Gul Mohar English Class 8 Poem - My Native Land

Gul Mohar Edition 9 Orient Blackswan

Gul Mohar English Poem - My Native Land

Writer of the poem - Sir Walter Scott
Summary
Sir Walter Scott’s poem ‘My Native Land’ is designed to discuss the importance of one’s native land. He wishes to evoke a sense of pride and love for one’s own country in his reader. The poem explores the implications of what happens when one is stripped of land and identity associated with it.

The man swells with pride and feels happy and excited deep in his heart as he sets foot into his native land suggesting his patriotic feelings. A man who has no love for his country and feels ashamed of accepting his identity in a foreign land, the soul of such person is considered dead even if he is still living (The sense of belonging to a nation or patriotism is missing in this person) It is the death of one’s soul which is more pathetic than a physical death. It means that the person is alive, but in vain.

According to the poet, a person who has turned away his footsteps from his native land and never returned back is not capable of loyalty towards his country does not feel a sense of belonging to his own country. When the man returns home from his travels in foreign countries, he feels no pride or excitement. His money and power lures him and he strives to return to the foreign land for his power and riches.

Such a person will not be respected by his fellowmen and no singers sing songs of praise, even if he earns titles riches and accolades as these are futile because they are earned for selfish motives without any love for his land. According to the speaker, the man’s devotion to his nation is of more value than his wealth and power.

The poet talks about a dual death -A person who does not love his country would die twice because he will be ignored by his contemporaries and totally forgotten after his death; therefore he will die physically and die in people’s memories, regardless of his social status and wealth and the emotional death from being wiped out from people’s memories.

When he dies, he will go to the useless dust from where he was born. After his death, no one will sing for him, or honour him, nor shed tears for his loss. He will be left uncelebrated, no matter how much money he saves all through his life.

It is almost as if, not loving your own country is sinful. This shows how profound the poet’s patriotism was. Failing to love his own country was equivalent to a sin, in the poet’s eyes. It was as if serving one’s own country was equal to serving God.