what are the qualities/characteristics of the bangles as reflected here ?
Answers
Explanation:
Long Answer Questions
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.
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.
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.
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.