Hi Everyone!! This article will share Indian Weavers Stanza Wise Summary.
The poem is written by Sarojini Naidu, where she has talked about three types of dresses that the Indian Weavers weave at three particular times of the day and has linked the stages of man’s life with these garments. This poem shows a discussion between the poetess and the weavers where she asks the weavers and the latter reply. Below is given its stanza wise summary. I have also shared Palanquin Bearers Stanza-Wise Summary and Bangle Sellers Stanza-Wise Summary which are written by Sarojini Naidu only.
Indian Weavers Stanza Wise Summary
Word Galaxy
- Break of day – dawn, the first light in the sky before sunrise.
- Halcyon – It is a bird related to the kingfisher. In Greek legend, it is a blue-winged bird generally associated with the kingfisher, it is said to calm the seas.
- Robes – long, loose garment.
- Plumes – feathers
- Veil – a piece of cloth that covers a woman’s face.
- Shroud – a cloth that covers the dead body.
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Stanza – 1
“Weavers, weaving at………………………………………of a new-born child.”
In the first stanza, the poetess questions the weavers that why are they weaving clothes early in the morning that seem to be quite beautiful and charming and of a particular colour. The poetess is curious to know about these clothes as they seem quite special. The weavers reply that the clothes that they are weaving are blue as the wing of a halcyon which is the other name of the kingfisher whose wings are bright blue in colour. The weavers say that they are weaving the robes of a new-born child (a young one) who has just come to the world. This stanza describes the first stage of human life which is full of freshness, happiness, beauty, hope, etc. and there is no place for sorrow at this stage.
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Stanza – 2
“Weavers, weaving at fall of……………..veils of a queen.”
In this stanza, the poetess meets the Indian weavers again during the fall of night and asks why they are weaving a cloth late in the evening which is the time when most of the Indian marriages take place. She also asks why they are weaving a garment so bright like the plumes of a peacock, purple and green. The weavers reply that the cloth is brightly and richly coloured because they are weaving it for a queen which she will use to make her marriage veil. This stanza describes the second or adult stage of life when humans quest for a better and prosperous life. The colours purple and green symbolize the ups and downs of the life that makes adulthood bright.
Indian Weavers Stanza Wise Summary
Stanza – 3
“Weavers, weaving solemn…………………. man’s funeral shroud.”
In the final stanza, the poetess finds the weavers quite sorrowful, grieved and silent. They are weaving something weird in the dead of the night which is colourless and lifeless so, rather than asking why are they weaving, she asks what are they weaving? The weavers reply that they are weaving shroud which means a cloth used to put on the dead body. This represents the final stage of human life that is death which is lifeless and emotionless just like a white cloud or a feather. However, the white colour also symbolizes eternal peace and calm that comes with death.
This was Indian Weavers Stanza Wise Summary. So, the poem sums up human life in three main stages using symbols like clothes and times of the day. The life starts its journey with blue colour representing joy and happiness and then come green and purple that represent the ups and downs of life along with happiness and finally comes a single colour – white that represents the last stage of human life when the person dies and with him the emotions that were connected to life die as well.