Word Meaning
| Line | Word | Meaning | अर्थ |
| 1 | flora | Roman goddess of flowers | फूलों की रोमन देवी |
| 2 | undisputed | not disputed or contested | निर्विवाद |
| 3 | lily and the rose | Type of flowers | कुमुदनी और गुलाब |
| 4 | Rivals | people or things competing with each other for the same thin | प्रतिद्वंद्वी |
| 4 | Bards | poets, traditionally one reciting epics and associated with a particular oral tradition | कवियों |
| 5 | claims | statements that something is true, even though it may not be | दावे |
| 5 | tower | to rise high above something | ऊंचा उठना |
| 6 | pale | having a light color, especially a light yellow | पीला |
| 6 | Juno | the Roman goddess of marriage and childbirth, queen of the gods | जूनो, विवाह और प्रसव की रोमन देवी, देवताओं की रानी |
| 6 | mien | an outward manner of presenting oneself | मुद्रा |
| 7 | lovelier | more beautiful | अधिक प्यारा |
| 8 | Flower-factions | groups of people who support different flowers in the competition for the title of the most beautiful flower | फूल-गुटों |
| 8 | strife | conflict or argument, especially between people or groups | संघर्ष |
| 8 | Psyche | the Greek goddess of the soul | साइके, आत्मा की ग्रीक देवी |
| 8 | bower | a shady place in a garden, made by training plants to grow over a frame | बगीचा |
| 9 | delicious | having a very pleasant taste or smell | स्वादिष्ट |
| 10 | stately | grand and impressive | भव्य और प्रभावशाली |
| 10 | pride | a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements, | गर्व |
| 13 | dyed | colored with dye | रंगा हुआ |
| 14 | queenliest | most queenly | सबसे शानदार |
| 14 | blows | flowers or blooms | फूल या खिलना |
The Lotus Poem Summary
The poem begins with Love approaching Flora, the goddess of flowers, and asking for a flower that would be the undisputed queen of all flowers. The lily and the rose, two of the most beautiful flowers in the world, have long been rivals for this title. Poets have sung their praises, but neither flower has been able to definitively defeat the other.
Love describes the flower he desires: it should be as delicious as the rose and as stately as the lily, and it should be both rose-red and lily-white. Flora understands what Love is looking for, and she gives him the lotus flower.
The lotus flower is a unique and beautiful flower that grows in muddy water yet remains clean and unsullied. It is a symbol of purity, rebirth, and enlightenment. In the final line of the poem, Dutt calls the lotus flower “the queenliest flower that blows,” suggesting that it is the most perfect and beautiful flower of all.
Symbolic interpretation
The poem can also be interpreted on a symbolic level. The lotus flower can be seen as a symbol of the human soul. Just as the lotus flower rises from the mud and blooms into a beautiful flower, the human soul can rise above its earthly desires and achieve spiritual enlightenment.
The poem’s message is that true beauty and perfection come from within. It is not about our external appearance or our material possessions. It is about our inner qualities, such as our purity, compassion, and wisdom. Just like the lotus flower, we can all achieve true beauty and perfection if we strive to cultivate these inner qualities.
Key Points
Author: The poem is written by Toru Dutt, a notable Bengali-Indian poet. She penned her works in two languages; French and English.
Form: follows the structure of a Petrarchan sonnet, which consists of 14 lines divided into an octave (the first eight lines) and a sestet (the last six lines). The rhyme scheme of the poem is abba abba cd cd dc.
Speaker: The speaker in the poem is Toru Dutt herself, expressing her views on the beauty and significance of the lotus flower.
Setting: The poem doesn’t specify a physical setting. It’s more focused on the symbolic representation of flowers and their significance.
Theme: The main theme of the poem is the beauty and significance of the lotus flower. The poem also brings out the pride of Indian culture.
Plot: The poem doesn’t have a plot in the traditional sense. It’s more of a philosophical discourse where Dutt portrays a conflict among flowers. The rose and the lily are competitors for the title of best flower. Flora, the goddess of flowers, picks the lotus as a flower of utmost beauty because it combines the whiteness of the lily and the scarlet of the rose.
Tone: The tone of the poem is admiring and reverential. Dutt expresses her admiration for the lotus flower and its symbolic significance.
Style: Dutt’s style in this poem is direct and unambiguous. She uses simple language to convey profound messages.
Message: The message of the poem is clear: The lotus, with its combined qualities of the rose and the lily, is considered the most beautiful of all flowers. The victory of the lotus symbolises Indian culture’s conquest over the western world.
Toru Dutt
Birth and Early Life: Toru Dutt was born on March 4, 1856, in Kolkata, India.
Family: She was born into a well-respected Bengali family. Her father, Govind Chandra Dutt, was a linguist and worked as a Magistrate in Kolkata. Her mother, Kshetramoni Dutt, was also very fond of literature, especially Hindu mythology.
Education: Dutt was educated at home by her father and by an Indian Christian tutor, Babu Shib Chunder Banerjee. She learnt French, English, and eventually Sanskrit, in addition to her first language, Bengali.
Works: Toru Dutt is known for her volumes of poetry in English, Sita, A Sheaf Gleaned in French Fields (1876) and Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan (1882), and for a novel in French, Le Journal de Mademoiselle d’Arvers (1879).
Contributions: Dutt is among the founding figures of Indo-Anglian literature. Her poems explore themes of loneliness, longing, patriotism, and nostalgia.
Death: Toru Dutt died at the age of 21 of tuberculosis.
