About the Poem
Written by the prominent Indian poet and politician
Sarojini Naidu, 'The Bangle Sellers' is a poem exploring the life of Indian
women, the Indian culture and traditions revolving around women. The poem
revolves around bangles, which is an important ornament for 'decoration' of
women in Indian Society. In the poem, the bangle sellers are at the temple fair
and they shout out to the people passing by to have a look at their bangles.
They urge them to buy bangles for their daughters and wives.
Theme of the Poem
The entire poem has a
structure where each stanza focuses on a particular theme. The first stanza
depicts the merchants publicizing at the temple fair to attract the attention
of the people passing by. The consequent stanzas focus on bangles of various
colours the seller have for women of all different ages.
Stanza-wise
Explanation
Stanza 1:
Bangle sellers are we who bear
Our shining loads to the temple fair...
Who will buy these delicate, bright
Rainbow-tinted circles of light?
Lustrous tokens of radiant lives.
For happy daughters and happy wives.
Explanation: The poem begins with the speakers introducing themselves
as bangle sellers who sell their articles at the temple fair. They call out to
the people to buy their bangles. These hawkers describe their bangles as
delicate, bright, rainbow-tinted circles of light. They advertise by
questioning who will buy these bangles for their daughters and wives.
It is important to note here that though the speakers of
the poem are several, it appears as if there is a single speaker. This is due
to the fact that they all have the same purpose and are thus seen singularly as
a 'class essence'. Also, the Bangles here are called 'lustrous tokens of
radiant lives'. It shows us the Indian-ness of the poem, where bangles are
bought on special occasions and are associated with happiness and prosperity.
Stanza 2:
Some are meet for a maiden's wrist,
Silver and blue as the mountain mist,
Some are flushed like the buds that dream
On the tranquil brow of a woodland stream,
Some are aglow with the bloom that cleaves
To the limpid glory of new born leaves
Explanation: The second stanza onward, the speakers talk of the kinds
of bangles they have. Some of these bangles are suited for a maiden's, that is,
a young unmarried woman's wrist. They are Silver and Blue in colour like the
mountain mist. Some of them are 'flushed', that is pink and light red in colour
like flower buds growing beside a woodland stream. Still others are green and
glowing like the transparent beauty of new born leaves.
In Indian society, bangles have an important cultural and
religious place. Different coloured bangles are worn by women in different
stages of life. Blue, Silver, and Green are generally worn by young maidens. It
is interesting to note that the poet here uses the words 'flushed like the buds
that dream. The word 'buds' here is suggestive of singleness. "Buds that
dreams" present before us an image of young girls dreaming of marriage. In
this stanza, the poet presents the stage of youth in a woman's life.
Stanza 3:
Some are like fields of sunlit corn,
Meet for a bride on her bridal morn,
Some, like the flame of her marriage fire,
Or, rich with the hue of her heart's desire,
Tinkling, luminous, tender, and clear,
Like her bridal laughter and bridal tear.
Explanation: In the third stanza, the bangle sellers say that some of
their bangles are yellow like 'fields of sunlit corn. Bangles of this colour
are perfect for a bride on her bridal morn. Some of the bangles they have are
bright red. They represent the flame of a newly turned bride's marriage fire,
that is, the passion of her newly made relation. The red bangles also stand for
her heart's desire. The bangles are 'tinkling, luminous, tender and clear'.
They express both her joy of starting a new life with her husband and the
sorrow of leaving her parents behind.
What we find striking is the use of the words 'bridal
laughter and bridal tears. These words convey the whole of a woman's transition
in life from a maiden to a wife and all the emotions attached with it in a
single line. This stanza marks the transition of life from a maiden to a wife.
Stanza 4:
Some are purple and gold flecked grey
For she who has journeyed through life midway,
Whose hands have cherished, whose love has blest,
And cradled fair sons on her faithful breast,
And serves her household in fruitful pride,
And worships the gods at her husband's side.
Explanation: In the final stanza of the poem The Bangle Sellers, the
speakers continue to advertise their bangles. They shout that some of their
bangles are purple and gold flecked grey. These are suited for a middle- aged
woman who has 'journeyed through life'. They are for her who has raised her
children well, and has remained faithful to her husband and family. These
bangles are, they say, perfect for she who has maintained her household with
pride and 'worships the gods at her husband's side'.
In this stanza, the poet writes down what she perceives
as the qualities of a good wife. Such a woman is truly deserving of the purple
and gold flecked grey bangles in her eyes. Here we should pay attention to the
word 'sons' used to mean offspring. While it could be a happy coincidence, it
could also suggest the ingrained attitude of male preference in the society of
Sarojini Naidu's times.
The poem, 'The bangle
Sellers' is a celebration of the female life. It shows us the various stages of
a woman's life and attempts to represent the Indian culture and the role of
bangle sellers in the traditional set up.
EXERCISE
A. Warmer
Q. Girls and women are
very fond of bangles. Can you say why?
Ans. Girls and women
are very fond of bangles. Bangles add to their beauty, so they are so fond of
it. Bangles are also the symbol of a woman to be married or the symbol of
'Suhag'. This is why Indian girls and women are so fond of the bangles.
B. COMPREHENSION:
B.1. Think and Tell :
Q. 1. Who bring the
load of bangles to the fair?
