Question

What are the different stages of a woman's life that the poem highlights?pick out word from the poem that suggest these stages

Answer 1

According to the poem "The Bangle Sellers," by Sarojini Naidu, there are three stages in a woman's life. These three stages are differentiated in the last three stanzas of the poem, while the first stanza introduces us to the idea and running metaphor of the poem, the bangles.

The second stanza tells us about the first stage of a woman's life: maidenhood. This is the period of life before marriage. This stanza is characterized by the dreaminess that young women have as they prepare for their lives as brides and wives.

Some are flushed like the buds that dream
On the tranquil brow of a woodland stream
This quote is a description of a bangle that a maiden might wear, being "flushed" like buds that dream. This is representative of the blossoming nature of a young woman as she becomes an adult.

The third stanza tells us about the second stage of a woman's life: becoming a bride. This is the period of life when a woman transitions from youth to adulthood, as she is finally recognized in society as a wife, and thus part of the head of a household.

Some, like the flame of her marriage fire,
Or, rich with the hue of her heart's desire,
Tinkling, luminous, tender, and clear,
Like her bridal laughter and bridal tear.
This quote tells us of the bangles a marrying woman might wear, "rich" with desire and "tender" like the bride herself. These words have more passionate connotations, suggesting the woman has grown and is having her maidenhood dreams fulfilled.

The last stanza tells us about the final stage of a woman's life: being a mother. This stanza is characterized by references to a woman who cares for sons, serves the household, and "worships the gods at her husband's side." The bangles this woman would wear are "purple and gold flecked grey" to represent a long and fulfilling life (where the grey represents age and the purple and gold represent the riches of a good life).

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

In her poem The Bangle Sellers the poet Sarojini Naidu has expressed her conception of Indian women in a traditional social set up. She has presented three stages of woman life here to show the changes in the life of a woman with regard to the colour of her bangles.

In the second stanza she talks about the maiden, an unmarried girl. A maiden wears silver and blue coloured bangles like ‘mountain mist’, sometimes pink and light red bangles like the ‘flushed buds’ and sometimes her bangles are brightly glowing. She is ‘flushed like the buds that dream’ indicating her chastity and her dreaming about marriage.

The next stanza of the poem is about her transition from a maiden to a wife. It’s her ‘bridal morn’ with ‘bridal laughter and bridal tear’. In this stage, the yellow bangles like ‘fields of sunlit corn’ and red bangles like ‘the flame of her marriage fire’ are most suitable for her. This stage of a woman’s life represent the passion of a newly made relation. ‘Bridal laughter and bridal tear’ expresses all the emotions attached with this transition in a girl’s life.

Finally, it is the middle aged woman ‘who has journeyed through life midway’. She wears bangles that are ‘purple and gold flecked grey’. She has reared her children with love and care. All she is concerned with now is her household, her family. She serves those with pride, ‘worships the gods‘ together with her husband and continues to live a happy life.