Poem: The Bangle-Sellers (Sarojini Naidu)

Central Idea:: The central idea of the poem "The Bangle Sellers" by Sarojini Naidu revolves
around the cultural and emotional significance of bangles in the lives of Indian women. The
poem illustrates the various stages of a woman's life through the colors and types of
bangles she wears. Each stanza highlights different phases, from the vibrant and lively
bangles for young maidens, to the delicate and auspicious ones for brides, and finally, to
the mature and sober bangles for older women. Through this, the poem celebrates the
traditional role of bangles as symbols of femininity, beauty, and social customs in Indian
society.

Summary
The poem “The Bangle Sellers” has been written by Sarojini Naidu. It was first published in
the year 1912 in her collection of poems called ‘The Bird of Time’ . The poem is narrated by
bangle sellers who are offering their colourful bangles to customers in a fair. They carry
their “Shining loads,” representing the heaviness of life upon them. It is made clear that
they know that a temple fair is where they get to meet women of every age. The sellers
describe the various types of bangles they have and the different stages of life they are
associated with, from maidenhood to womanhood to motherhood.
In the first stanza of the poem, the bangle sellers are introduced and the poem describes
their everyday life as well. The bangle sellers are present at the temple fair to make a trade
for their bangles and are calling out to people to buy them. They are praising the qualities of
the bangle. They are intending the people to buy for their daughters and wives. The bangle
sellers say that these bangles promise happy lives to the wearer and are tokens of happy
lives and happy marriages.
In the second stanza, the bangle sellers are talking about the different kinds of bangles
that they have which cater to different types of women. Some of these bangles are suited
for a maiden’s wrist (unmarried girl) and they are silver and blue in colour. Here silver and
blue colours are compared to the mountain mist and they represent the freshness and the
beauty of young maidens. Some bangles are light red and pink in colour just like life-tender
flower buds that are found blossoming along a woodland stream. In this stanza, ‘Buds that
dreams’ presents an image of young girls who are dreaming of marriage. The bangles
sellers also have some green-coloured bangles which are compared to the ‘new born
leaves’ because such leaves are pure and fresh The maidens like the new born leaves or
dew drops are pure, fresh and are yet to see the world.

In the third stanza, the bangles sellers say that they have some yellow-coloured bangles
that look like fields of sunlit corn. Here bangles are compared to ‘fields of sunlit corn’
because those bangles are suitable for a bride on the day of her wedding when she needs
to look the prettiest and the brightest of all. The bangle, sellers also have some flame-
coloured bangles such as red and orange that represent the passion, desire and wishes of
the bride. Here, bridal laughter means the joy of starting a new life with her husband while
bridal tear means the sorrow of separation from her parents. The poet has compared bridal
laughter and bridal laughter and bridal tears with the tinkling, luminous, tender and clear.
Bangles which seems to express her joy and sorrow well. This stanza depicts the transition
of life from a maiden to a wife.
In the last stanza, the bangle sellers continue to advertise their bangles and say that
they have some purple and gold-flecked, grey bangles. These bangles are suitable for a
woman who has journeyed through life and has reached the mid-point of her life. These are
for a woman who remained faithful to her husband, supported him and has effectively
reared her sons. In this stanza purple colour symbolizes pride, the gold- fleck represents
honour and authority whereas grey symbolizes wisdom and maturity.

Textual question:
1. Who is the speaker in the poem?
Ans. The Bangle Seller is the speaker of the poem.

2. How are the bangles described in the first stanza of the poem and who are
these bangles for?
Ans. In the first stanza the bangles are described as lustrous, shining loads, rainbow-
coloured, delicate, and bright for happy daughters and happy wives.

2. The poet uses different similes for the bangles. What are these?

Ans. The similes used for the bangles are -

• Silver and blue as the mountain mist
• Some are flushed like the buds that dream
• Some are like fields of sunlit corn
• Some like the flame of her marriage fire

3. Name the different colours of bangles mentioned in the poem? What do These
colours stand for?

1. Silver and Blue: These bangles are suitable for maidens, symbolizing purity and
innocence, like the mist on a mountain.
2. Sunlit Corn Color: These bangles are meant for brides on their wedding day,
reflecting the golden glow of sunlit cornfields.
3. Purple and Gold-Flecked Grey: These bangles symbolize wisdom, dignity, and
the experiences of a woman who has journeyed through life midway

5.The word some has been repeated in the poem for a purpose. What is it?
Ans. In the poem, the repetition of the word “some” emphasizes the variety and
diversity of bangles being sold by the bangle sellers. Each type of bangle is unique,
catering to different tastes and occasions.

6.Explain the following lines:

Some are meant for a maiden’s wrist,

Silver and blue as the mountain mist
The above lines have been taken from the poem “The Bangle Sellers” written by Sarojini
Naidu. These lines describe the type of bangles that are considered suitable for a young
woman's wrist. They are Silver and Blue in colour like the mountain mist. These bangles
are compared to the mist in the mountains. Just as mountain mist is characterized by
beauty, freshness, and purity, these silver and blue bangles symbolize the blooming
beauty of young maidens.

Poetic Devices used in The Bangle Sellers

Simile:
Simile is a figure of speech where one thing is directly compared to another using 'as'
and 'like'.
Silver and blue as the mountain mist
Some are flushed like the buds that dream
Some are like fields of sunlit corn,
Some like the flame of her marriage fire,

Metaphor: is a figure of speech that compares two non similar things by asserting their
resemblance without using the words like or as
Rainbow-tinted circles of light
Here, the bangles are compared to a circle of light glowing with different colours.

Imagery
Imagery is a literary device that uses vivid description that appeals to a readers’ senses
to create an image or idea in their mind.
The poem "The Bangle Sellers" is full of imageries. The poet has compared the bangles
of different colours to different objects and places of nature to create visual imageries.
Silver and blue as the mountain mist
Some are aglow with the bloom that cleaves To the limpid glory of new bom leaves

In the first example, blue and silver coloured bangles are compared to the mountain
mist. In the second example, the bangles are glowing like the bloom that sticks to the
green beauty of new-born leaves.

Symbolism
In The Bangle Sellers, the poet has used symbols to describe various stages of woman
life and the feelings and emotions attached with those stages.

Silver and blue bangles, like mountain mist, symbolize purity. "Flushed like the buds
that dream" indicates the dream of marriage and the shyness of a maiden. Again, red
bangles like "flame of her marriage fire" symbolize the passion of her newly made
relation

Rhetorical Questions:
The bangle sellers’ calls serve as rhetorical questions:
Who will buy these delicate, bright…?: The question invites reflection on the
significance of bangles.

Anaphora:
Anaphora is a poetic device that involves the repetition of a word or phrase at the
beginning of successive clauses or sentences.
The repetition of the word “Some” at the beginning of several lines creates an anaphoric
effect:
Some are meet for a maiden’s wrist…
Some are flushed like the buds…
Some are aglow with the bloom…

The repetition on "And" in the last stanza is another example of anaphora in the poem:

And cradled fair sons on her faithful breast,

And serves her household in fruitful pride,
And worships the gods at her husband's side.