CBSE Grade 8 The English Dale- S chand
"The Lotus" – Summary Poet: Toru Dutt Genre: Sonnet (14-line poem) "The Lotus" is a beautiful poem written by Toru Dutt , a famous Indian poet who wrote in English. The poem talks about a disagreement between the gods of Love and Beauty about which flower is the most beautiful — the rose (symbol of love ) or the lily (symbol of beauty ). To solve the argument, the Goddess Flora (goddess of flowers) decides to create a new flower that has the sweetness and colour of the rose and the grace and purity of the lily . This new flower is the lotus , and it becomes the queen of all flowers . Through this poem, the poet celebrates the lotus as a symbol of India and shows how it combines both love and beauty . She uses this idea to express pride in Indian culture, as the lotus is also India's national flower. Key Themes: Beauty and love Creativity and harmony Pride in Indian identity Literary Devices: Personification: Gods and flowers are given human quali...