summary and explanation of the poem Lotus by Toru Dutt

1. Lotus by Toru Dutt
Dr. Jyoti Waghmare
M.A. Ph.D. NET-JRF SET

2. Toru Dutt
 4 March 1856 – 30 August 1877
a Bengali translator and poet
wrote in English and French
first Indian poetess to write verses in
French and in English.
one of the founding figures of Anglo-
Indian literature
 A Sheaf Gleaned in French Fields (1877)
and Ancient Ballads and Legends of
Hindustan (1882)
 novel in French, Le Journal de
Mademoiselle d’Arvers (1879).
Indian Themes
Dutt died young, at age 21

3. The Lotus
• ‘The Lotus’ is a sonnet in the Petrarchan type
• Sonnet is a poem of 14 lines
• two divisions, the Octave and the Sestet
• octave consists of eight lines and the sestet
consists of six lines
• A sonnet deals with a single idea
• the octave proposing and the sestet resolving.
• Toru Dutt raises a problem in the Octave and
resolves it in the sestet.

4. Lotus
• God of Love Cupid came to Flora , the Goddess of flowers
• Asked for the flower “undisputed queen of flowers”
• Lily and Rose had been fighting for the title ‘Queen of flowers
• Each flower with its own support from poets, claimed for the
title
• He asked Flora to create a unique flower.
• The flower must be the most beautiful of all the flowers. It
must be the undisputed queen of flowers.
• That flower must surpass in beauty and grandeur over the two
old rivals rose and lily

5. Lotus
• The lily and rose were old rivals.
• Both of them competed for the high honor and of
being called undisputed queen of flowers.
• Both of them were proud of their beauty and
grandeur. The rose was proud of its red color and
white lily had the grace of the face of goddess Juno.
• Some poets and bards favored the rose and some
supported white lily.
• The pale white face of lily resembles the stately and
graceful face of goddess Juno.

6. Lotus
• The rose has been an old rival of the lily for the high
honor of being called the queen of flowers.
• The redness of the rose is the first choice of lovers all
around the world. Its delicacy and beauty is
matchless.
• A large number of poets have been giving the high
honor of being queen of flowers to the rose.
• But some critics believe that the rose can’t match the
dignity and grace of the lily.

7. Lotus
• The god of love Cupid asked Flora to create a unique
flower.
• It would be the undisputed queen of flowers. First he
asked Flora to create a flower that must have been the
attractive red color of rose.
• Then he changes his mind and asked to create a flower
that might have the grace of lily.
• In the end the confused Cupid resolved the issue. He
wanted such a unique flower that might have the redness
of rose and whiteness of the lily.

8. Cultural Symbol Of Indian Society
• By establishing the superiority of the lotus flower, Toru
Dutt has tried to establish the superiority of the Indian
culture.
• The lotus is considered as a cultural symbol in Indian
society. It has been a favorite flower with Indian Gods
and Goddesses.
• Both lord Vishnu and goddess Lakshmi have the lotus as
their seat. Even in the present times the lotus enjoys a
unique respectability in Indian society.
• All great civil honors have been named after the lotus
Padmashree, Padmabhushan, Padmavibhushan, etc.

9. Comments
• Rose stands for passion because of its color
• Lily stands for purity , innocence and simplicity
• Lotus symbol of Indian culture and Hindu religion
• Lotus flower springs from surface water and from
the earth and will remain unblemished not
matter for the impurity of the water or mud
• Used Roman Mythology Flora, Cupid, Juno
• Lotus symbol fusion of Eastern and Western
philosophy