Hello and welcome to the Discourse. "Baugmaree" is a lyrical poem, a sonnet by Toru Dutt (1856–1877), a pioneering Indian poetess who wrote in English during the British colonial period. The poem is part of her posthumously published collection Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan (1882), which showcases her lyrical and descriptive prowess. "Baugmaree" describes the beauty of her family's garden, located on the outskirts of Calcutta (Kolkata). It is a nostalgic and vivid depiction of a lush, natural landscape, reflecting Dutt’s deep connection to her homeland and her ability to blend Indian sensibilities with Western poetic forms. Toru Dutt’s work often reflects her multicultural upbringing, blending Indian landscapes with European literary forms. "Baugmaree" stands out as a fine example of her ability to evoke nostalgia, natural beauty, and a sense of fleeting time through carefully crafted verse.
Structure of Baugmaree:
The poem is a sonnet with a structure that combines elements of both the Petrarchan and Spenserian sonnet forms. It features a distinct rhyme scheme (abba abba cd cd ee) and meter (iambic pentameter) that contribute to its lyrical quality. The poem consists of 14 lines, beginning with an octave, following the Petrarchan pattern of abba abba. The sestet (final six lines) deviates from the traditional sonnet form, with a rhyme scheme of cd cd ee, a variation from the Spenserian or Shakespearean sonnet. After the octave, the volta or turn appears in line 10, where the speaker then directs the reader’s attention to the prettiest of the garden's plants, the "bamboos to the eastward."
Dutt employs rich visual imagery, comparing the garden’s foliage to a "sea" to convey its vastness and movement. Personification breathes life into nature, making the garden feel alive and dynamic. Simile and metaphor deepen the sensory experience, while enjambment (lines flowing into one another without punctuation) mimics the natural, unrestrained growth of the garden itself.
Summary of Baugmaree:
The Octave (lines 1-8)
“A sea of foliage girds our garden round,
But not a sea of dull unvaried green,
Sharp contrasts of all colours here are seen;
The light-green graceful tamarinds abound
Amid the mangoe clumps of green profound,
And palms arise, like pillars gray, between;
And o'er the quiet pools the seemuls lean,
Red,--red, and startling like a trumpet's sound.”
The opening lines of "Baugmaree" depict a lush, vibrant garden teeming with diverse foliage. The poet describes the scene as a "sea of foliage", but unlike a monotonous green ocean, this garden is alive with sharp contrasts of colors. Graceful light-green tamarind trees stand out against the deep green of mango groves, while gray palm trees rise like pillars. The most striking image is that of the seemul (silk-cotton) trees leaning over quiet pools, their vivid red flowers so intense that they are compared to a startling trumpet’s sound, disrupting the garden’s serenity with their bold hue.
The garden is compared to an ocean (metaphor), emphasizing its vastness and fluid, wave-like movement. The garden is both tranquil ("quiet pools") and dynamic ("startling like a trumpet’s sound"), creating a tension (contrast) between calm and intensity. The mention of tamarinds, mangoes, and seemuls roots the poem in an Indian landscape, blending tropical imagery with European poetic form. The palms are likened to architectural pillars (simile), suggesting strength and elegance. The red seemul flowers, compared to a trumpet (simile), may symbolize passion, warning, or the intrusion of beauty so intense it feels almost disruptive.
In the line "the seemuls lean" – the trees are given human-like posture (Personification), adding life to the scene.
The octave exemplifies Toru Dutt’s skill in merging Romantic-era poetic techniques with Indian natural imagery. The garden is not just a passive setting but a dynamic, almost theatrical space where colors clash and nature itself seems to perform. The startling red seemul, in particular, acts as a focal point, shifting the tone from serene description to something more dramatic. This interplay of stillness and vibrancy makes the poem a rich sensory experience.
The Sestet (Lines 9-14)
“But nothing can be lovelier than the ranges
Of bamboos to the eastward, when the moon
Looks through their gaps, and the white lotus changes
Into a cup of silver. One might swoon
Drunken with beauty then, or gaze and gaze
On a primeval Eden, in amaze.”
In these lines, Toru Dutt shifts her focus (volta) to the eastern bamboo groves, which she declares to be the loveliest part of the garden, especially under moonlight. "Nothing can be lovelier" is an exaggerated claim (Hyperbole) that emphasizes the speaker’s awe. "The moon looks through their gaps" – The moon is given human-like vision (Personification), making nature feel alive.
The moonbeams filtering through the bamboo create a magical effect, transforming the white lotus flowers into shimmering "cups of silver” (metaphor). The beauty is so overwhelming that the speaker feels almost intoxicated, as if witnessing "a primeval Eden"—a pure, untouched paradise that inspires awe and wonder. The garden becomes a symbol of paradise (metaphor).
The sestet transitions from a visual description to an emotional and almost spiritual rapture. The moonlight transforms the garden into something ethereal, suggesting nature’s ability to evoke deep, nearly mystical experiences. The imagery is so vivid that the speaker feels "drunken with beauty," emphasizing how overwhelming and intoxicating nature’s splendor can be. Alliteration in "gaze and gaze," "drunk with beauty" adds rhythm and emphasis.
By comparing the scene to "a primeval Eden (Biblical allusion)”, Dutt connects the garden to the idea of paradise lost, hinting at purity, innocence, and an unspoiled world untouched by human corruption. While the first stanza focuses on vibrant colors and sharp contrasts, this one explores subtle, silvery moonlight, showing Dutt’s ability to capture different moods of nature. This stanza elevates the garden from a mere physical space to a spiritual and emotional experience. The moonlight’s alchemy turns the bamboo and lotus into something otherworldly, making the speaker feel as though they are glimpsing paradise itself. The lotus strongly suggests her inclination towards Indian cultural and spiritual ethos, even as she employs a Western poetic form (the sonnet). The flower is deeply symbolic in Indian tradition, and its presence in the poem reinforces Dutt’s connection to her heritage.
Dutt’s use of hyperbolic language, rich metaphors, and biblical allusion creates a sense of transcendence, reinforcing the Romantic idea of nature as a source of awe and sublime beauty.
So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of Indian English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!
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