Ans. The
bangle-sellers bring the load of bangles to the fair.
Q. 2. What is called
delicate, bright, rainbow-tinted circles of light?
Ans.
Bangles are called
delicate, bright, rainbow-tinted circles of light.
Q. 3. Who will buy the
bangles ?
Ans. The maidens,
happy daughters and wires will buy the bangles.
B.2. Think and Write:
B.2.1. True or False
1. Based on the story
write true or false next to each Sentence given below:
(a) Bangles are
circles of light. True
(b) Bangles are worn
on the wrist. True
(c) Bangles are
silver and blue in colour. True
(d) We can buy
bungles from the temple fair. True
B.2.2. Tick the answers to each of the questions
given below.
1. "Lustrous
tokens of radiant lives." What do lustrous tokens signify?
(a) The bright and
happy lives of the daughters and wives who wear bangles.
(b) Married ladies.
(c) Mountain mist.
2. "On the
tranquil brow of a woodland stream' means:
(a) Our eyebrow
(b) The eyebrow of
the maidens, daughters and wives who wear bangles.
(c) On the side of a
stream quickly flowing in the forest.
3. Complete the
following sentences. Choose the correct answer from the box:
Buds that dream, mountain mist, bloom that cleaves
1. Silver and blue
bangles are compared with..... Mountain
mist.
2. The flush of the
bangles is compared with..... Buds
that dream.
3. The glow of the
bangles is compared with..... Bloom that cleaves.
B.2.3. Answer in not
more than 50 words:
Q. 1. What are the different colours of the bangles?
Ans. The different colours of the
bangles are red, blue, silver, green, yellow, brown, etc. They are of
rainbow-like colours. Bangles are also seen in mixed colours. They are seen in
various shaded colours too. They are also seen in white, silver and black
colour, etc.
Q. 2. Where are the
bangles sold ?
Ans. In different fairs the bangles
are sold. They are also sold by shopkeepers in established shops. Hawkers carry
loads of bangles from house to house
C. WORD POWER :
C.1. Colour
expressions:
Silver and blue is
the mountain mist. We use colour to compare one thing with another thing. Some
common colour expressions are as follows:
a) As red as rose /
blood / beat
(b) As white is show
/ sheet
(c) As black as light
/ coal
(d) As blue as the
sky
Now fill in the
blanks. You can take help from the help box:
Orange, wood, leaf, coal, sky,
snow
(a) Her hair is as
black as Coal
(b) His shirt is as
green as leaf
(c) The ball is as
blue as sky
(d) The paper is as
white is Snow
(e) Her frock is as
orange as orange
(f)His bug is as
brown as wood
C.2.The different
sellers we see around us.
We know that a bangle seller is one who sells bangles.
Now write what the
following persons sell. You can names of other sellers to this list:
(a) Vegetable
sellers- vegetables
(b) Furniture sellers-
furniture
(c) Sweet sellers- sweets
(d) Toy sellers- toys
(e) Utensil sellers- utensils
(f) Book sellers- books
(g) Cloth sellers- clothes
(h) Flower sellers- flowers
(i) Milk sellers-
milk
(j) Tea sellers- Tea
LET'S RHYME:
Q. Find out Rhyming
words from the poem.
Ans. Bright- light, fight, tight, right, kite,
might, night;
Lives- wives, knives;
Wrist –mist, fest,;
Dream –stream, cream, trim.
Cleaves – leaves, achieves.
E. Lets Talk and Write
E.1. Talk in pairs on
bangle sellers.
Hints : Talk in pairs
on Imgle sellers.
E.2. Write five - six sentences about a bangle
seller.
Ans. A Bangle-Seller
A bangle-seller is a
very common figure in our society. He brings loads of colourful bangles on his
head, He moves from house to house selling different types and various colours
of bangles. Happy daughters, happy wives and maidens become happy to see the hawker
selling bangles at their doorsteps. There are established shops too where
bangles are sold at high prices. Hawkers sell them at low price so they are
happily welcomed by happy daughters and happy wives. In fairs, in local markets
and in weekly markets too bangle-sellers can be frequently seen.
F. TRANSLATION:
Translate into
English:
1. चाय कैसे बनाई जाती हैं? How is tea prepared?
2. पानी उबाला जाता है। Water is boiled.
3.चीनी मिलाई जाती है। Sugar is mixed/ added.
4. चाय पत्ती डाली जाती है। Tea leaves are placed.
5. फिर दूध डाला जाता है। Then milk is poured.
G. LANGUAGE GAMES
G.1. Riddles: पहेलियाँ
Children enjoy asking
riddles. Here are some riddles and brain teasers. Solve them and ask your
friends to do the same
1. What starts with
an 'E', ends with an "E" and has only one other letter in it?
2. I look at you,
you look at me, I raise my right, and you raise your left. What's the object?
3. What has to be
broken before it is used?
4. Remove the
outside. Cook the inside. Eat the outside, throw away inside.
5. What do you
throw when you want to use it but take? When you don't need it?
6. Tell me the name
of flower which blooms in rainy and sunny days.
Ans.
1. Eye, 2. Mirror,
3. Egg. 4. Corn 5. Net 6. Umbrella
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