Mention and explain the figures of speech and other poetic devices that the poet has used in Sarojini Naidu’s poem In the Bazaars of Hyderabad.
Sarojini Naidu’s poem In the bazaars of Hyderabad is not very rich in poetic devices, as there is nothing metaphoric or symbolic in the theme. But still the following figures of speech are found in the poem.
Consonance
Consonance is the use of similar consonant sounds in neighbouring words.
Girdles of gold for dancers
Turbans of crimson and silver
Alliteration
Alliteration is a specific kind of consonance. It is the repetition of consonant sounds in first or stressed syllables of nearby words.
Girdles of gold for dancers
Frail as a dragon-fly’s wings
Polysyndeton
Polysyndeton is close repetition of conjunctions.
Saffron and lentil and rice
Wristlet and anklet and ring
Simile
Simile is a direct comparison between two different things by use of ‘like’ or ‘as’.
Bells for the feet of blue pigeons
Frail as a dragon-fly’s wing
Here the poet compares the delicate golden bells to dragon fly’s wings, as both are fragile.
Rhetorical questions
Throughout the poem, the poet has used rhetorical questions only to answer them by herself.
What do you sell O ye merchants?
What do you weigh, O ye vendors?
Metaphor
Yes, there is a metaphor too — an indirect comparison between two different things where there is a point of similarity.
To perfume the sleep of the dead
The silence and senseless condition of a dead man is compared to ‘sleep’.
Inversion
Inversion is a reversal of normal word order.
Richly your wares are displayed
Here, the normal word-order should have been “Yours wares are displayed richly”.
Sheets of white blossoms new-garnered
The normal word order should have been “Sheets of new-garnered white blossoms”. But the poet has reversed the order to achieve the rhyme scheme and also a rhetorical effect in the poem.
She has used Imagery also
Olfactory– Smell. There is smell of sandalwood, henna and spice which are being grinded by the maidens.
Gustatory– Taste. Citron fruit, pomegranate and plum.
Tactile– Touch. Everything can be touched.
Auditory– Hear. The playing of sitar sarangi and drum also spells.
Visual– See. Everything can be seen