhood prayer?
Answer: Yes, the speaker did learn significant lessons from the childhood prayer. Initially, the speaker, in youthful arrogance, asks to experience all joys and pains, desiring to understand all aspects of life deeply. The response from the divine, however, outlines a future where these experiences of intense joy and pain serve as transformative forces, teaching the speaker about the dual nature of existence and leading to a profound understanding. The lesson learned is that both joy and pain are essential and inescapable parts of life, each contributing to the growth and maturation of the soul. The divine promise that pain will act as a cleansing flame highlights the necessity of suffering in achieving personal growth and understanding, an understanding that what is wished for may not always be what is needed for spiritual and emotional development.
Going Beyond
1. Can you think of two other ‘blind prayers’ that are sure to cause more harm than good to people?
Answer: One example of a ‘blind prayer’ is when individuals pray for the immediate removal of all obstacles in their lives without considering the learning and growth that overcoming challenges can bring. This type of prayer may inhibit personal development, as encountering and surmounting difficulties is crucial for building resilience and character. Another example is praying for material success or wealth at the expense of others’ well-being, which can foster a sense of selfishness and entitlement. Such prayers, focused solely on personal gain without ethical consideration, can harm interpersonal relationships and society’s moral fabric. These prayers overlook the broader impacts of their requests, potentially leading to more harm than good.
2. In a short paragraph, discuss the significance of ‘Women’s Day.
Answer: ‘Women’s Day’ is significant because it acknowledges and celebrates the achievements and contributions of women to society, culture, and politics. This day serves as a reminder of the struggles that women have historically faced and continue to face in their quest for equality and recognition. Celebrating Women’s Day helps raise awareness about gender disparities and inspires actions towards gender equality. It is also a day to reflect on influential women like Sarojini Naidu, whose leadership in politics and literature significantly impacted India’s history. Recognizing such figures on Women’s Day highlights their legacy and encourages future generations to continue their work towards a more equitable society.
Ron’e Dutta is a journalist, teacher, aspiring novelist, and blogger who manages Online Free Notes. An avid reader of Victorian literature, his favourite book is Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. He dreams of travelling the world. You can connect with him on social media. He does personal writing on ronism.
Get notes of other boards, classes, and subjects
This answer is nicely explained and easy to understand 😀😀
What does the expression “In childhood’s pride” suggest?
The soul is craving for knowledge of life, death and existence
what is the soul craving for in the poem ‘ The soul’s prayer ‘ by Sarojini Naidu
How did the god answer to the little child’s prayer answer please
Reference to the context: And thy unconquered soul shall know, all passionate rapture and despair
Thy unconquered soul mean that her soul is not satisfied by the joy and sorrow God gave her there God promised her unsatisfied soul shall know true rapture and despair. Btw you’re khasi?