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The Bangle Sellers
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.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Who are the speakers in the poem?
a) The gods
b) The bangle buyers
c) The bangle sellers
d) The daughters and wives
2. Where are the bangle sellers taking their "shining loads"?
a) To a market
b) To a temple fair
c) To a house
d) To a river
3. What are the bangles described as?
a) Heavy and dull
b) Delicate, bright, and rainbow-tinted
c) Old and worn
d) Made of wood
4. What are the bangles called in the second stanza?
a) "Golden circles"
b) "Lustrous tokens"
c) "Shining loads"
d) "Rainbow-tinted circles"
5. For whom are the bangles sold?
a) Only for wives
b) Only for daughters
c) For happy daughters and happy wives
d) For everyone
6. What are some of the bangles "meet for a maiden's wrist"?
a) Silver and blue
b) Red and gold
c) Purple and grey
d) Green and yellow
7. To what is the color of the maiden's bangles compared?
a) The sunlit corn
b) The marriage fire
c) The mountain mist
d) The woodland stream
8. What are some bangles "flushed like"?
a) The flame of a marriage fire
b) The mountain mist
c) Buds that dream on a woodland stream
d) The tears of a bride
9. The bangles "aglow with the bloom" are compared to the limpid glory of what?
a) Sunlight
b) New-born leaves
c) A maiden's dreams
d) A woman's pride
10. What are some bangles "meet for a bride on her bridal morn"?
a) Purple and grey
b) Silver and blue
c) Like fields of sunlit corn
d) Like mountain mist
11. Which bangles are like "the flame of her marriage fire"?
a) The sunlit corn bangles
b) The bangles for a maiden
c) The bangles for a bride
d) The bangles for an older woman
12. What are the bangles for the bride described as in the third stanza?
a) Tinkling, luminous, tender, and clear
b) Heavy and loud
c) Dull and lifeless
d) Broken and torn
13. The bangles for the bride are said to be like her "bridal laughter" and what else?
a) Her bridal happiness
b) Her bridal tear
c) Her bridal song
d) Her bridal gown
14. What color are some of the bangles for the woman who has "journeyed through life midway"?
a) Red and silver
b) Green and white
c) Purple and gold-flecked grey
d) Blue and red
15. How are the hands of the woman who is "through life midway" described?
a) Fragile and delicate
b) Cherished, blessed, and cradled
c) Strong and powerful
d) Soft and gentle
16. The older woman has "cradled fair sons on her..." what?
a) Shoulder
b) Faithful breast
c) Lap
d) Back
17. What does the older woman do for her household?
a) She buys bangles for them.
b) She sings to them.
c) She serves them in fruitful pride.
d) She works in the fields.
