SOURCE: "The Evolution of the Poetic Persona in Sarojini's Poetry," in Perspectives on Sarojini Naidu, edited by K.K. Sharma, Vimal Prakashan, 1989, pp. 114-128.

In the following essay, Sharma discusses Naidu's poetic persona, which is assessed as "invariably objective, impersonal, or universal. "

Sarojini Naidu is a powerful exponent of the poetic Persona in her poetic explorations. Undoubtedly, the Persona is the poetic nucleus from which her poetry originates and constitutes its chief motivating force. She (the Persona) is the light of Sarojini's life and is the centre of her existence and vision. The "I" and "Me" are not always personal and can stand for any exploring Self. The egoism of Sarojini is invariably objective, impersonal or universal. She loves to celebrate universal qualities through the seemingly personal ones. The use of the Persona helps Sarojini in the realization of the desired aesthetic distance in her poems. The object...