Sarojini Naidu’s poem ‘The Bangle Sellers’ is a musical verse. It is the song of the men who are selling bangles in the temple fair. The sellers describe the bangles as “rainbow-tinted circles of light” and “lustrous tokens of radiant lives” to attract their buyers. They also describe the bangles of various colours by comparing them with objects of nature. And, in the process they also give an account of various stages of woman’s life and which bangles are suitable for each stage with appropriate reasoning. The poem ends up becoming a musical masterpiece of the poet as well as depicting Naidu’s love and respect for the traditional Indian culture.

In the first stanza, the bangle sellers say that they are going to sell their marchandises in the village temple fair. They describe the bangles as ‘circles of light’ and says that these are the symbols of happiness of the wives and daughters in the Indian society.

In the second sanza, they describe blue, silver pink (flushed) and green bangles which are suitable for a maiden’s wrist. They compare the blue and silver bangles to the mountain mist, flushed ones to the buds and green bangles to new-born leaves. These bangles signify sensitivity.

In the third stanza, the sellers talk about the bangles which are fit for a bride’s hands. Those are yellow like sunlit corn, red like the marriage fire, and tinkling, luminous, tender and clear like her bridal laughter and bridal tears. Bangles of these colours represent emotion and desire.

The fourth stanza describes the suitable bangles for a middle-aged woman who has crossed ‘life midway’ and is a responsible wife and a loving mother. Those bangles are purple and gold-flecked grey indicating a sense of maturity.