18. What does the older woman do at her husband's side?
a) She gardens
b) She cooks
c) She worships the gods
d) She sells bangles
19. What is the overall tone of the poem?
a) Melancholy and sad
b) Energetic and celebratory
c) Angry and resentful
d) Calm and peaceful
20. The phrase "lustrous tokens" is an example of what literary device?
a) Simile
b) Metaphor
c) Alliteration
d) Irony
21. What is the central theme of the poem?
a) The beauty of bangles
b) The role of women in Indian society
c) The life cycle of a woman
d) The hardships of a bangle seller's life
22. What does "radiant lives" suggest about the women in the poem?
a) They are famous
b) They are happy and glowing with life
c) They are rich
d) They are models
23. The comparison of bangles to "rainbow-tinted circles of light" is an example of what literary device?
a) Alliteration
b) Onomatopoeia
c) Imagery
d) Hyperbole
24. The word "limpid" in "limpid glory of new born leaves" most closely means:
a) Cloudy
b) Clear
c) Dark
d) Murky
25. The line "Lustrous tokens of radiant lives" implies that the bangles are a symbol of what?
a) The material wealth of the women
b) The inner happiness and light of the women
c) The burdens that women carry
d) The challenges of life
26. What does the phrase "flushed like the buds that dream" suggest?
a) The color of the bangles
b) The fragility of the bangles
c) The quiet innocence of a maiden
d) The sound of the bangles
27. The bangles for the bride are like "fields of sunlit corn." This simile suggests their color is:
a) Red
b) Silver
c) Golden or yellow
d) Blue
28. The repetition of "happy daughters and happy wives" emphasizes what?
a) The contrast between the two stages of life
b) The shared joy and contentment of these women
c) The sorrow of the bangle sellers
d) The simplicity of the women's lives
29. What does the word "tinkling" in the third stanza suggest?
a) The sound of the bangles
b) The weight of the bangles
c) The color of the bangles
d) The shape of the bangles
30. The "flame of her marriage fire" is a metaphor for what?
a) The physical fire
b) The passion of marriage
c) The anger in a relationship
d) The start of a new life
31. The poem is structured around different stages of a woman's life. What are they?
a) Childhood, youth, and old age
b) Maiden, bride, and life midway
c) Daughter, wife, and mother
d) Young, middle-aged, and old
32. The phrase "Tinkling, luminous, tender, and clear" is a good example of what?
a) Onomatopoeia and alliteration
b) Metaphor and simile
c) Irony and hyperbole
d) Personification
33. What do the "bridal laughter and bridal tear" represent?
a) The sadness of leaving home
b) The joy of a new life and the sadness of leaving the old
c) The pain of marriage
d) The happiness of a woman
34. The bangles for the woman "who has journeyed through life midway" symbolize what?
a) A new beginning
b) The end of her journey
c) The wisdom and maturity she has gained
d) The wealth she has accumulated
35. What does the word "fruitful" in "fruitful pride" suggest about the older woman?
a) She has a lot of fruit.
b) She is proud of her children.
c) She is a good cook.
d) She is proud of her achievements as a mother and wife.
36. The line "cradled fair sons on her faithful breast" indicates that the woman is a:
a) Daughter
b) Wife
c) Mother
d) Bangle seller
37. The bangles are not just objects, but also carry what kind of meaning?
a) Monetary
b) Emotional and symbolic
c) Practical
d) Musical
38. The poem's rhythm is created by a consistent use of what?
a) Rhyme and meter
b) Free verse
c) Long sentences
d) Repetitive phrases
39. The poem's setting is a "temple fair," which suggests a context that is:
a) Modern and urban
b) Religious and communal
c) Isolated and rural
d) Economic and political
40. The tone of the first two stanzas is primarily one of:
a) Sorrow
b) Excitement
c) Serenity and innocence
d) Regret
41. What is the overall mood conveyed by the poem?
a) Joyful and reverent
b) Gloomy and depressing
c) Anxious and nervous
d) Indifferent and cold
42. Which word from the poem indicates the sound of the bangles?
a) Lustrous
b) Tinkling
c) Flushed
d) Luminous
43. The phrase "her heart's desire" refers to what?
a) A wish for wealth
b) A wish for happiness in her new life
c) A wish for bangles
d) A wish to be a maiden again
44. What does the word "worships the gods at her husband's side" suggest about the older woman's life?
a) She is not a religious person.
b) She worships alone.
c) She has a traditional, family-oriented life.
d) She is an independent woman.
45. The "shining loads" that the bangle sellers carry are a reference to what?
a) The heavy weight of the bangles
b) The brilliance of the bangles
c) The burdens of their profession
d) Both a and b
46. What does "the bloom that cleaves" suggest about the bangles' color?
a) It is a dark, heavy color.
b) It is a light, clinging, fresh color.
c) It is a sad, dull color.
d) It is a color that fades quickly.
