The Bangle Sellers By Sarojini Naidu
Class 8 English
Summary
The poem “The Bangle Sellers” is written by “Sarojini Naidu”, an English writer in language and style but Indian in thoughts. The poetess in the poem lays emphasis on bangles, their use by different people for different purposes. The bangle sellers are on their way to temple fair to sell their bangles. The poet sings an exciting song while travelling towards temple fair. They invite the people to come and buy delicate, bright and multi-coloured bangles. The poem deals with three stages of Indian women-an unmarried maiden, an expected bride and finally a mature matriarch .This is the age when she has already borne sons and is proud of her life as she supports her husband, be it in life or when worshipping the household gods.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Qno1: Who is the speaker in the poem?
Ans: The speaker in the poem is one of the bangle sellers.
Qno2: How are the bangles described in the first stanza of the poem and who are these bangles for?
Ans: The bangles described here are delicate and bright. They look like rainbow-tinted circles of light. These bangles are for happy daughters and happy wives.
Qno3: The poet uses different similes for bangle. What are these?
Ans: The similes in the poem are as under:
● Silver and blue as the mountain mist. ● Flushed like the buds that dream. ● Like fields of sunlit corn.
● Like the flame of her marriage fire.
● Like her bridal laughter and bridal tear.
Qno4: Name the different colours of bangles mentioned in the poem? What do these colours represent?
Ans: The different colours mentioned in the poem are:-
Silver, blue, golden and rainbow-tinted. These colours represent different stages in the life of a woman.
Qno5: The word “some” has been repeated in the poem for a purpose. What is it?
Ans: “Some” has been used to create a poetic effect & it has also been used to emphasize the different bangles that are for different people and for different purposes.
Qno6: Explain the following lines:
Some are meet for maiden’s wrist
Silver and blue as the mountain mist
Ans. In these lines the poet wants to say that some bangles are suitable and proper for the unmarried girls. The poet further says that silver and blue coloured bangles are usually preferred by the young girls in order to beautify themselves as the blue mountains are beautified by the silver-coloured mist enveloping them.
Poetic Devices
a)Rhyme: A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds(usually, the exact same sound) in the final stressed syllables (and any following syllables) of two or more words.
b)Rhyme Scheme: A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of a poem or song. It is usually referred to by using letters to indicate which lines rhyme; lines designed with the same letter all rhyme with each other.
The rhyme scheme of the poem is:
aabbcc:ddeeff:gghhii:jjkkll.
(couplet rhyme)
Rhyme Scheme of each stanza is
aa bb cc
c)Simile: A Simile is a literary device that makes a comparison , showing similarities between two different things unlike a metaphor, a simile draws resemblance with the help of the words “like” , “as” , “with”, or verbs like resembles” , “look like” , “be similar to” etc. A simile is different from a metaphor. A metaphor compares two things by saying that one thing is only said to be like the other thing.
e.g.: He runs like a horse.
Her dance was as smooth as a flowing river.
Examples from the Poem
The similes in the poem are as under:
● Silver and blue as the mountain mist. ● Flushed like the buds that dream. ● Like fields of sunlit corn.
● Like the flame of her marriage fire.
● Like her bridal laughter and bridal tear.
Imagery:-Imagery means using figurative language to represent objects, actions and ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses. The different types of imagery are:-
a)Visual: It stimulates our sense of sight and creates visual images in our mind. It pertains to graphics visual scenes, or pictures e.g.: She ran through the dark, gloomy passage until she could see the exit.
The iced branches shed ‘crystal shells’
b)Auditory Imagery: It stimulates our sense of hearing and creates images of sounds in our mind.
e.g.: The children were screaming and yelling in the fields.
The rumbling sound of clouds indicated start of monsoon.
c) Olfactory Imagery: It stimulates our sense of smell and creates images of aromas in our mind.
e.g.: I was awakened by the strong smell of a freshly brewed coffee.
She smelled the scent of sweet hibiscus wafting through the oil.
d) Tactile Imagery: It stimulates our sense of touch. It concerns physical touches and textures.
e.g.: Sarah placed her bare hand on the cold snow.
The girl ran her hands on a soft satin scarf.
e) Kinesthetic Imagery: It pertains to movements or the sense of bodily motion.
e.g.: Tossing their heads is sprightly dance.
If you have any doubt please let me know