Sarojini Naidu was an India Political Leader born on February 13, 1879 in Hyderabad, India. Naidu's work as a poet earned her the sobriquet Nightangle of India. She was educated in Chennai, London and Cambribge. In 1916, She met Mahatma Gandhi which sparked her interset in the fight for India's freedom.
She was the first Indian Women to become the President of Indian National Congress and to be appointed an Indian State Governer. She died on 2nd March, 1949 due to cardiac arrest in Lucknow.
'The Bangle Sellers' is a poem exploring the life of Indian women, the Indian culture and traditions revolving around women. The poem explores the imagery associated with bangles, which is an important ornament for 'embellishment' of women in Indian Society. The bangles here are called 'lustrous tokens of radiant lives.' In India, bangles are bought on special occasions and are associated with happiness and prosperity. The different stages of a woman's life have been wonderfully described by the different coloured bangles they wear. Silver, blue and pink represent the stage of maidenhood, yellow and red coloured bangles are worn by a bride on her wedding day. Gold and grey colours represent motherhood and matriarchy. The bangles are compared with natural objects to symbolize the feelings and emotions attached with the life of Indian women and the roles played by the bangles. The poem ends up becoming a musical masterpiece of the poetess as well as depicting Naidu's love and respect for the traditional Indian culture.
Click here to Solve ⇒ MCQ on Bangle Sellers Question and Answer Q1. What do we understand from the phrases 'bridal laughter' and 'bridal tear' ? Ans :- As the poetess describes the different stages of a woman's life, she also remarks the emotions of a bride on the day of her marriage. The words 'bridal laughter' and 'bridal tear' suggest the emotional feelings of a bride. She laughs as she is going to start a new life, but, at the same time, she sheds tears as she has to leave her parent's house to live with her husband and in-laws.
Q2. How do bangles play an important role in Indian tradition ? And :- In this poem, Sarojini Naidu has indicated the importance of bangles in the traditional Indian setup and has also discussed the different stages of a woman's life (a young maiden, a bride and a middle aged woman) and their state of mind by associating it with the colours of bangles worn during these significant stages. In Indian traditional set up, the bangles play an important role in bringing happiness and goodness in the lives of young maidens, brides and middle aged women. The bangles are meant for daughters and wives who are delighted to possess them. So, the bangles play an important role not only in adorning women, but are also a symbolic representation of the various stages in the life of a typical Indian woman.