The Bangle Sellers Synopsis and Important Questions

SYNOPSIS

The poem ‘Bangle Sellers’ is written by Sarojini Naidu. She is known as the Nightingale
of India. There is a vivid lyrical quality in her poetry, a specimen of Indian culture and
tradition. She has also celebrated womanhood with this poem. She has written many
poems and folk songs which describe the glory of our traditions and customs. This
poem is a fine example of Naidu’s colour, imagery and music in the verses. It shows
how bangles have played an important part in not only adorning any woman but also
are symbolic to different stages of their lives.

Whenever one speaks about bangles, a picture of beautiful, lustrous, coloured circles
comes to mind. Every girl and woman would want to adorn herself with these fancy and
beautiful objects. They have always played an important role in the lives of Indian
women. Bangles are used in different traditions as offerings to women as part of our
culture.

The poetess indicates varied shades of bangles worn in various stages in the life of a
woman.

Bangle sellers carry shining bangles to the temple fair to sell them. The temple fair
portrays a picture of Indian culture and tradition. Many daughters and wives visit this
place, and thus, bangle sellers would find prospective buyers. In this way, the poetess is
trying to link our cultural heritage with spiritual conviction. The sellers are calling people
to buy delicate, bright and rainbow-coloured bangles. These bangles are symbolic of the
shine, brightness and radiance in the lives of women. They adorn the beauty of all
happy daughters and happy wives. This is also an indication that the bangle sellers take
a lot of pride in their work.

Moving further, the poetess has started describing stages in a woman’s life. She begins
with a maiden who is at a tender age, unmarried and is similar to a bud that is about to
bloom. Silver and blue bangles are best suited to a maiden’s wrist. The silver and blue
bangles appear like the mist on the mountain. Some bangles are flushed red like a
budding flower that is about to bloom just like how a young unmarried girl is dreaming
about her future and marriage. These buds are about to blossom on the quiet and calm
banks of a stream surrounded by woods and forests. Some bangles are shining green
like the newborn tender leaves. The freshness and tenderness of the leaves are like a
maiden who has fresh thoughts and beliefs. These bangles are appropriate for a
maiden as they relate to a maiden’s personality.

The next important stage in a woman’s life is about the time when she is getting
married. It is the moment when she becomes a bride and is going to start a new chapter
in her life. This vital moment is carefully noted and remarked by the poetess. She
continues the description of the colours of bangles. The bangle sellers in the poem are
stating that some bangles that are yellowish golden like the colour of ripped corn under
the shining sun. This shine resembles the glow a girl has on the morning of her wedding
day. Some bangles are a mixture of red and orange just like the flame of fire which
plays an important element in the marriage ceremony. These colours resemble the
purity of the marriage fire and that of the bride. These bright bangles are absolutely
suitable for a bride. She also wears these bangles as they are rich in colour just as her
heart’s desire. These bangle tinkle, shine and appear spectacular just like a bride. It is
said that a girl looks the best when she becomes a bride. Her emotions and feelings are
reflected in her grace. These bangles add extra glitter to the bride who has paradoxical
feelings on the day of her marriage. She is happy to start a new life with her husband
and her new family; however, the sadness of leaving her maternal home brings tears to
her eyes.

The next stage of a woman’s life is when she is taking care of her household. Therefore,
finally the poetess describes the bangles worn by a middle-aged woman. She wears
bangles that are gold-flecked grey and purple. She has lived half of her life and is
involved in her household activities. She is showering love and happiness on everyone
in her house. She is bringing up her kids very well and taking care of them. These
bangles are for her who has led her family life with pride as she has fulfilled all her
duties towards her husband and children. Such a woman is grateful to God while
worshipping beside her husband.

It is clear from the above description that the poetess has commented on different and
significant periods of a woman’s life and associated them with the colour of bangles that
she wears. The tone of the poem is very playful and lively. It can either be the pains of a
bangle seller or the idea of patriarchy, both are communicated with an optimistic
approach describing and celebrating the essence of womanhood.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is being referred to as ‘shining loads’? Who is bearing them?

Ans. The bundle of brightly coloured bangles is referred to as shining loads.
The bangles are a sign of happiness and brightness in a woman’s life. The
bangle sellers are carrying this load to the temple fair for selling them to
women of all age groups.

2. Where are the bangle sellers trying to sell these bangles? Whom are they
calling to buy them?
Ans. The bangle sellers are the speakers in the poem. These are the people
who carry the bangles to sell them at the temple fair. They call out to their
prospective buyers who are women of all age groups to buy their
rainbow-coloured circles of light. They are happy to do so as they are aware
that these bangles are a token of happiness for a woman.

3. List the words used to represent the bangles.

Ans. The bangle sellers are the speakers in this poem. They are selling the
bangles at a temple fair to women of all age groups. They refer to the bangles
as ‘lustrous circles of radiant life’ which means that the bangles are symbolic of
a bright life. They call the bangles as ‘delicate, bright rainbow-tinted circles’ as
they are colourful. They also call the bangles as ‘shining load’ addressing the
lustre it will add to a woman’s life.

