The Pardah Nashin

by Sarojini Naidu

Her life is a revolving dream
Of languid and sequestered ease;
Her girdles and her fillets gleam
Like changing fires on sunset seas;
Her raiment is like morning mist,
Shot opal, gold and amethyst.

From thieving light of eyes impure,
From coveting sun or wind's caress,
Her days are guarded and secure
Behind her carven lattices,
Like jewels in a turbaned crest,
Like secrets in a lover's breast.

But though no hand unsanctioned dares
Unveil the mysteries of her grace,
Time lifts the curtain unawares,
And Sorrow looks into her face . . .
Who shall prevent the subtle years,
Or shield a woman's eyes from tears?

In the first stanza of the poem, the woman is portrayed as someone who is beautiful and otherworldly.

Why does the poet choose to describe the woman in this manner?

A.The portrayal of the woman in this stanza expresses how some Hindu or Muslim communities would view this practice; it contrasts the speaker’s views expressed in the final stanza.

B.As the poem is meant to describe the poet, she includes this stanza to portray herself as beautiful and desirable.

C.Because the poem is a cry against injustice and inequality, this stanza expresses how beautiful the woman is when she is free and supports the speaker’s views of women’s rights.

D.The poem focuses on the speaker’s culture and religious beliefs; the beauty of the woman reflects how the speaker feels about her culture.