The Bangle Sellers By Sarojini Naidu: About the Poet, Summary & Text



About the poet of Bangle Sellers:

The poem Bangle Sellers has been composed by Sarojini Naidu. She is a woman of versatile genius. She is a prestigious lyricist in the world of Indo-English Poetry. She is renowned for her observation, narration and simple depiction of Indian culture.
Sarojini Naidu was born in an illustrious Bengali Brahmin family in Hyderabad on 13th of February 1879. Her family originally belonged to Brahmangaon, a village in East Bengal. It is now in Bangladesh. Sarojini received her early education in Hyderabad. At the age of twelve, she passed matriculation from Madras University. At the age of thirteen, she composed a long narrative poem Lady of the Lake. In the age of sixteen, she went to England for further studies in 1895. First of all she studied in King’s College of London and after that she went to Griton College, Cambridge.
In England Sarojini attracted the attention of Sir Edmund Gosse and Arthur Symons. They were renowned poets, critics and biographers. Under the guidance of these two great authors, Sarojini embarked upon her career as a poet.
Sarojini suffered a nervous breakdown in England in 1898. Due to this she returned back India without any formal degree. She was married to Dr. Govinda Rajalu Naidu. After her marriage she settled in Hyderabad. In 1914 she came in contact with Mahatma Gandhi in London. After that she decided to devote herself to India’s freedom struggle. Mahatma Gandhi gave her a name Bharat Kokila (the Nightingale of India).
No doubt, Sarojini Naidu was a great, gifted and glorious daughter of India. She passed away on 2nd of March 1949. On her death Nehru said, ‘…and now the dearest and brightest of them has gone. I feel desolate of heart and widowed in spirit.’

About The poem Bangle Sellers:

The poem Bangle Sellers has been composed by Sarojini Naidu. It was first published in 1912 by Sarojini Naidu in her collection of poems called The Bird of Time. This poem is a folk song. It highlights the values and virtues of Indian womanhood. It describes the roles of women in different stages of their life. This poem beautifully describes the beauty of bangles and their values to an Indian woman. The different colours of bangles are symbols of various stages in the life of a typical Indian woman.
The Bangle Sellers is a well-written lyric poem. There are 24 lines in this poem. It has four stanzas of six lines. Each stanza consists of three rhyming couplets. The rhyme scheme of each stanza is 'AABBCC.
The first stanza of this poem is about the bangle sellers who are trying to sell bangles in the temple fair. They know that the bangles are a sign of happiness and brightness in an Indian woman’s life. That is why they feel pride and happiness to do their job. The remaining stanzas define three significant stages in a woman's life and the bangles that she wears in these stages. Therefore, the title of this poem is appropriate.
In the present poem Bangles symbolise auspiciousness for a married Indian woman. These bangles are symbolic of the shine, brightness and radiance in the lives of women. According to the poem the maiden prefers bangles of silver, blue, pink and of shining green colours. These bangles of these colours are symbolic of freshness, beauty and purity of a young unmarried girl. When a girl becomes a bride, she wears bangles of red, orange, golden and of rich colour. The bangles of these colours are absolutely suitable for a bride. These colours resemble the purity of the marriage fire. These are symbolic of happiness, love and hopes for new life. A middle-aged woman wears bangles of purple and gold-flecked grey colour. These colours are symbolic of the journey that she has completed.
The tone of the poem is joyful and lively. Its lyrical quality, Indian theme and imagery are appreciable. The use of simile metaphor and irony are also appreciable.

TEXT:
The Bangle Sellers By Sarojini Naidu

Bangle sellers are we who bear
Our shining loads to the temple fair...
Who will buy these delicate, bright
Rainbow-tinted circles of light?
Lustrous tokens of radiant lives,
For happy daughters and happy wives.

Some are meet for a maiden's wrist,
Silver and blue as the mountain mist,
Some are flushed like the buds that dream
On the tranquil brow of a woodland stream,
Some are aglow with the bloom that cleaves
To the limpid glory of new born leaves

Some are like fields of sunlit corn,
Meet for a bride on her bridal morn,
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.

Some are purple and gold flecked grey
For she who has journeyed through life midway,
Whose hands have cherished, whose love has blest,
And cradled fair sons on her faithful breast,
And serves her household in fruitful pride,
And worships the gods at her husband's side.

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