4. What do we understand from the line ‘tranquil brow of a woodland stream’?

Ans. The poetess has described bangles worn by a woman in different stages
of her life. She has related the beauty and simplicity of a maiden with buds that
are about to blossom.
An unmarried girl wears bangles of the colour of blooming buds that are
growing near the calm stream flowing in the woods.

5. Explain ‘limpid glory of newborn leaves’.

Ans. The poetess Sarojini Naidu has described the colour of bangles worn by
a maiden. She has compared the freshness and purity of a young girl with that
of newborn leaves. She remarks that they wear shining green bangles whose
freshness is close to the vivid beauty of newborn tender leaves which look like
a transparent green glass sheet.

6. Why are silver and blue colours compared to the mountain’s mist?
Ans. According to the poetess, the bangles of maidens are always new and
bright. They are pure and untouched which look extremely beautiful around
their wrists. They usually produce silver and blue reflections similar to those of
the mountain mist that makes the mountain look like the hands of a lady
decorated with silver and blue bangles.

7. What do we understand from the phrases ‘bridal laughter’ and ‘bridal tear’?
Ans. As the poetess describes different stages in a woman's life, she also
remarks about the emotions of a bride on the day of her marriage. The words
'bridal laughter' and 'bridal tear' suggest the emotional feelings of a bride. She
laughs as she is going to start a new life, but, at the same time, she sheds
tears as she has to leave her parent's house to live with her husband and
in-laws.

8. Name and explain the figure of speech used in the line ‘Like her bridal laughter
and bridal tear’.
Ans. Simile. Two objects or things of different kinds having common qualities
are compared with each other using words such as 'like' and 'as'.

9. Which figurative language is used in the line ‘Who will buy these delicate,
bright rainbow-tinted circles of light?’
Ans. Metaphor. It is a figure of speech in which two different objects are
compared with each other but the comparison is implied.
10. What is the idea behind the phrase ‘fruitful pride’?
Ans. The poetess uses the phrase to refer to the middle-aged woman who
fulfils all her duties. A woman has been a caring daughter, loving bride,
responsible wife and mother. She has carried out all her responsibilities with
perfection, and she feels proud of her performance of household duties.
Considering this, the poetess has mentioned the phrase 'fruitful pride' for the
middle-aged woman.

Long Answer Questions

1. The poem 'The Bangle Sellers’ is a celebration of womanhood. Explain.

Ans. In the poem 'The Bangle Sellers’, the poetess is trying to convince
readers of the spiritual and symbolic importance of bangles in Indian culture.
The poem glorifies the idea of Indian womanhood. The poetess has described
every stage of womanhood associating it with the colour of bangles worn by
women in these stages.
She begins describing the journey of womanhood right from the young and
tender age when the maiden wears bangles of silver, blue, pink and shining
green colours. These bangles are symbolic of freshness, beauty and purity of a
young unmarried girl.
The next vital stage described by the poetess is about the day when a girl
becomes a bride. She wears bangles that are red, golden and rich coloured.
These are symbolic of her heart’s desire and hopes that she has for her new
life.
A middle-aged woman is the one who has fulfilled all her responsibilities and
duties with pride. She wears bangles that are purple and gold-flecked grey
depicting the journey that she has completed midway. She has been a dutiful
daughter, a happy bride, a faithful wife and a caring mother. She takes care of
her household and family with fulfilment and contentment.
Thus, the poetess has beautifully connected the rainbow-tinted bangles to
celebrate the beauty and meaning of womanhood.
2. How do bangles play an important role in Indian tradition?
Ans. The poem 'The Bangle Sellers’ is written by poetess Sarojini Naidu. She
is known as the Nightingale of India. She is renowned for her observation,
narration and simple depiction of Indian culture. In this poem, she has
indicated the importance of bangles in the traditional Indian setup and has also
discussed different stages of a woman’s life by associating it with the colours of
bangles worn during these stages. The bangle sellers take pride in their work
and are selling them at a temple fair. They are carrying loads of these bangles
so that they are able to sell them to women of all ages. They also understand
the importance of bangles in Indian tradition. It is a token of happiness and
goodness in the lives of married women and young daughters. The bangles
are meant for daughters and wives who are delighted to possess them. By
repeating the word ‘happy’, the poetess has tried to show that bangles can
make both daughters and wives equally happy. Therefore, bangles play an
important role not only in adorning a woman but also in showing that she is
leading a happy and blessed life.

3. State the colour of the bangles worn by a maiden and also specify what they
symbolise.
Ans. According to the poetess, a young maiden symbolises purity and
freshness. The youth in them shines and the light attracts everybody’s attention
towards them. So, they should wear bangles that complement their beauty and
freshness. Therefore, the poetess advises that maidens wear bangles of silver
and blue colours symbolic to the mountain mist. She adds that some bangles
are pink and reddish like the colour of blooming buds growing along a silent
river that flows through the forest. She also mentions that the beauty of an
unmarried girl is pure and untouched. It is just like a newborn leaf; hence, she
can also wear bangles of shining green colour symbolic to transparent green
newborn leaves.

