In The Bazaars Of Hyderabad — POETRY

In The Bazaars Of Hyderabad – Sarojini Naidu Summary:
 The poet is walking through the bazaars of Hyderabad. She stops at shops and stalls and asks the vendors what they are selling. By asking them what they are selling, she is actually describing the wares sold by thern. At the market, the goods have been displayed beautifully. There are turbans of red and white colour, kurtas with purple embroidery, mirrors with the frame made from amber wood, and daggers with handles made of green stone.
 The vendors are busy weighing saffron, pulses or rice. The maidens are grinding sandalwood, henna and spice. The pedlars are shouting while selling their goods. They are selling chessmen or dice made of elephant’s tusk. The poet then turns to goldsmiths. They are making wristlets, anklets and rings. They are perhaps making bells for the feet of blue pigeons. These bells are as delicate and light as the wings of a butterfly. They are making golden belts for the waists of dancers or sheaths for the swords made of gold for kings.
 On the other side of the market, there are fruitmen selling a variety of fruits such as citron, pomegranate, plum. The musicians are playing on the musical instruments, like sitar, sarangi and drum. The magicians are chanting something to a cast spell for the coming generations. There are flower-girls selling perfumes, weaving garlands for brides and bridegrooms, and chaplets for the bed of newly wedded couples. They are preparing a sheet of white flowers that are newly gathered, to be placed on the grave of a dead person.
Critical Appreciation:
 ‘In the Bazaars of Hyderabad’ is a beautiful specimen of descriptive poetry. There is a variety of images making a colourful picture of not only of a bazaar but also of life itself. The bazaar of Hyderabad gives the impression of a fair where all kinds of vendors have gathered with a display of their goods. There we have an assortment of goods meeting every day needs. The poet fills the colour in the picture which becomes a source of joy for the observer. There are delightful colours – silver, purple, amber and green. Visual imagery is striking, but colour imagery is dazzling.
 Ask for a thing, and it is there. Such is the bazaar of Hyderabad. You can buy saffron if you have money in your pocket, or you can buy rice to cook your meal. Chessmen made of ivory test your power of spending. If you have nothing to spend, listen to music being played by musicians on their stringed instruments accompanied by drum. To carry home, you can buy a flower or a garland. Here is something for everybody.
Paraphrase: Stanza 1:
What do you sell 0 ye merchants ? Richly your wares are displayed. Turbans of crimson and silver, Tunics of purple brocade, Mirrors with panels of amber, Daggers with handles of jade.
Explanation
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Please tell me merchants, what are you selling. Yours products have been exhibited so attractively. We sell turbans in deep red colour and brocade tunics in purple colour. We have mirrors framed in brownish yellow colour. The daggers displayed are with handles of jade.
Stanza 2:
What do you weigh, O ye vendors? Saffron and lentil and rice. What do you grind, O ye maidens? Sandalwood, henna, and spice. What do you call, O ye pedlars? Chessmen and ivory dice..
Explanation: I am curious to know what you the vendors, are selling? We are selling saffron, lentil and rice. I also want to know from you, the maidens what you are grinding? We are grinding sandalwood, henna and spice. Pedlars, what are you selling? We are selling chessmen and dice made of ivory.
Stanza 3:
What do you make, O ye goldsmiths? Wristlet and anklet and ring, Bells for the feet of blue pigeons Frail as a dragon-fly’s wing, Girdles of gold for dancers, Scabbards of gold for the king.
Explanation: I want to enquire what are you making, you goldsmiths. We are making wristlets, anklets and rings. We also make bells for the feet of blue pigeons which are as delicate as dragon fly’s wings. In addition, we also make gold bands for the dancers and sheaths of gold for the king.
Stanza 4:
What do you cry, O ye fruitmen? Citron, pomegranate, and plum. What do you play, O musicians? Sitar, sarangi and drum. What do you chant, O magicians? Spells for aeons to come.
Explanation: What fruits are you selling, o you fruitmen? We sell citron, promegranate and plums. What are you playing, o you musicians ? We are playing musical instruments like sitar, sarangi and drum. What are you chanting magcians? We chant magic spells to charm all ages to come.
Stanza 5:
What do you weave, O ye flower-girls With tassels of azure and red? Crowns for the brow of a bridegroom, Chsplets to garland his bed. Sheets of white blossoms new-garnered To perfume the sleep of the dead.
O flowergirls, what are you weaving with strange and tassels of azure and red. We are weaving garlands for a bridegroom to decorate his nuptial bed. We are also weaving white flower which have been newly gathered so as to provide fragrance to the dead bodies in the graves.
Central Idea:
 The central theme is firstly to represent India in its true form. It is a picturesque and spectacular description of the Indian bazaar which is vibrant and colourful with its enthusiastic vendors selling their various wares. The poem also is a reminder of the gloomy and ghostly truth of life that there are sad and happy occasions in life.
 Sarojini Naidu wrote this poem during the freedom struggle of India. This might have been written to inspire the Indians, to arouse a sense of pride in their self-sufficiency to influence them in a manner to awaken self-esteem and self respect by drawing a picture of various unique, attractive things in our markets. As such, she was awakening a spirit of patriotism and motivating Indians to boycott British goods and participate in the Gandhiji’s Swadeshi movement. This poem was written to spread the message of loyalty to the country as the need of the time.