47. The phrase "journeyed through life midway" is a gentle way of saying the woman is:
a) Young
b) Middle-aged
c) Old
d) On a trip
48. The poem celebrates the traditional roles of women as:
a) Wives, mothers, and servants
b) Spinsters, sisters, and friends
c) Maidens, brides, and mothers
d) None of the above
49. The use of a simple, direct question at the beginning ("Who will buy these…?") creates a sense of:
a) Despair
b) Engagement and a call to the audience
c) Confusion
d) Anger
50. What is a "bridal morn"?
a) The morning before a wedding
b) The morning of a wedding
c) The morning after a wedding
d) The morning of a maiden's birth
51. What color is most strongly associated with the maiden's bangles?
a) Silver
b) Blue
c) Gold
d) Both a and b
52. The phrase "limpid glory of new born leaves" implies a color that is:
a) A clear, light green
b) A deep, dark green
c) A vibrant yellow
d) A pale brown
53. The "tranquil brow of a woodland stream" refers to the stream's:
a) Calm, quiet surface
b) Loud, rushing noise
c) Dirty, muddy water
d) Wide, open expanse
54. What is the purpose of the descriptions of bangles for different women?
a) To show the variety of bangles available.
b) To show the different stages of a woman's life.
c) To highlight the beauty of each stage.
d) All of the above.
55. The poem suggests that a woman's life is a journey from:
a) Helplessness to power
b) Innocence to experience
c) Simplicity to complexity
d) Loneliness to community
56. The phrase "aglow with the bloom" is a metaphor for what?
a) The flowers
b) The vibrant color
c) The heat of the sun
d) The beauty of a maiden
57. The bangles for the middle-aged woman are described as "purple and gold flecked grey," which suggests a mixture of:
a) Youth and old age
b) Royalty and humility
c) Pride and wisdom
d) Wealth and sorrow
58. What does "faithful breast" suggest about the middle-aged woman?
a) She is loyal and a good mother.
b) She is a religious person.
c) She is a good cook.
d) She is a hard worker.
59. The poem uses the imagery of light to describe the bangles, such as:
a) "Shining," "lustrous," "radiant," "aglow," "luminous"
b) "Dark," "dull," "grey," "mist," "shadows"
c) "Tears," "pain," "fire," "smoke"
d) "Corn," "leaves," "buds," "mountains"
60. The rhyme scheme of the first stanza is most similar to which other stanza?
a) The second stanza
b) The third stanza
c) The fourth stanza
d) None of the above
61. The poem is written in a style that is most characteristic of:
a) A narrative
b) A lyric
c) A ballad
d) A sonnet
62. The tone of the last stanza is best described as:
a) Joyful
b) Reverent
c) Sad
d) Sarcastic
63. The phrase "whose hands have cherished, whose love has blest" highlights the woman's role as a:
a) Provider
b) Caregiver
c) Spiritual guide
d) Both a and b
64. The bangles are a symbol of a woman's what?
a) Strength
b) Weakness
c) Beauty and status
d) Both a and c
65. The poem's language is:
a) Complex and academic
b) Simple and accessible
c) Formal and detached
d) Unemotional and cold
66. What does the word "cradled" imply about the middle-aged woman's relationship with her sons?
a) She has a distant relationship with them.
b) She has raised them with care and tenderness.
c) She has carried them for a long time.
d) She has held them in a cradle.
67. The speaker's attitude towards the women in the poem is one of:
a) Disdain
b) Empathy and admiration
c) Indifference
d) Criticism
68. The poem suggests that the life of a woman, from maiden to wife to mother, is a cycle of:
a) Hardship and struggle
b) Beauty and fulfillment
c) Pain and sorrow
d) Loneliness and isolation
69. The phrase "the gods at her husband's side" suggests a life rooted in:
a) Materialism
b) Modernity
c) Tradition and devotion
d) Independence
70. What is the central metaphor of the poem?
a) The bangles as burdens
b) The bangles as symbols of a woman's life stages
c) The bangle sellers as artists
d) The temple fair as a stage
71. The use of different colors for the bangles corresponds to what?
a) The seasons
b) The time of day
c) The emotional state of the wearer
d) The different stages of a woman's life
72. The word "flushed" in the second stanza suggests a color that is:
a) Pale and white
b) A rosy or light red
c) A dark purple
d) A bright yellow
73. What does "tender" and "clear" suggest about the bangles for the bride?
a) They are fragile and transparent.
b) They are soft and delicate.
c) They are gentle and pure in sound and appearance.
d) All of the above.
