Literature in English – Poetry Class:7

In the Bazaars of Hyderabad 2022-2023

Read the given references and answer the questions that follow:

a. “What do you sell O ye merchants?… ....... Daggers with handles of jade.”

1. Where are the merchants? What are they doing?

Ans. The merchants are in the bazaars of Hyderabad with their merchandise displayed
extensively in the market. They are busy displaying and selling their merchandise.

2. Enumerate the good on sale in this particular shop. Describe their colourful
appearance.

Ans. The items displayed in this particular shop are turbans of crimson and silver tunics of
purple brocade, mirrors with panels of amber and daggers with handles made of jade.

3. Why does the poet begin the stanza with a question? What poetic devices has the
poet used to describe the scene?

Ans. The poet began the poem with a question to bring out the splendid quality of the
bazaars of Hyderabad. The poetic devices used in the poem are simile, repetition, lyrical
poetry, rhyming scheme and imagery.

4. Who are likely to buy tunics of purple brocade and daggers with handles of jade?

Ans. The rich people are likely to buy purple brocade tunics and daggers with handles of
precious stone jade.

5. Explain which sense is stimulated by the goods displayed in this extract ?

Ans. The sense of sight is stimulated by the goods displayed in this extract because the items
like amber, jade, purple colour tunics and the colourful turbans enhance the sense withtheir
rich quality.

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b. What do you weigh, O ye vendors? .... Chessman and ivory dice.

1. Mention the items sold by weight and the items sold by numbers?

Ans. Saffron, lentil ,rice , sandalwood, henna and spices are sold by weight.

Chessmen and ivory dice are sold by number.

2. Name two items sold for recreation.

Ans. Chessmen and ivory dice are sold. These two items are used for the purpose of
recreation.

3. What are the maidens grinding?

Ans. The maidens are grinding sandalwood, henna, and spices.

4. Make a list of food items, cosmetic items and items used in recreation in the

extract.

Ans. The list of food items includes lentil, saffron and rice. The cosmetic list comprises of

sandalwood and henna and the recreation list include chessmen and ivory dice.

c. What do you make, O ye gold smiths? …… Scabbards of gold for the king.

1. What type of shop is referred to in the given extract?

Ans. It refers to the shop where gold ornaments are being made and sold.

2. What do you understand by girdles and scabbards?

Ans. Girdles are the ornaments worn around the waist by the dancers and scabbards are the
sword cases used to keep the sword by the kings

3. Enumerate the items made of gold sold by the goldsmiths?

Ans. The goldsmiths are selling wristlet, anklet, rings, girdles for dancers, scabbard for the
king and bells for the feet of blue pigeons.

4. What is meant by, ‘Frail as a dragon-fly’s wing.’?

Ans. The above phrase means that the goldsmith makes small golden bells as delicate as the
wing of dragon fly. These bells are used for the feet of blue pigeons.

5. State the figure of speech mentioned in this stanza.

Ans. Frail as a dragon-fly’s wing is a simile. The delicate bells used for the feet of the blue
pigeons are compared to the frailness of the dragon fly’s wings.

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 d. “What do you cry, O ye fruitmen ?… ..... Spells for aeons to come.”

1. Which fruits and musical instruments were displayed in the bazaar?

Ans. Fruits like citron, pomegranate and plum were displayed by the fruit men in the bazaar.
Musical instruments like cithar, sarangi and drum were exhibited by the musicians in the
bazaar.

2. What is the poet keen to know from the musicians and magicians?

Ans. The poet is keen to know the names of the musical instruments played by the musicians.
She is also keen to know about the spells being chanted by the magicians.

3. Give the meaning of: Spells for aeons to come.

Ans. The meaning of the given line is that the magicians are chanting magical spells to charm
all ages to come.

4. How is the whole poem Indian in presentation? What is the poet trying to convey
throughthis poem?

Ans. The poem ‘In the Bazaars of Hyderabad’ was penned down during the time when India
was under the subjugation of British rule. Since newspapers were banned that time Sarojini
Naidu came up with the idea of writing poetry to convey and spread the message of the
Indian Independence struggle. Through this poem, the poet is trying to remind the Indians
about the variety of good available in the market and pursuing to buy Swadeshi (Indian)
goods and boycott foreign goods.

5. The poet seems fascinated by the Bazaars of Hyderabad. What fascinate you when
you goto the bazaar?

Ans. Student’s response.

e. “What do you weave, O ye flower-girls……….To perfume the sleep of the dead.”

1. How are the flowers used both in happy and sad occasions in this poem?

Ans. : In the poem, flowers signify both the happy as well as the sad moments of the life.
During the happy moments of life, the flowers are used for making the crown of the brow of
the bridegroom and to decorate his nuptial bed. Whereas in sad moments of life, these same
flowers are used as garland for the grave of the dead.

2. For what purposes were the crowns, chaplets and garlands used?

Ans. : Crowns are used for the brow of the bridegroom, chaplets are used for decorating
his bed and the garlands to place it on the bed of dead to make their graves fragrant with the
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smell of the flowers.

3. What is meant by ‘tassels of azure and red’? What do azure and red signify?

Ans. : The ‘tassels of azure and red’ meant the flower strands of sky-blue and red colour.
The colour of azure and red signifies the happy moments of life. In this case, the reference
of bridegroom’s crown has been used to signify the cheerful juncture. These flowers are
used in weddings to make the crown as well as chaplets.

4. What is the meaning and significance of “To perfume the sleep of the dead’?

Ans. : The significance of the given line is that the white coloured flowers are used as
garlands to be placed on the grave of the dead person and its soothing smell perfumes the
dead body or the grave of the person.

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