4. In what way does the poetess associate specific bangles with a bride?
Ans. The bride on her wedding day wears red and orange bangles which
resemble the colour of the flame of the marriage fire. The flame is very
important in a bride's life as she takes marriage vows with her groom around
the fire. This is a sign of purity which is common in both fire and bride. The
flames similar to the colour of the bangles symbolise the flames of love in
marriage. Apart from these, the bride also wears yellow and golden bangles
that suggest the joyful prospect of a new phase of her life that is about to start.
The poetess remarks that some colours of the bangles are meant for the bride
as she wears ornaments of gold. So, to complement the jewellery, she wears
bangles of gold colour just like the colour of corn when sun rays fall on it.

5. Which bangles are suitable for a middle-aged woman? Why?

Ans. The middle-aged woman has lived half of her life and fulfilled her duties
properly. She has been taking care of her household, children, husband and
family. She has come through many hurdles but now is leading a life full of
pride as she has successfully played multiple roles and duties of a woman.
According to the poetess, purple and grey bangles symbolise the maturity that
comes as one gets to experience and establish oneself in society. So, purple
and gold-flecked grey bangles are suitable for middle-aged women as they are
totally different from maidens and brides. It is also completely relevant to this
stage of womanhood. With the beautiful use of colour imagery, the poetess is
successful in raising the feeling of happiness and fulfilment in this stage of a
woman's life.

6. Discuss the appropriateness of the title of the poem.

Ans. The poem 'The Bangle Sellers’ by Sarojini Naidu is a folk song that
celebrates the values and virtues of Indian womanhood with the help of strings
of images associated with different colours of bangles. The bangles are not just
an ornament to be worn but a symbolic representation of various stages in the
life of a typical Indian woman. There are four stanzas in the poem. The first
stanza is about the bangle sellers who are narrating and trying to sell bangles
in the temple fair. They understand that the bangles are a token of happiness
for an Indian woman and therefore are happy to do their job. The remaining
stanzas define three different and significant stages in a woman's life and the
bangles that she wears in these stages. The tone of the poem is joyful and
lively. Each stanza conveys a sense of fulfilment as narrated by the bangle
sellers; therefore, the title is completely appropriate for this poem.

7. How has the poetess focused on the significant stages in a woman’s life?
Ans. In the poem 'The Bangle Sellers’, the poetess has celebrated
womanhood by discussing the different stages in a woman's life by associating
it with the colour of the bangles that she wears in these stages. She has also
described the emotional states of a woman during these significant stages.
These stages are described as follows:
First, the poetess talks about a maiden. She suggests that the blooming beauty
of her growing age is similar to the silver and blue bangles like the mist of a
mountain. She says that pink and shining green bangles are also suitable for a
maiden, describing her freshness, innocence and untouched purity.
The next vital stage in a girl's life is the day when she becomes a bride. On her
bridal morning, she wears bangles that are yellow just like the corn under sun
rays. She also wears bangles that are red and orange resembling the flame of
her marriage fire around which she will take vows with her groom. The
similarity between the flame and the bride is about its purity and the idea of
love.
Finally, the poetess has described a middle-aged woman who wears purple
and gold-flecked bangles. Here, a woman has come through her life halfway
and is taking care of her household with pride. She has cherished, loved,
blessed and cradled her sons. She has taken care of her household and sits at
her husband's side while worshipping God. This describes the completeness of
a woman with a sense of being blessed and happy.

8. Explain Sarojini Naidu’s brilliant use of colourful imagery.

Ans. The poem 'The Bangle Sellers’ is written by poetess Sarojini Naidu who is
renowned for the colour imagery and lyrical quality of her poetry. In the poem,
Sarojini Naidu has presented vibrant colours of bangles worn by Indian girls
and women of different age groups. She has not only remarked about the
colours of the bangles worn by Indian women but has also celebrated
womanhood describing emotions faced by them in the different stages of life.
The colours of the bangles worn by the women also resemble their state of
mind at that particular time of their life. The poetess is successful in creating
the feeling of happiness and joy in the mind of the reader through the use of
colourful imagery which demonstrates her expertise in its use when writing
poetry.

9. 'The Bangle Sellers’ is based on the idea of a traditional Indian setup. It also
discusses patriarchy. Discuss how.
Ans. The poem 'The Bangle Sellers’ is written by Sarojini Naidu. It is a folk
song that celebrates Indian womanhood with a lot of picturisation and the
proper use of colour imagery. It describes the Indian traditional setup where
bangles play an important role in bringing happiness to society and preserving
the eternal cultural tradition. The poem discusses the major stages in a
woman's life as the bangle sellers are trying to convince prospective buyers to
buy these bangles. In all of these stages, a woman is considered either a
happy daughter or a happy wife or a mother. Every phase she passes is
referred to by a man in her life as a father, husband or son. It has limited her
existence and showed a sign of patriarchy. It describes the position of women
in an era when it was written, thus showing patriarchy. These roles are still
played by a woman, but women are empowered unlike in the earlier times.