74. The poem implies that a woman's life is valuable because of her role in the:
a) Public sphere
b) Financial sector
c) Family and home
d) Artistic community
75. What do the bangles represent for the maiden?
a) The sadness of youth
b) The innocence and purity of youth
c) The wisdom of age
d) The responsibilities of a wife
76. What does "a bride on her bridal morn" signify?
a) The end of a life stage
b) A new beginning
c) A time of sorrow
d) A moment of regret
77. The "flame of her marriage fire" is a symbol of:
a) Anger and conflict
b) The sacredness and passion of marriage
c) A fire at her home
d) The pain of a new life
78. What does "rich with the hue of her heart's desire" suggest about the bride's feelings?
a) She is sad about her wedding.
b) She is full of anticipation and love.
c) She is angry at her husband.
d) She is anxious about the future.
79. The poem's structure, with each stanza focusing on a different type of woman, contributes to a sense of:
a) Repetition
b) Narrative progression
c) Disjointed ideas
d) All of the above
80. What is the central action of the poem?
a) Bangle sellers walking
b) Women buying bangles
c) Bangle sellers describing their wares
d) A wedding
81. The poem creates a vivid picture of a scene through the use of strong:
a) Dialogue
b) Imagery and sensory details
c) Plot twists
d) Scientific descriptions
82. The first two lines of the poem are an example of:
a) Personification
b) Direct address
c) A statement of purpose
d) Alliteration
83. The phrase "lustrous tokens" highlights the bangles' what?
a) Their symbolic value
b) Their weight
c) Their price
d) Their fragility
84. The phrase "cradled fair sons" suggests that the older woman has had what?
a) A difficult life
b) A fulfilling life as a mother
c) Many daughters
d) No children
85. The "fruitful pride" of the older woman comes from her role as a:
a) Bangle seller
b) Wife
c) Mother and homemaker
d) Bride
86. What is the rhyming pattern of the first stanza?
a) AABB
b) ABAB
c) ABCB
d) AABA
87. The poem suggests that bangles are a symbol of what in a woman's life?
a) Beauty and adornment
b) Identity and life stages
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b
88. The phrase "tranquil brow" is a use of personification to describe what?
a) The woman's forehead
b) The calm surface of a stream
c) The trees
d) The sky
89. The poem's structure follows a chronological progression. Which of these is in the correct order?
a) Bride, maiden, middle-aged woman
b) Maiden, middle-aged woman, bride
c) Maiden, bride, middle-aged woman
d) Middle-aged woman, maiden, bride
90. The poem's tone is both celebratory and:
a) Reflective
b) Humorous
c) Critical
d) Cynical
91. What is a "temple fair"?
a) A gathering at a temple
b) A religious festival or event
c) A marketplace near a temple
d) All of the above
92. What does "gold flecked grey" suggest about the middle-aged woman?
a) She is poor.
b) Her beauty is mixed with wisdom and the signs of age.
c) She is wearing a grey dress.
d) She is sick.
93. The poem paints a picture of Indian culture that is:
a) Traditional
b) Modern
c) Westernized
d) Secular
94. The bangles are a representation of the cultural value placed on a woman's what?
a) Career
b) Independence
c) Family life and roles
d) Education
95. The word "tender" in the third stanza could refer to the bangles' what?
a) Their price
b) Their delicate nature
c) Their hardness
d) Their color
96. The poem's message is that each stage of a woman's life is:
a) Unimportant
b) Burdened with responsibility
c) Unique and beautiful
d) A sou
rce of sorrow
97. What is the rhyme scheme of the final stanza?
a) ABAB
b) AABB
c) ABCB
d) AABB
98. The line "whose hands have cherished" suggests the woman is what?
a) A fighter
b) A nurturer
c) An artist
d) A queen
99. The poem's use of colorful imagery is meant to appeal to the reader's what?
a) Sense of hearing
b) Sense of sight
c) Sense of touch
d) Sense of taste
100. The poem ends with a woman's life at a stage of fulfillment and:
a) Regret
b) Pride
c) Loneliness
d) Despair
Declaration: Use Numeric UI font to get the Bengali font perfectly . Select the text and touch the 'Read Aloud ' option and set the speed at '3' to listen the whole text as one is telling you story and get better understanding.
