Chapter 2 – The Bangle Sellers Solutions & Q&A

Content Structure

  • 1. About the author – Sarojini Naidu
  • 2. Summary of The Bangle Sellers
  • 3. Word meanings
  • 4. Exercises solutions
  • 5. Additional Multiple choice questions & answers (MCQs)

1. About the author – Sarojini Naidu

Sarojini Naidu was a renowned Indian poet and freedom fighter born on 13th February 1879. She was often called the “Nightingale of India” because of her beautiful and expressive poems. She worked closely with Mahatma Gandhi in the struggle for India’s independence from British rule and used her poetry to express her love for nature, her country, and humanity. Known for her courage, she delivered many inspiring speeches that motivated others to join the freedom movement. After India gained independence she became the first woman governor of an Indian state. She passed away on 2nd March 1949 but her life and legacy continue to inspire children to be kind, strong, and patriotic.

2. Summary of The Bangle Sellers

In the poem, Sarojini Naidu presents the different stages of a woman’s life through the symbolism of bangles using vivid imagery and colors to reflect the emotions, roles, and strength of women. The bangle sellers display various colored bangles at a temple fair representing a woman’s feelings like happiness, joy, kindness, and gentleness. Some bangles, delicate like shining mist and blooming flowers are meant for young girls, symbolizing innocence and freshness. Others glowing like the morning sun and the sacred fire of a wedding are suited for brides and reflect their excitement, love, and new beginnings. There are also bangles for older women, in more mature shades, representing love, care, and strength as they nurture their families with blessings and devoted hands. Through this celebration of color and life the poet shows that bangles are not merely ornaments but powerful symbols of a woman’s journey filled with emotion, duty, and inner strength.

WB 11 all notes

3. Word meanings

WordMeaning
Lustrous tokensShiny and special gifts
RadiantBright
FlushedPinkish colour
TranquilCalm and peaceful
Woodland streamA small river flowing through a forest
AglowShinning softly with light or colour
CleavesSticks closely
Limpid gloryClear and beautiful light
SunlitBright with sunlight
LuminousGlowing
FleckedSpeckled
BlestGiven love, care, and kindness
CradledHeld softly and safely
Fruitful prideProud and happy because of good work
WorshipsShows deep love and respect for God
WB 11 all notes

4. Exercises solutions

Choose the correct answer from the alternatives given :

1. What is the mood of the poem “The Bangle Sellers”?
a) Critical and questioning
b) Romantic and passionate
c) Happy and carefree
d) Melancholy and reflective

Ans: c) Happy and carefree

2. What is the significance of the bangles in the poem “The Bangle Sellers”?
a) They represent wealth
b) They symbolise Love and Marriage
c) They are a source of income for the sellers
d) They represent freedom

Ans: b) They symbolise Love and Marriage

5. Additional Multiple choice questions & answers (MCQs)

1. Bangles of blue and silver colour are suitable for –
(a) middle aged woman
(b) bride
(c) maiden
(d) everyone

Ans: (c) maiden

2. “Some are flushed like the buds that dream” is an example of-
(a) metaphor
(b) simile
(c) personification
(d) alliteration

Ans: (b) simile

3. What do the bridal bangles’ sounds mean?
(a) Silence
(b) Dance
(c) Her joy and sadness
(d) Anger

Ans: (c) Her joy and sadness

4. Who are the speakers in the poem?
(a) A woman
(b) A young girl
(c) Bangle sellers
(d) An old woman

Ans: (c) Bangle sellers

5. What are the bangles called in the poem?
(a) Glass beads
(b) Circles of light
(c) Round mirrors
(d) Toys

Ans: (b) Circles of light

6. The phrase ‘woodland stream’ refers to-
(a) a large wood
(b) a forest fountain
(c) a large river
(d) a steamer

Ans: (b) a forest fountain

7. Who are the delicate and bright bangles meant for?
(a) An old woman
(b) Young married girls
(c) Young unmarried girls
(d) Married woman

Ans: (c) Young unmarried girls

8. What color are the bangles for maidens?
(a) Red and pink
(b) Blue and orange
(c) Silver and blue
(d) yellow and green

Ans: (c) Silver and blue

9. What do the flushed bangles look like?
(a) Fruits
(b) Flowers
(c) Rain
(d) Stones

Ans: (b) Flowers

10. What moed is implied by the expressions shining loads, circles of light’, ‘radiant lives –
(a) jovial
(b) cynic
(c) depressed
(d) sad

Ans: (a) jovial

11. What sound do the bridal bangles make?
(a) Loud noise
(b) Harsh ringing
(c) Soft and clear tinkling
(d) Smooth ringing

Ans: (c) Soft and clear tinkling

12. What does the middle-aged woman represent?
(a) Jealousy
(b) Strength, love, and care
(c) Sick
(d) Weakness

Ans: (b) Strength, love, and care

13. What theme does the poem show about Indian women?
(a) They don’t care for family
(b) They are selfish
(c) They are strong and loving
(d) They are lazy

Ans: (c) They are strong and loving

14. What is the main message of the poem?
(a) To identify the different occasion bangles
(b) To learn about bangles-making process
(c) To celebrate a woman’s life at each stage
(d) To teach about sellers

