The Bangle Sellers Summary by Sarojini Naidu

Treasure Trove Poems and Short Stories Workbook Answers

The Bangle Sellers Summary by Sarojini Naidu

The Bangle Sellers Summary About the Poet

Sarojini Naidu (13 February 1879 – 2 March 1949), a child prodigy, is also known by the sobriquet, ‘The Nightingale of India.’ She was a prominent Indian poet and a politician. She was a gifted artist, proficient in many languages. She was also the first woman governor of ‘Free India’.

Her poetry presents a Kaleidoscope of Indian feelings, music and imagery. She has basically written on the life of Indian people, beauty of nature, women empowerment and patriotism. Her language is crystal clear.

Sarojini Naidu’s famous works are—The Golden Threshold (1905), The Bird of Time (1912), The Broken Wing . (1917), The Sceptred Flute : Songs of India (1937). The Feather of the Dawn (1961), was published posthumously.

The Bangle Sellers Summary

‘The Bangle Sellers’ was published in her collection, ‘The Bird of Time’. It describes a group of bangle sellers who wander from town to town selling their inventory. The narrator of the poem is a bangle seller, talking about the various kinds of bangles he carries, and about the women of different age groups who buy them. He has beautifully presented the Indian culture, through different shades of the bangles.

The Bangle Sellers Explanation of the Poem

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 first stanza simply states that, a group of bangle sellers are on their way to a temple fair where they expect to get sufficient number of/enough customers for their bangles. They invite the people to buy their ‘shining loads’ i.e., the bangles, which they describe as delicate, bright and multicoloured. They also refer to them as symbols of delight for happy daughters and happy wives. The deep rooted Indian traditions are highlighted through an insight, into the spiritual and symbolic importance of the bangles they carry.

Word Meanings :

1. Shining loads — (Here) bangles
2. Fair — An event where people gather to sell their products
3. Rainbow tinted — Multicoloured
4. Lustrous — Bright and shining
5. Radiant — Delightful, happy

Stanza 2. “Some are meet for a maiden’s writs.
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: In the second stanza, the bangle seller gives a vivid picture of the colours of the bangles which will suit a maiden. He describes the beauty of the bangles through the imagery of lush greenery and blooming ‘ flowers.

He compares the mist in the mountains with the blue and silver bangles. Some colours are like the rosy buds growing on top of a plant along a stream in a forest. Some bangles shine like the clear dew drops on the baby leaves.

Word Meanings:

1. Mist — Thin fog
2. Flushed — (Here) pink or light red colour
3. Tranquil — Quiet; calm; peaceful
4. Brow — Slope
5. Woodland — A small forest
6. Aglow — Shining
7. Cleaves — Sticks; to adhere firmly
8. Limpid — Clear and transparent
9. Glory — Quality of being beautiful

Stanza 3. “Some are like fields of sunlit corn,
Meet for a bride on her bridal morn,
Or, rich with the hue of her heart’s desire,
Tinkling, luminous, tender, and clear,
Like her bridal laughter and bridal tear.”

Explanation: Next, the poet explains that, some of the bangles he is selling are, yellow in colour, like the corn fields brightened by sunlight. These are fit to be worn by a bride on her wedding morning. Some bangles are orangish-red in colour, the shade of the wedding holy fire. The others are deep red in colour, expressing the passion of her heart. They tinkle along when the bride moves.

The bride laughs happily as she is getting married and entering into a life of her dreams, but weeps as she is going to leave her parental abode. Here, the poet talks about the emotional feelings of a bride and a transition of life, from a maiden to a wife.

Word Meanings :

1. Sunlit — Lighted with sunrays
2. Bridal morn — Wedding morning
3. Flame of her of marriage fire — Orangish red colour
4. Hue — A particular shade of a colour
5. Tinkling — Ringing sound
6. Luminous — Bright
7. Tender — Fragile, delicate

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: The last stanza talks about that phase of a woman’s life, when, she as a maiden turned bride, becomes a proud mother and a responsible wife, full of experience and wisdom. These are the middle-aged women who have successfully reached the mid-way of their lives and are now reaping the rewards of their efforts. The bangles of these women are purple and grey, dotted with golden colour, which symbolize maturity. They have reared up their children with utmost love and care and fulfilled all their house-hold duties, and with honour have sit beside their husbands during the religious ceremonies. They have always remained faithful and devoted to their husbands and families.

Word Meanings:

1. Flecked — Dotted
2. Cherish — Care tenderly
3. Cradle — To hold somebody gently

The Bangle Sellers Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
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.

