Treasure Trove Answers

Bangle Sellers

Analysis : The bangle seller is trying to convince the purchasing public of the spiritual and symbolic importance of these bangles.  In this process, the speaker makes strong connections between the bangles and their role in providing "happy daughters and happy wives."  The subsequent stanzas describe through lush and natural imagery the beauty of the bangles and their representation of these ideals help to increase their precious value.  Some of these descriptions invoke the passion of "marriage's fire" and, in the last stanza, help to bring to light the socially accepted role of women in this setting.  The purple and gray flecked bangle is meant to symbolize a woman who "serves her household in fruitful pride,/And worships the gods at her husband's side."  It is not very clear in the poem if the bangle seller is a man or a woman, and perhaps, some level of meaning might change if one plays with the gender of the speaker.

 

PASSAGE-1
 

i) Bundles of bright bangles carried by bangle sellers are refered to as - 'shining loads'. Happy wives and happy daughters are the prodprctive buyers of the bangles.

 

ii)  In India, fair are held near temples and shrines. Women in large numbers from far and near visit those fairs. Bengle sellers have a good chance to sell there bangles just sitting at one place. 

 

iii) A metaphor has been used to describe bangles as 'Rainbow-tinted circles of light'. BangIes are considered of happiness. They were worn by maidens and married women. Widows do not wear bangles. 

 

iv) Bangles are round, bright and multi-coloured. The poet beaurifully describes them as rainbow-tinted circles of tight.  Bangles are bright transparent and delicate and  make  tinkling sound like that of a belt. The poet appropriatel describes them as tinkling, luminous, tender and clear. 

 

v) Traditionally bangles are considered symbol of happy lives of lndian womanhood. The bangle-sellers bring the the tokens of happiness to them. They carry the loads of  temple fairs where the women can easily buy  those shining multi-coloured bangles to adorn their wrists. 

 

PASSAGE-2

 

(i)    Silver and blue bangles are are befitting for the wrist of a maiden. Silver and blue colours like mountain mist , are symbols of purity and virginity of women.

 

(ii)  The buds are set to dream on the peaceful bank of stream flowing through a wood. They represent the dreams of a maiden about her future. The poet has used a simile to compare bangles to buds.

 

(iii)  Some bangles are bright like the buds that grow on the edge of a peaceful stream passing through a wood. Some bangle that are suitable for a maiden are like new- born leaves which are transparent, clear and fresh. They are like the innocence of a maiden.

 

(iv)  Silver and blue bangles as the mountain mist, bangles flushed like buds, and bangles transparent and fresh like new-born leaves are meant for a maiden. They symbolize her purity, innocence, and freshness of her maidenhood

 

PASSAGE-3

 

i) Golden or yellow coloured bangles, suitable for a bride are compared to fields of sunlight corn. The corn fields- a proof of Mother Nature’s fertility are symbolic of the fertility of a young girl getting married.

 

ii) A bride is happy on the day of her marriage because she is going to meet her husband. But at the same time she is sad to part from her parents. So she sheds tears. These two emotions signify bridal laughter's and bridal tear.

 

iii) Some bangles are golden yellow like the flame of a bride's marriage fire, whereas some are rich, red and bright like the passion of her heart. The poet has used two similes in order to compare the colour of bride's bangles to the intensity of her passion.

 

iv) A bride feels the warmth of love and fire of passion in her heart at the time of her marriage. Her bangles, like the flame of her marriage fire, are suitable for her because they symbolize these emotions.

 

v)  The poet associates bangles with a bride's love and passion. The golden yellow bangles are like the rich desire in her heart at the time of her marriage. There are also bangles clear and tinkling that symbolize her laughter and her tears.

 

PASSAGE-4

 

  i) For a woman ‘who has journeyed through life midway’ and has gained experience and wisdom.These bangles symbolise that phase when the maiden turned bride becomes a proud mother and responsible wife. She has experienced all the aspects of being a woman.

 

ii) The purple colour of the bangles is a symbol of pride, grey is symbol of maturiry and wisdom, gold-fleck symbolise authority and honour.

 

iii) When the poet is lonely sad and in a thoughrful mood he lies on his couch. But suddenly, the memory of the scene of the dancing daffodlils flashes in his imagination. He feels  he is in the company of the gay daffodils. His loneliness,  sadness, melancholy, all vanish. He is happy again. His  heart is filled ,with joy.

 

iv)  A Married woman, by the time she raches the middle of her life, has born sons. She has served her family and her husband fairhfully. She had loved, nursed and taken proper care to bring up her children.

 

v) Rainbow-tinted bangles are symbolic of different shades of womanhood.The blue and silver coloured bangles like the blue and silver mist of mountains; shades of pink of yet to blossom flowers or the clear dew drops on new born leaves are suitable for young maidens.The golden coloured like the holy fire around which the bride takes marriage vows and the golden coloured bangles, compared to yellow sunlit corn fields are suitable for a bride.