Ans: (c) To celebrate a woman’s life at each stage

15. The poem ‘The Bangle Sellers’ deals with-
(a) the beauty of bangles
(b) the importance of the temple fair
(c) significance of colours in Indian culture
(d) different stages of a woman’s life

Ans: (d) different stages of a woman’s life

16. The mood of the bangle seller is-
(a) happy and cheerful
(b) gloomy and hopeless
(c) aggressive
(d) indifferent

Ans: (a) happy and cheerful

17. The overall tone of the poem is-
(a) serious and meditative
(b) sad and gloomy
(c) critical and judg mental
(d) joyful and celebratory

Ans: (d) joyful and celebratory

18. How many stages of a woman’s life is described in the poem?
(a) two
(b) three
(c) five
(d) one

Ans: (b) three

19. The poem celebrates the Indian-
(a) culture
(b) tradition
(c) custom
(d) all of these

Ans: (d) all of these

20. ‘Our shining loads to the temple fair…’ Here ‘our’ refers to-
(a) the readers
(b) the bangle sellers
(c) the customers
(d) the women

Ans: (b) the bangle sellers

21. Where are the speakers in The Bangle Sellers’ going to?
(a) a village fair
(b) a weekly market
(c) a temple fair
(d) a fair of a big city

Ans: (c) a temple fair

22. The lifestyle described all through the poem is-
(a) contented
(b) lustful
(c) vindictive
(d) disappointing

Ans: (a) contented

23. Sarojini Naidu is popularly known as-
(a) The Mother of India
(b) The Pride of India
(c) The Nightingale of India
(d) The Saraswati of India

Ans: (c) The Nightingale of India

24. Sarojini Naidu is known as the Nightingale of-
(a) India
(b) China
(c) England
(d) Pakistan

Ans: (a) India

25. The Bangle Sellers’ of Sarojini Naidu is included in-
(a) The Broken Wing
(b) The Golden Threshold
(c) The Bird of Time
(d) The Golden Treasure

Ans: (b) The Golden Threshold

26. The rhyme scheme of each stanza in The Bangle Sellers’ is-
(a) abcdab
(b) abcabc
(c) aabbcc
(d) abcdab

Ans: (c) aabbcc

27. The sound associated with the bangles for brides
(a) delicate
(b) ticktock
(c) charming
(d) bang

Ans: (d) bang

28. The phrase ‘circles of light’ signifies the-
(a) shining loads
(b) bangles
(c) buds
(d) colours

Ans: (b) bangles

29. The loads of the bangle sellers are-
(a) dull
(b) broken
(c) costly
(d) glittering

Ans: (d) glittering

30. The fair will take place near a-
(a) river
(b) banyan tree
(c) temple
(d) palace

Ans: (c) temple

31. The bangles are-
(a) bright
(b) of delicate design
(c) rainbow-coloured
(d) all of these

Ans: (d) all of these

32. The bangles are described as-
(a) item of pride
(b) circle of hope
(c) unending circle
(d) circle of light

Ans: (d) circle of light

33. The bangles are token of-
(a) luxurious life
(b) dull life
(c) colourful life
(d) innocent life

Ans: (c) colourful life

34. Those who are mentioned as happy in the poem are-
(a) daughters and wives
(b) sons and daughters
(c) men and women
(d) husbands and wives

Ans: (a) daughters and wives

35. The colours of the bangles for maiden’s wrist are-
(a) blue and red
(b) black and blue
(c) blue and silver
(d) silver and golden

Ans: (c) blue and silver

36. The colour of the bangles for maiden’s wrist is like-
(a) cloudy day
(b) mountain mist
(c) sunlight
(d) sea water

Ans: (b) mountain mist

37. The bangles are tinted with-
(a) blue colour
(b) rainbow colour
(c) red colour
(d) white colour

Ans: (b) rainbow colour

38. Three stages of a woman’s life mentioned areー
(a) Sister, mother, wife
(b) mother, wife, grandmother
(c) grandmother, mother-in-law, wife
(d) maiden, bride, wife

Ans: (d) maiden, bride, wife

39. in the third stage a woman worships God side by side with-
(a) father-in-law
(b) husband
(c) mother-in-law
(d) daughter

Ans: (b) husband

40. The phrase ‘bridal morn’ means the morning –
(a) of the wedding day
(b) before the wedding day
(c) after the wedding day
(d) of the engagement day

Ans: (a) of the wedding day

41. “… her heart’s desire.’-Here ‘her’ refers to –
(a) mother
(b) sister
(c) daughter
(d) bride

Ans: (d) bride

42. The phrase ‘bridal tear’ suggests-
(a) the life after marriage
(b) the life at her parental house
(c) the life at her husband’s house
(d) all of these

Ans: (d) all of these

43. The colour of bangles for middle-aged women are-
(a) early life
(b) purple and silver
(c) purple and gold
(d) all of these

Ans: (c) purple and gold

44. The phrase ‘life midway’ means-
(a) half-way of a work
(b) middle of a way
(c) middle-aged people
(d) mid-part of a boat journey

Ans: (c) middle-aged people

Related Links

WB 11 all notes