THE BANGLE SELLERS ICSE Class IX and X poem notes, explanation with symbolism...

 THE BANGLE SELLERS ICSE Class IX and X poem notes, explanation with symbolism...

INTRODUCTION...

The bangle sellers is a beautiful poem describing an Indian women's life, her cultural background and traditions along with significant stations in her life. The backdrop of the poem is typically Indian with the lively picture of a village fair near the temple where the bangle sellers sell their lovely bangles and in the process, the poet presents the lively life of the Indian women. Sarojini Naidu celebrates the values and virtues of the Indian womenhood with the help of a string of images associated with different colours of bangles.

PARAPHRASE...

Verse 1-

In the beginning of the poem the hardships of the bangle sellers is shown who are spreading happiness despite of carrying heavy loads. He tries to convince the buyers by telling the traditional and spiritual importance of his bangles. He carries the "shiny loads" to the temple fair. He chose this place as a lot many women come in temples to worship God. In the first stanza the bangles are delicate bright and rainbow coloured. The multicoloured bangles are symbolic of bright radiant lives of "happy daughters" and "happy wives" that is linked to the happiness of daughters and wives. These bangles symbolise hopes, dreams, youthfulness and aspirations, of young girls. The bangle sellers uses a joyful voice and presents his wares as "lustrous tokens" or tokens of happiness.The figure of speech used here is metaphor in which comparison between two different things is implied but not clearly stated. In this stanza "rainbow tinted circles of light" and "lustrous tokens of radiant lives" are examples of metaphor. Another figure of speech used in this verse is imagery in the phrase "rainbow tinted circles of light".

Verse 2-

In this stanza the bangle sellers give an account of the bangles which are suitable for maiden's wrist. Silver and blue coloured bangles which are like the blue sky and blue mist on a huge mountain suggesting the freshness of a young beautiful girl who has just started her life as a maiden. The visual imagery of mountain mist is also very profound as the mist on the mountains can be appreciated with it's changing colour which is sometimes silver and sometimes blue. Some bangles are glowing like the buds that are going to bloom on the "tranquil brow of woodland stream" that is on a quiet and peaceful land which is covered with trees and bushes. Some bangles are like glowing flowers or like the "limpid glory of a newborn leaves" that is like the clear dew drops on a newborn leaf. All these colours of bangles - blue and silver coloured bangles like the blue and silver mist of mountain , shades of pink of yet to blossom flowers and the clear dew drops on new born leaves are symbolic of the freshness and the beauty of young maidens. All these bangles - mist like , bud like and flower like are suitable for unmarried girls.

Verse 3 -

In this stanza the bangle sellers describe the bangles which are suitable for a bride on her bridal morning. Some of these bangles are like the fields of corn that is golden and yellow coloured bangles. The corn fields are a proof of mother nature's fertility symbolic of the fertility of a young girl getting married. Some bangles are like the reddish yellow flame of the marriage which connotes to the sacredness of marriage as their colour that is reddish yellow is like the holy fire around which the bride takes marriage vows with her groom. Not only this , even the bangles are rich with the colour of "her heart's desire" that is red. These bangles are tinkling that is they produce sound like a small bell , luminous that is shiny, tender and clear as the happiness and sorrow that a bride experiences. Happiness of starting a new life and sorrow that accompanies a bride while leaving her parental abode. They symbolises dreams and hopes of newly wedded bride and are symbolic of bride's flame of desire and ecstasy tinkling with various colours. In this stanza the figure of speech used is simile. In the lines " Tinkling, luminous, tender and clear like her bridal laughter and bridal tear." tinkling of the bangles is compared to a young bride's laughter and the luminosity of the bangles is linked to her tears. Another example of simile in the stanza is reflected in the lines " Some are like fields of sunlit corn..." In these lines a comparison is made between the yellow corn fields, bathed in sunlight and the yellow coloured bangles. Another figure of speech used in this stanza is alliteration that is repetition of consonant sounds for example repitition of 'S' and 'b' sound in these lines...

     Some are like fields of sunlit corn,

     Meet for bride on her bridal morn..

Verse- 4 

In the last stanza, the bangle sellers say that they possess some purple and gold coloured bangles with gold colour sprinkled over grey colour. These bangles are suitable for a mother who has cherished, loved, blessed and cradled her sons and for a wife who takes care of her husband and sits at her husband's side while worshipping. These grey bangles with the sprinkle of golden colour symbolises her old age and a little touch of Golden symbolises the happiness, pride of a matured lady who has provided her children love, shelter and warmth on her faithful breast and always kept them close to her heart and now as she has fulfilled all her duties efficiently she focuses on the rituals and with a pride serves her household. Purple colour which indicates power, authority ,pride and dignity and gold flecked grey is more of a sober colour which indicates experience and wisdom. Thus, the women wearing purple bangles has gained maturity, reared all her children with love and at last has achieved the fullness of her role as a wife and mother. In the last stanza one comes to know that the maiden turned bride has now experienced all aspects of being a woman. Therefore, this stanza has an air of pride etched in it. That is why the colours tution for her bangles purple and gold. The specks of grey add the touch of maturity that comes with age. The last stanza sums up Sarojini Naidu's idea of perfect Indian woman. She is not only a mother whose greatness and glory is stressed but an equal partner in the maintenance of family relationships.

CONCLUSION...

The poet has beautifully employed the device of symbolism and imagery in the poem. Due to it the poem has become a lively picture of Indian village fair where the bangle sellers are selling the bangles enthusiastically as well as the women are seeing and enjoying the bangles. It also highlightes happy and peaceful life without any touch of materialism to make their existence alive, worth living with tranquil pleasure