(i) What does the ‘bangle seller” tell about his lot?
(ii) Who are the prospective buyers of the bangles?
(iii) Give the words or phrases used to describe the bangles in the first stanza.
(iv) Explain the meaning of-
(a) shining load (b) rainbow tinted circles of light
(v) Explain the line, ‘Lustrous tokens of radiant lives.
Answer:
(i) The bangle seller says that he, along with the other bangle sellers, is going to the temple fair with his shining load i.e., the lustrous bangles.

(ii) Women of all age group, whether daughters or wives, buy bangles on happy occasions.

(iii) In the first stanza the bangles are described as –
‘shining loads’, ‘delicate, bright’ ‘Rainbow-tinted circles of light’ and ‘Lustrous tokens of radiant lives.’

(iv) (a) Shining load means, the bangles which are sparkling in sunlight.
(b) It refers to the round shaped, multicoloured bangles that glow in sunlight.

(v) The bangles are referred as ‘Lustrous tokens of radiant lives’, which mean ‘bright symbols of shining lives.’ The bangles symbolize the joy and happiness in a girl’s life. Thus, bangles are directly related to the well-being of a family and the cultural tradition of a typical Indian society.

Question 2.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Some are meet for a maiden’s writs.
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.

(i) Give two examples of the simile in the stanza.
(ii) Which coloured bangles do the maidens wear? Describe the comparison.
(iii) On what do the buds dream? What do they dream about?
(iv) Give the meaning of –
(a) flushed
(b) tranquil
(c) woodland
(v) Explain the meaning of ‘Some are aglow ……….. new born leaves.’Name the poet
Answer:
(i) The examples of simile are –
(a) ‘silver and blue as the mountain mist’
(b) ‘flushed like the buds that dream.’

(ii) The maidens wear silver and blue coloured bangles. Here, the silver and blue colour is compared to the mist of the mountains, as it symbolizes the freshness and beauty of the maidens.

(iii) The buds dream on the calm and quiet bank of a river that flows through the woods. They dream of growing up and blossoming into beautiful flowers.

(iv) (a) (here) pink or light red colour
(b) calm
(c) forest

(v) The poet says that, some of the bangles which are suitable for the maiden’s wrist which are green, and glowing like the transparent beauty of the light green baby leaves. The poet is Sarojini Naidu.

Question 3.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Some are like fields of sunlit corn,
Meet for a bride on her bridal morn,
Or, rich with the hue of her heart’s desire,
Tinkling, luminous, tender, and clear,
Like her bridal laughter and bridal tear.

(i) To what is the colour of the bangles worn by a bride on her bridal morning compared? What does it symbolize?
(ii) Which other colours of the bangles are associated with the marriage of a girl?
(iii) Explain the meaning of ‘bridal laughter’ and ‘bridal tear’.
(iv) Give the meaning of
(a) rich with the hue
(b) tinkling
(c) tender
(v) How are the qualities of the bangles similar to the bride’s feelings?
Answer:
(i) On wedding morning, the bride wears golden yellow coloured bangles of the colour of the corn fields, which are brightened by sunlight. The symbolism used here is that of fertility. Mother Nature’s fertility is symbolic of the fertility of a young girl getting married.

(ii) The reddish yellow colour of the bangles is compared to the colour of the wedding’s flame.
The bright red coloured bangles reflect the deep desires in the heart of the bride.

(iii) Marriage is the transition of a girl into a woman through which her mind and heart is filled with multiple emotions.

On one hand, she is happy and passionate about the new relation shown through her smile and laughter. While on the other hand, she carries tears in her eyes as she is sad to leave her parental abode. Thus, she undergoes mixed emotions, which make her to, both, laugh and cry.

(iv) (a) filled with the colour of
(b) ringing sound
(c) fragile, delicate

(v) Both the bangles and the feelings of the bride are ‘Tinkling, luminous, tender and clear’ i.e., both make soft sounds, are glowing, delicate and transparent.

Question 4.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
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.

(i) According to the poet, for whom are the ‘purple and gold flecked grey bangles?’
(ii) Describe how these women spend their lives.
(iii) Discuss the importance of these hands in the progress of human race.
(iv) Give the meaning of-
(a) flecked (b) blest (c) cherished
(v) What is the significance of the woman’s presence by her husband’s side during worship?
Answer:
(i) The purple and golden dotted grey bangles are suitable for the middle-aged women who have gained wisdom and maturity in life.

(ii) The women who have journeyed midway through their lives rearing their children with love and care, now proudly serve their households and work for the welfare of their families.

(iii) These hands have brought up those faithful sons who serve the nation with sincerity and devotion.

(iv) (a) dotted (b) blessed (c) nurtured

(v) Indian society is a society of religious beliefs and traditions. Many prayers require husband-wife to worship together sitting side by side, for the welfare of the family and to yield the desired result. It signifies her respect for the cultural traditions of the society.

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