Palanquin Bearers.

Palanquin Bearers- Sarojini Naidu.

Summary.

Palanquin bearers is a melodious poem. The poem describes the scene of a bride being carried on a palanquin. The poem generates images of royal wives being carried on a palanquin to their husbands house. The men who carried the palanquin felt that their job was special and did it with much happiness. The similies in the poem point to the fact that the men did not feel that their job was tiresome. Some examples of the same are, 'Softly, O softly we bear her along', 'She hangs like a star in the dew of our song' and 'Lightly, O lightly we glide and we sing'.

Palanquin bearers is melodious and one of the most appealing poems of Sarojni Naidu. The poem describes the beauty of the bride while she is being carried in a palanquin. We are reminded of one of the ancient customs of carrying royal brides in India in decorated carriages to their husband’s home. Occasionally, the men of the royal families would travel on horseback along with the bride. The men who carried the carriages were happy about their work and believed that they had a distinguished job. They did not feel their job burdensome.

The poem is written in such a way that one can see and feel as if the palanquin is moving. The poet brings in so many images describing the movement. The words she has used seem to have a magic touch. In short we can say that the liberal use of imagery mainly similes make the poem a pictorial delight.

The poem creates an imagery of a moving palanquin through the use of similes.

The poem is being sung by the palanquin bearers, who have got the esteemed job of carrying the bride while carrying the palanquin on their shoulders. She sways with the movement of the palanquin, just like a flower sways in the wind. She is so light that they compare her to a bird that skims on the faming froth of a stream. She is ethereal, just like a tender laugh that energies from the lips of a person. The palanquin bearers are happy to carry the light weight bride and they sing along. The bride within is compared to a beautiful and precious pearl on a string.

The palanquin bearers further describe the delicate and tender bride, saying that they carried her softly on their shoulders. The bride is compared to a star that is reflected in the soft dew drops. She is so brightly clad that she appears to be like a shining beam of light that is reflected from the surface of waves. Yet, at the same time, she is so tender and delicate that they compare her to a gentle drop of tear that falls from the eyes of bride (here, we get a picture of the bride crying softly, as she leaves her loved ones, to start a new life). The palanquin bearers sing happily, as they smoothly carry the palanquin bearing the bride, so that she would not feel the journey, strenuous.They carry her along as if she were a precious jewel writing to be possessed by her husband.

The theme of the poem "palanquin bearers" by "sarojini naidu" is to reflect about the Indian marriages and their cultures. The poet has deliberatory used the contradictory feeling of laughing and weeping. The bride is sad and is crying as she is separated from her family. But simultaneuosly she is also overjoyed as she is starting a new family.

In Indian culture earlier woman were considered as a burden. But when the palanquin bearers carry the bride as she is married they feel no burden because of the ecstatic environment. in older times each and every parent wanted to get their daughters happily married. Carrying a palanquin of a bride was considered as a privilege.