The Bangle Sellers Questions And Answers – ICSE Class 9, 10 English Literature
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1.“Bangle sellers are we who bear
Our shining loads to the temple fair. “
A. Who is the speaker?
B. What do they bear?
C. Why do they visit only temple fairs?
ANSWER
The above lines are taken from the poem The Bangle Sellers by the nightingale of India, Sarojini Naidu. The speaker seems to be one among the many bangle sellers, representing every one of them as they do the same job WI the same purpose. They intend to make a trade for their bangles at the temple fair.
They bear multi coloured bangles and the temple fair is the perfect place for their trade since people of all ages visit the temple fair. And they could have good trade since the fair takes place once in a year and families with wives and daughters might buy bangles in their happy spree. And normally a fair is a crowded place too. The bangle sellers try their luck there. It would yield a profit equal to a yearlong walk through the streets yelling bangles. Sarojini Naidu picturises Indian cultural tradition too which connects the emotions of the people closest to it. The importance and role of bangles in an Indian woman’s life and the different stages of her life also get reflected in this poem.
2. What do you think the main idea of the poem is?
ANSWER
The main idea of the poem is the feminine beauty of Indian women and the cultural rituals they are closely linked to. It is an attempt to represent the stages of a woman’s life and the traditions she follows in a typical Indian society at her times.it is also about how she is emotionally attached to the objects like bangles and how these delicate bangles show the transition from a young girl to a woman. It has been an undeniable presence on the wrists of every Indian woman. The poet assigns different colours to suit to special occasions and to different ages. They are not mere ornaments. They are part of their identity. Bangles reflect happiness.
3. Why are bangles called lustrous tokens of radiant lives?
ANSWER
Indian culture has a unique tradition of wearing bangles at some occasions of joy in a woman’s life. People buy bangles for their daughters and wives either for making them happy or as a symbol of their love and care marking a special occasion in their lives. Be it a teen, bride or a mother, it sets different meanings. It definitely adds colour to their lives. Bangles represent a life lived by a woman. It shows how happy and fruitful were their lives. The absence of bangles makes their life dry and isolated.
4. Why does the poet use the expression “delicate bright rainbow-tinted colours of light”?
ANSWER
Sarojini Naidu, in her most beautiful poem, the bangle sellers, brilliantly sketches how the lives of Indian women are closely linked to traditions and rituals. Women are normally
perceived as delicate and less like men who are symbols of strength. The feelings and emotions of women too are way delicate and tender. Their minds do not travel much out of the corridors of their house. The poet hints at a society where women were considered more as an object of beauty and reared by brothers’ fathers and husbands with compassion Those men make their sisters, mothers and wives happy, thinking them to be too delicate to handle the rough edges of life.
5. Which colour does the poet suggest for the maiden and why?
ANSWER
The poem the bangle Sellers celebrates feminine beauty. The poet, through bangles, observes that it has become an unavoidable part in the life of a woman. Bangles can’t be done away with from a woman’s life. There are different colours for different age groups and occasions. For example, the poet in the second stanza, suggests that for a young lady, silver hue would suffice because it is a symbol of purity. The purity of the maidens is compared to snow-white bangles. The bangle they wear looks similar to the mountain mist. It suggests that these young ladies are as pure as morning dew and their bangles proclaim it to the world. It also indicates their chastity and their dreams, and expectations of their future life. It hints the carefree nature just like a blooming bud. The poet suggests that maidens are advised to wear a blue and silvery coloured bangle or pink coloured ones reflecting a blooming bud besides a woodland stream or wear a bright coloured one just like a blooming that excels the beauty of new-born green leaves. Dewdrops also suggest beauty and freshness.
6. Some are like fields of sunlit corn
Meet for a bride on her bridal morn.
………
Explain the above lines.
ANSWER
The poet highlights the Indian tradition and culture through these lines. The Hindu ritual of wedding needs the presence of a fire. She says that some bangles are just red like the flame of marriage eve. It indicates the desire of the heart of the bride and her passions for a future life. The bride has in her mind, both excitement and grief. She is excited because she is moving on to a new life with her partner. She feels sad because she has to leave her parents and relatives back and live separated from them. The bangles hence mark the transition from maidenhood to womanhood.
7. Explain the lines given below
“Some are purple and gold.”
ANSWER
Sarojini Naidu weaves her lines in tune with Indian culture and traditions. Bangles play a vital role in the life of Indian women. It depicts the various feelings, emotions and moods. It makes them good looking and joyous. Be it a maiden, a bride or a middle-aged woman. A middle-aged woman after fulfilling all her duties deserves to wear such golden tinted bangles. She has reared her sons and looked after her husband and relatives with dedication. They seem to do a divine duty, along with their household duties, they fulfil the dues to Gods along with their husbands. They remain extremely faithful.
8. Explain the phrase ‘fruitful pride’
ANSWER
The middle-aged woman who has fulfilled their obligations feels that they have fruitfully fulfilled their duties and their lives have not gone in vain as they have mothered sons thus upholding a proud legacy. These women feel proud to be mothers of sons, since in India, giving birth to sons is considered something special at that time. She also devotes her time to worship God, along with her husband. And household chores to her resonates with religiosity. The purple and golden tints show the maturity of these women.
9. Specify the poetic techniques used by the poet.
ANSWER
The poet has abundantly used poetic devices to make the poem more charming. They are similes, metaphors, alliteration, imagery, and symbols.
Simile
Comparing two similar things using’ as’ and ‘like ‘is termed as a simile.
Ex. Silver and blue as the mountain mist
Some are flushed like the buds
that dream
Some are like
the fields of sunlit corn Some are like the flame of her marriage fire
Like get bridal laughter and
bridal tear.
Metaphors
Comparing two distinctively different things sharing a point of similarity is termed as a metaphor. They are
indirect similes.
Example
Rainbow tinted circles if light
The bangles are compared to a
circle of light glowing with different colours.
Alliteration
Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of a word
Example. The hue of her heart’s desire.
Imagery.
There are plenty of visual and auditory images. They are word pictures.
Example
Fire, sunlit corn, rainbow,
mountain mist etc
Auditory image Tinkling
Symbols
The poet symbols too. For example, silver and blue bangles are symbols of
purity. Red bangles symbolize the passion of the married life.
Rhyming words lend the poem a rhythmic quality.
Example morn corn, fire, desire,
leaves cleaves etc.