Saturday Art: "The Bangle Sellers", Poem By Sarojini Naidu, 1912

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Celebrating Womanhood through Sarojini Naidu


Today's edition of Saturday Art features a poem. One may wonder how poetry fits into art, but poetry is very much an art form. Through words arranged in verse, a poet can express ideas, emotions, and experiences directly, much like a painting or a piece of music does.

Poetry becomes artistic not only because of what it says, but also because of how it says it. The sounds of words, their rhythm, and their arrangement create a musical quality that can stir emotions in the reader or listener.

To illustrate this, I am sharing the beautiful poem “The Bangle Sellers” by Sarojini Naidu.

There is another reason for selecting this poem. Just a few days ago, on 13 February, we marked her 146th birth anniversary. Sarojini Naidu was not only a poet, but also an activist, freedom fighter, and one of the early voices speaking for women's dignity and identity in India.

Below is a rare video that captures the personality of this remarkable woman. Few people could speak for the Indian woman with as much sensitivity and understanding as she did. Drawing on Indian history and culture, she presents a graceful and affectionate portrait of womanhood.

“The Bangle Sellers” celebrates the different stages of a woman's life through the imagery of colourful bangles. Each colour reflects a different moment — the innocence of a young girl, the excitement of a bride, and the dignity and fulfilment of a mature woman.

The Bangle Sellers

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.

The beauty of the poem lies in its imagery. The bangles are not just ornaments; they become symbols of the different stages of a woman's life.

The soft colours of silver and blue suggest the innocence of a young girl. The glowing reds and golds reflect the passion and excitement of a newly married bride. The deeper colours in the final stanza represent maturity, fulfilment, and responsibility.

The poem also has a gentle musical rhythm created by rhyme and repetition. This rhythm gives it a song-like quality, almost as if the bangle sellers themselves are calling out in the marketplace.

Through simple images and graceful language, Sarojini Naidu turns an everyday scene from Indian life into a celebration of womanhood.

Portrait of Sarojini Naidu, Indian poet and nationalist leader.
Sarojini Naidu, poet, freedom fighter, and one of the earliest voices celebrating the spirit of Indian womanhood
If you wish, you may explore the Rodevra website

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