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Unit 12: Indian Weavers by Sarojini Naidu
4. Complete the following sentences using the words given below. Do you recognise the Notes
similies used?
whistle, lightning, rain
(a) The chirping of the birds sounded as shrill as a ......... .
(b) The drumming of the ......... drops on the roof tops was like music.
5. (a) Similies in lines-
‘Like the plumes of a peacock, purple and green
we weave the marriage veils of a queen.’
The marriage veil of a queen, the plumes of peacock
(b)(a) chirping of a bird as shrill/musical as a whistle.
(b) life as deep as sea
(c) rain as rhythmic as music
6. Any innovative comparison that shows similarity
A few possible comparisons:
(a) As cold as ice/cucumber
(b) As hot as chillies/a desert
(c) As deep as an ocean
7. Words/phrases repeated
Weavers, weaving..........
Why do you weave ...........
We weave ..........
8. Weavers weaving at their looms
— a bird with blue feathers
— a peacock dancing/spreading its plumes
— a queen with her face covered with a veil
— a dead body covered with a white cloth
12.4 Themes and Symbols
Saorjini Naidu has talked about 3 important stages in a human’s life-birth, marriage and
death. She has related them with different times in a day-morning, evening and night. She has
highlighted the importance of the weavers, their work as well as what are their thoughts
when they are at work.
‘‘Indian Weavers” presents the picture of weavers, who weave handloom cloth in variegated
colours and patterns. The poem indicates Sarojini’s faculty for observation. The rhythm, the
voice, the sense, the time and the context - everything is Indian. The sensibility of the poet is
at the core of the poem, which depicts the different stages of human life: Childhood, Youth,
and Old age. The poet says that the Weavers start their work, early in the morning and they
make bright garments in blue, like the wings of the Kingfisher, suggesting childhood. At the
fall of night, the Weavers are weaving attractive garments in purple and green like the plumes
of a peacock which is a marriage veil of a Queen. This suggests youth, energetic, enjoyable
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